Response to Councilman John Paul Ledesma’s article about the council’s decision to approve UDR/Pacific’s housing proposal (former Kmart site)

Dear Councilman Ledesma,

I read your response regarding the Kmart property. As a resident of Palmia, I would like to give my view of our "approval" of the project.

1. To my knowledge, there were no formal notices regarding the project given. Reading the local newspapers was the only information that residents received. It was each individual's choice to be informed and/or involved.
2. There were no notices of meetings, or any mention of the hearings as in the case with the gas station project. The gas station project generated several meetings, and notices of hearing dates were posted and residents urged to attend the hearings and council meetings. This kind of activity was absent in the case of the Kmart property.
3. The action by the Association Board was taken without any discussion by or with the residents. As I was told by a board member, the action taken was "No objection," NOT approval.
4. The board did not speak for the residents. In fact, no one knows how the residents would have voted if it were presented to them, but I do know that the two situations were handled quite differently.

Additionally, I would like to comment regarding the affordable housing units. As I understand it, the units that are marked “affordable” are all single-bedroom units. I believe statistics show that most people who qualify for affordable housing have families. It is inconceivable how the City of Mission Viejo can approve of a plan that ignores those who are in greatest need.

Eva Schmidler,
Palmia resident