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Debora Thomsen
From: Mark Dennis
Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 10:16 AM
To: Bob Brady; Tom Weiner; Debora Thomsen
Subject: FW: Lake Street Market
Attachments: City Council letter.doc
This was sent to the City Council and received by the Web.
Mark E. Dennis'
Information /Communications Manager
T: 951.674.3124 x207
F: 951.674.2392
C: 951.232.7868
mdennis@lake-elsinore.org
www.lake-elsinore.org
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Agenda item #13
Public Hearing
April 14, 2009
From: Brian Oakes [mailto:oakbranchi @msn.com]
Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 9:18 AM
To: Robert Magee; Melissa Melendez; Amy Bhutta; Thomas Buckley; Daryl Hickman; Mark Dennis
Subject: Lake Street Market
My heartfelt word document enclosed
Thank you in advance for your valuable time in reading it prior to the vote to be held this evening
Respectfully
Brian Oakes
(951) 712 9433
4/16/2009
Agenda Item # 13
Lake Elsinore City Council Public Hearing
Re: Lake Street Market/Zoning change April 14, 2009
Property address; Mountain & Lake Page 2 of 3
Lake Elsinore, Ca 92530
Honorable Mayor and Esteemed City Council Members;
My Name is Brian Oakes and I am a tax paying home owner and voting citizen of
the city of Lake Elsinore. My residence is located within the area defined in the proposed
"Preferred General Plan" which will be affected by the proposed modification of the
zoning change from Residential to Commercial.
It has come to my attention that the planning commission has approved a
proposed change of zoning for one property owner /developer from R -1 to C -1 prior to
bringing the proposed "Preferred General Plan" changes to the attention of all of the
residents in the affected area. I believe that this undermines the ability of all of the
residents to speak to the benefits and or liabilities of the General Plan changes. This also
leads to the perception of a special benefit to this particular property owner at the expense
of the other residents of the area affected. The added fact that this development will not
be required to complete and Environmental Impact Report or complete the necessary
infrastructure to connect the sidewalks and drainage to the rest of the neighborhood is
very difficult to comprehend.
If the development is allowed to go forward who would buy the surrounding
properties for their residences? If the area is left residential then a developer will
eventually buy them up and complete the neighborhood as planned. Running Deer would
be completed to Lake as planned to relieve the congestion at Lake and Mountain
As you are aware there are valid concerns about the increased traffic (in my
opinion a C or D is not an acceptable grade nor should it be in zoning a residential traffic
zone.) This area has many children and that number will only increase over time as the
economy starts to recover, families move back in to the empty houses and more are
constructed. Adding the hazards of a commercial development entrances and exits in that
location seems to be adding unnecessary risk factors to the walk to and from school. The
fact that the store will have an entrance from Lake Street at the crest of hill with no
deceleration lane until and if Lake Street is modified seems a little short sighted to me.
The fact that the cars exiting onto lake to continue towards Lakeshore will have to cross
the new right turn lane for mountain seem dangerous to me also.
The amount of empty retail establishments and the economy in general right now
does not warrant another retail center in this area. The one tenant which has signed on the
dotted line has a recent history of not opening its new stores on time (months late). The
store will rob sales from other local stores and in fact may actually cost jobs since I
understand it uses automatic checkout machines instead of human beings. This may
actually cause other retail establishments to do the same or fold in order to compete.
Agenda Item #13
Public Hearing
April 14, 2009
Page 3 of 3
As this corner stands now there is nothing for the local gangs and taggers to fight
over — however a 26 foot wall with nice little dark comers will make a nice canvas and
hideout. Remember we already have had 3 murders in this general area in a relatively
short period of time, regardless of where the perpetrators may have come from.
I checked with my real estate agent and then with the planning department prior to
purchasing my home to make sure that the area was zoned for residential only. I knew
that the area closer to the 15 freeway would eventually be developed for commercial use
and although I really enjoy the small town feel of Lake Elsinore I knew it would not last
forever. However I believe that the General plan was fairly well thought out and I cannot
see an overwhelming reason to modify it for one property owner /developer who thought
he could buy an Rl zoned piece of property and flip for long term profit by getting the
city planning department to rezone it.
The method of transmitting the information to the residents who would be
affected by such a change, considering the past history of attempted commercial
development in that area 13 years ago, seems less than honest and even perhaps
somewhat underhanded. Even if the letters of the law were in fact followed the spirit of
the law definitely was not. When the contractor was bringing this idea to the planning
commission, that was the opportunity to bring up the proposed "Preferred General Plan"
changes and let the residents voice their opinion on the proposed changes. The fact that
one of the Planning Commission members has a campaign sign on the same property for
which he approved this proposed development even over some of his own voiced
concerns lends itself to the perception of impropriety. Working behind closed doors with
the planning commission to apply for a zoning change and placing a sign behind the
traffic signal was not what I would call a community outreach.
I noticed that the area closer to the Nichols Road is proposed to be commercially
developed and that seems like a very nice area still within walking distance to put in this
commercial development. This would alleviate all of theses issues and still allow
residents who want a closer market and the Market owner and developer who feel there
are needs to have the development go forward.
I implore you to think about this as if you had based your home buying decisions
upon the original plan as I did and disapprove this underhanded maneuver to game the
system by this property owner /developer (Marinita Development). Bring the proposed
"Preferred General Plan" out and present it to all of the affected property owners and let
all voices be heard on that issue before granting a speculative developer the right to turn a
profit at our expense.
Sincerely
Brian Oakes
(951) 712 9433