Barry Levinson
Question: Why are Mayor Jennifer Fitzgerald and City Manager Joe Felz not being straightforward about their obvious intentions to make it easier for the current landowner to convert the area around and including Polly’s Pies to high-rise high-density apartment complexes via the new tool recently being recommended by the Community Development Director?
Jennifer Fitzgerald became Vice President of Curt Pringle & Associates only after her election to the council
This new zoning concept is called a Mixed-Use Overlay Zoning Tool. This would allow the landowners between Chapman and Commonwealth Avenue on the east side of Raymond Avenue to have the right to switch from 100% retail/commercial current zoning to predominantly high-rise high-density housing, which I suspect would increase the value of that property by millions of dollars. It is good to be the queen and king of Fullerton.
Jennifer Fitzgerald became Vice President of Curt Pringle & Associates only after her election to the council
Joe Felz responded at the April 19, 2016 Fullerton City Council meeting that it would be very difficult to ever get high-rise development at that location as it would involve many steps including public hearing, and then approval by the Planning Committee and then a public hearing at city council and their approval of the zoning change along with the development project.
All this would have to happen after Mayor Jennifer Fitzgerald and Council member Doug Chaffee just told us they are committed to helping the landowner to get new retail tenants in that space and keeping that property a viable retail shopping area in the future.
Sounds like there is absolutely no way then that this property would be anything but retail going forward. End of story right…well unfortunately it is only just the beginning of the real story.
Joe Felz knows full well that the process he described above during the 4/19/16 Fullerton Council meeting as it relates to a zoning change for that site is currently under fire by his own Administration. His own Community Development Director, Karen Haluza
is recommending that the current zoning at that site be permanently replaced with the Mixed-Use Overlay Zone Tool allowing for high-rise high-density development without further zoning changes.
To summarize Fullerton Mayor Jennifer Fitzgerald is saying that the citizen’s have nothing to worry about because the city wants that retail area to remain and is actively helping to get in new tenants. City manager Joe Felz is telling us also not to worry because there are so many official steps and approvals that this landowner would have to undertake including public oversight before any high-rise development could even potentially happen at that site in Fullerton. However, at the very same time Joe Felz is telling us that it would be a very long and cumbersome official process requiring a number of checks and balances before we could have the possibility of high-rise housing at the Polly Pies site, his Community Development Director, Karen Haluza is recommending to the Planning Commission to approve a Mixed-Use Overlay Zone for 6 specific parcels of land including the one at Polly’s Pies that would allow current landowners to use the property for mix-use development with up to 98% of the property used exclusively for high-rise residential development as part of the proposed revised DCCSP.
What would you call someone who assures you that there is nothing to worry about when his direct report obviously with his approval and most likely at his direction is trying to accomplish the exact opposite? I know what I would call such a man…arrogant, deceptive, and not worthy to be our City Manager.
Therefore, Joe Felz needs to be removed as our City Manager because we need someone who will not make statements he knows are at best deceptive and misleading in nature to the Fullerton public. Now if the city council majority had any integrity, his removal would be a forgone conclusion. The question I have is the following: Who on the dais will stand up for the people of Fullerton by not allowing the City Manager and the City Council Majority to get away with spreading misinformation and worse to the general public they are supposed to serve. For as readers you are starting to realize that it should not have to come down to citizens like myself to point out the chicanery going on at city hall.
Jennifer Fitzgerald became Vice President of Curt Pringle & Associates only after her election to the council
What would you call a Mayor who assures her constituents that high-rise development by Polly’s Pies is a pipe dream,
while the city is moving full steam ahead to change the zoning to allow for high-rise, high-density development at that exact location? Would you call Mayor Jennifer Fitzgerald incompetent, delusional or simply in collusion with the City Manager? I would say whatever your answer, her statements have earned her removal from office.
In fact bringing more high-rise, high-density apartments or condos is exactly what Joe Felz, Jennifer Fitzgerald, Jan Flory and Doug Chaffee appear to want in order to collect the $11,700 per residential unit Park Dwelling Fee/Tax. This will help them offset at least part of the $2.8 million dollar existing budget deficit as well as part of the millions of additional dollars approved by them via a 6% one-year raise for police and 9% over two-year raise for firemen/women.
The city council approved these raises prior to the city having the money necessary to fund these multi-million dollar increases in salaries and benefits. Where is the concern for the Fullerton taxpayer you may ask? Based on these actions by a majority of our city council there appears to be no real concern for the Fullerton taxpayer.
Their actions in my opinion do demonstrate a contempt for the good people of Fullerton as these changes will lower the quality of life in Fullerton for its residents while do little if anything to help improve roads, sewers and water systems, etc.
Question: Why is City Manager Joe Felz not being straightforward in his 4/19/16 council comments denying that he previously stated that it would cost the city 1.3 million dollars a year to reopen the Hunt Branch Library? He also stated at the same council meeting that the 1.3 million dollar figure to run the Hunt Branch Library was provided by former President of the Fullerton Library Board of Trustees, Ryan Cantor and from Library Director, Maureen Gebelein. Joe Felz went on to state that he personally had no knowledge about how much it would actually cost to run the Hunt Branch Library. Yet at the very next Fullerton Library Board of Trustee meeting, it was Trustee Ellen Ballard
who stated that it was Mr. Joe Felz himself that had made a formal detailed presentation at a previous Fullerton Library Board of Trustees meeting on the cost estimates to reopen the Hunts Branch Library.
The hypocrisy of the City of Fullerton Government is apparent to those with open eyes and minds. At the same time they are proposing to erode the quality of life for its citizens by continuing to approve high-rise, high-density apartments/condos, the City Manager recommended to the Library Board that the city should sell the Hunt Branch Library to Grace Ministries as a sole source bid.
