2. PUBLIC COMMENTS
At this time, members of the public may address the Council on matters not listed on the agenda within the subject matter jurisdiction of the City Council, provided that NO action may be taken on off-agenda items unless authorized by law. Public Comments are limited to three (3) minutes per speaker unless a different time limit is announced.
We were all deeply horrified by the news of the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles last week. The stories of residents trapped in bumper-to-bumper traffic, forced to abandon their cars and flee for safety, were heartbreaking. The destruction left in the wake of these fires—lives lost and thousands of homes and businesses destroyed—is a tragedy that we must learn from.
As a resident of Santiago Hills in Orange, I have vivid, traumatic memories of the Canyon Fire in 2017. Our neighborhood was evacuated, and my husband and I gathered a few belongings, along with our infant son, and tried to leave. Traffic was at a standstill as a DC-10 air tanker dropped fire retardant just a few hundred yards from our cars, while flames, driven by the Santa Ana winds, approached Peter’s Canyon. We were fortunate to evacuate safely, and the firefighters were able to save Santiago Hills.
Now, the area burned by the Canyon Fire is where the Irvine Company plans to build the Orange Heights community—1180 multimillion-dollar homes packed into 400 acres of currently open space.
I urge you to imagine what might happen in the event of another wildfire, with a mandatory evacuation of our neighborhood, now including all these new homes. Thousands of added residents, all trying to evacuate south on Jamboree, it would be a life threatening situation. How could we escape in a timely manner to avoid the flames? It is reckless and irresponsible for the Irvine Company to build in such a high-risk fire zone.
We must act now, as a community, to prepare for the inevitable future wildfire. It’s not a matter of if, but when, the fires will come again. The recent fires in Los Angeles remind us of the urgency to act, and we should learn from the devastation and apply those lessons locally.
For the safety of our community, I strongly believe that these homes should not be built. Instead, the land should be preserved as a wildlife corridor between the Santa Ana Mountains and Peter’s Canyon, protecting vital open space and offering protection for wildlife and our neighborhood.
Thank you for your attention to this pressing issue.
Dear Mayor Slater and Orange City Council,
We were all deeply horrified by the news of the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles last week. The stories of residents trapped in bumper-to-bumper traffic, forced to abandon their cars and flee for safety, were heartbreaking. The destruction left in the wake of these fires—lives lost and thousands of homes and businesses destroyed—is a tragedy that we must learn from.
As a resident of Santiago Hills in Orange, I have vivid, traumatic memories of the Canyon Fire in 2017. Our neighborhood was evacuated, and my husband and I gathered a few belongings, along with our infant son, and tried to leave. Traffic was at a standstill as a DC-10 air tanker dropped fire retardant just a few hundred yards from our cars, while flames, driven by the Santa Ana winds, approached Peter’s Canyon. We were fortunate to evacuate safely, and the firefighters were able to save Santiago Hills.
Now, the area burned by the Canyon Fire is where the Irvine Company plans to build the Orange Heights community—1180 multimillion-dollar homes packed into 400 acres of currently open space.
I urge you to imagine what might happen in the event of another wildfire, with a mandatory evacuation of our neighborhood, now including all these new homes. Thousands of added residents, all trying to evacuate south on Jamboree, it would be a life threatening situation. How could we escape in a timely manner to avoid the flames? It is reckless and irresponsible for the Irvine Company to build in such a high-risk fire zone.
We must act now, as a community, to prepare for the inevitable future wildfire. It’s not a matter of if, but when, the fires will come again. The recent fires in Los Angeles remind us of the urgency to act, and we should learn from the devastation and apply those lessons locally.
For the safety of our community, I strongly believe that these homes should not be built. Instead, the land should be preserved as a wildlife corridor between the Santa Ana Mountains and Peter’s Canyon, protecting vital open space and offering protection for wildlife and our neighborhood.
Thank you for your attention to this pressing issue.
Sincerely,
Kimberly DeLehman
Orange, CA