Welcome back–I (for one) missed you! Hope your vacation went well.

I admire your zeal almost as much as your ironic humor! As my birthday approaches (another “biggie”), I’d also like to thank you for not lumping me in with the “old fuddy duddies,” and ask you to please hold that thought!

Seriously, although the current zoning is a mish mash, much of which was inherited from our days prior to incorporation, I don’t know of anyone who’s advocating rezoning residential to commercial. Certainly not Royal Oak, which is one of the most well maintained mobile home parks I know of. Although it’s been a couple years since I last visited there, I can’t remember even one unit that didn’t reflect pride of ownership.

The real issue that troubles me is the Council’s inaction a year and a half ago when the Planning Commission proposed a commercial overlay, and when the Commission President proposed a temporary moratorium in advance of the LAMC filing for their 25 year plan. I’m not opposed to reasonable expansion of the Medical Center, but, as someone who’s negotiated for a living for over 30 years, I thought the Council majority squandered the rights of our city to control our own future by not putting that temporary moratorium in place back before the hospital’s filing was complete.

And it boggles my mind that after almost a year and a half they still have not acted on the Planning Commission’s request for a commercial overlay, especially since Troy said he was tabling it to wait until the Compass Study was completed.

BTW, Planner (& several others–you know who you are), I think it would be helpful and lend some coherence if you’d use the same “handle” or nickname most of the time you post. Just a suggestion.

The questions you’ve posted could be speculated all day long. I would ask the council, the chamber and question those individuals you’ve mentioned to get the factual details directly from them.

If the City does not have the funds for the fireworks show (a community event), how could the Council find monies for this (a private event)?

Will Grose be using this event to promote his candidacy for City Council as he has in the past?

Will the Council require an accounting of the funds and/or the entire WWR event? Has there ever been an audit of prior funding?

Why was Grose removed from chairing this event a few years ago? Former Chamber Exec Dir Chris Barnes knows that there were improprieties by Grose in past years. The only reason he’s running it this year is because she is gone. Ask her and former CofC board members about this!

Chuckie and the Trashman just spent a fortune sending out a glossy flier telling all the residents how fiscally responsible Dean and Troy are, and there is no way in hell that either, if not both of them, will not pull this from the consent calendar and kill this.

Maybe that’s the idea? Machiavellian… “see how tough on spending Dean and Troy are” as they knock down the Chamber’s request… Of course it would lose it’s “umph” if Gerri also pulled it and voted “No.”

Should be an interesting meeting.

Part of the problem with what you suggested is that the location is far off any other “retail” and on a side street (not Katella, Los Al or even Cerritos).

The second part has to do with part of the requirements for housing meeting low income needs in a city. We have an affluent community and as I understand we barely meet the affordable housing requirements. Part of meeting those requirements is obviously Apartment Row, Some is the rental housing in Old Town, and some is that same mobile home park. My understanding is that there would be legal ramifications for rezoning affordable housing out of existence.

Final note, those “old fuddy duddies” you speak of are residents just like you and I, and I would hope that they take the same pride of living in Los Alamitos as you and I do. Some may be giving of their time by working at our Rec department, others may be helping out just across the street from it at the Legion. I tend to not want to discount those who are not like me in age, appearance, economic status or background for I have found that everyone has something to give and I can learn something from everyone if I only take the time and effort to do so.