Joe Felz’s mentor former city manager Chris Meyer-library board trustee
So the plan is to keep approving zoning changes to allow for high-rise development while selling the community’s treasured resources such as the Hunt Branch Library. Well at least we have a vacant piece of city land on Bastanchury Road that could easily be converted to a branch library or a much needed park. Well guess what the Fullerton Library Board voted to get an appraisal for that piece of property, which would only be asked for if the city were contemplating selling that piece of property as well.
Sean Paden’s campaign manager Ryan Cantor-library board trustee
Yes the City of Fullerton is for sale and the people it will benefit are the special interest groups that have the complete attention and apparently devotion of our city council majority.
I report, you decide.
Barry Levinson
#1 by Telling It Like It is on May 6, 2016 - 11:54 am
Unfortunately, no one on the dais so far has been willing to confront what the city council majority and the city manager are doing to change the character and the quality of life here in Fullerton for the worse. At best they nibble around the edges hoping that their constituents will not notice it is more bluster, more show than substance. For you see it is the results of the agenda votes that matter, not if one or two council members vote no. Why do you think these problems have existed in Fullerton for decades. No one will identify the overall problem.
We actually have a prominent special interest person on our council dais, Mayor Fitzgerald who decided to voluntarily create this conflict of interest right after she was elected to council.
Many Americans are frustrated that our Executive Branch will not actually identify who is the enemy in our war against terrorism. It is not Christian terrorists, not Jewish terrorists, not Hindu terrorists, not Buddhist terrorists and not secular terrorists, but Islamic terrorists. In the same way, we need Fullerton leaders willing to state the obvious that the enemy or at least those working against the best interests of the people of Fullerton is the Council majority and our City Manager who put the special interests first. Now that was not so hard to say. But no one on the dais has either the courage, integrity or honesty to tell it like it is. So I guess people like me have to do their jobs. Fullertonians wouldn’t it be nice if our elected officials actually did their jobs properly by looking out for the citizens of Fullerton. By the way, why do you think those huge raises for police and fire were passed? Look for large contributions by our public unions this fall to those council members and those candidates who will continue to represent the public unions and not the people of Fullerton.
#2 by NONE of them on May 6, 2016 - 2:26 pm
“Now that was not so hard to say. But no one on the dais has either the courage, integrity or honesty to tell it like it is.”
Well, Flory, Fitzgerald and Chaffee have none of those qualities.
It is apparent that Sebourn or Whitaker are puppets of the Royce/Nelson mafia, so they will not either.
#3 by Fullerton Lover on May 7, 2016 - 5:37 pm
I cordially invite your readers to look over the political campaign contributions for Jennifer Fitzgerald’s 2016 campaign for Fullerton City Council.
Why does Eddie Sheldrake, owner of Polly’s Pie’s, feel it necessary to advance Jennifer Fitzgerald’s ‘s campaign $2,000.00?
http://docs.cityoffullerton.com/weblink/1/doc/587224/Page1.aspx
#4 by Reality Is... on May 7, 2016 - 8:32 pm
Why wouldn’t he? Wouldn’t you? Don’t most millionaires always donate to political people and causes that better their interests in the cities they do business in? More friends you have the better? We know enemies don’t work well right Barry? Enemies just ignore you and do the opposite of what you say. Political monies make sense. Always.
#5 by Anonymous on May 7, 2016 - 8:50 pm
Could it be that Mr. Sheldrake, advanced in years, thinks that Fitzgerald is on the up and up? He seems to be a very honest, nice and hard working man and has no idea that Fitzpringle is working to sell off the city of Fullerton.
I do not think he knows and thinks the city and those acting on our behalf are honest, decent people. In reality they are anything but.
#6 by Fullerton Lover on May 8, 2016 - 7:26 am
Or…maybe it’s because commercial land that Eddie owns, would be worth a hundred times more if the City Council approves the zoning changes in Fullerton to allow commercial properties to be changed to residential use and we have a town full of residential high rises where commercial properties once stood?
#7 by Reality Is..... on May 8, 2016 - 11:13 am
Do we have a town full of high rises where commercial properties once stood? rEally? Or just a few which has proven to be better for the city and the property owners alike? Or you fail to see that because you are riding on Joe’s Kok the whole time?
#8 by Joe Imbriano on May 8, 2016 - 1:40 pm
what is a kok RI?
#9 by Fullerton Lover on May 8, 2016 - 2:06 pm
Just like your saying yourself, Reality Is, both the commercial property owners AND the city are happy because they are profiting greatly at the expense of the residents.
p.s. What is “Joe’s Kok? Were you trying to be derogatory and say “cock”?
Weren’t you the one just accusing people of having a 3rd grade mentality?
You know what they say about the speck of dust in someone else’s eye, and a plank of wood in your own don’t you?
#10 by Reality Is... on May 8, 2016 - 4:07 pm
How is changing a piece of crap land that is producing nothing for the city or the residents to something that will thrive and provide nice needed homes and a tax base to the city wrong? I don’t get it. Yes the owner makes more than now and the land value increases. And someone invests millions to develop it. I don’t see a problem with it. I’ve seen it done over and over hundreds of times in So Cal the last few years. The areas end up so much better than before. Out with the old. In with the new and improved. I hope council approves the plan and Fullerton gets the benefits that come with it.
#11 by Reality Is... on May 8, 2016 - 4:08 pm
Yes Joe’s kok. Joe has a few riders but not enough to win a council seat. Thank God.
#12 by hmmm . . . on May 7, 2016 - 9:41 pm
Well, clicking on that link was interesting. A company called Renovate America contributed to her campaign ($500.00). This company received the SCAG award for excellence.
Everything is all tied together.
https://renovateamerica.com/hero-program