City on Deadline to Sell Public Fox Block and Transportation Center Land to Private Developers. Culmination of Years of Planning Coming to a Close: MEETING TO BE HELD TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH – 4PM AND 5:30PM

The private acquisition of Angelo’s and Vinci’s is a private matter, but the public gets a say in the publicly-owned assets:

• the Triangle Parcel,
• the public street,
• aspects of the parking structure,
• current surface parking lots,
• pedestrian circulation,
• the architecture,
• the Firestone corner, and
• possibly the Fox Theatre itself.

The parking structure parcels that will be heard on November 15, Items 3 and 8,  were not on the October 26 Planning agenda. Several people remarked on this because the Fox Block Exclusive Negotiating Agreement was originally awarded to see what creative ideas could be built along with the public parking structure that the City was contractually required to  build for a future-operating Fox Theatre.

Although the parking structure lots were not considered at October 26 Planning Commission meeting, at the next Planning meeting on November 9, the three commissioners in attendance concluded that the disposition of the parking structure properties is in conformance with the general plan. This was referred to as procedural in nature.

The environmental document for the massive FOX BLOCK project is new to Fullerton – an urban infill exemption, but the parking structure isn’t subject to this exemption, as the agenda item report states that the structure can be built “by right.”

At the October 26 Planning Commission  meeting, there didn’t seem to be an official pedestrian easement in the street being sold to the developer for an outdoor food court, only the intention of pedestrian access. The Commission also granted a major site plan for the Angelo’s and Vinci’s exterior modernization; conditional use permit for new bars in the former Angelo’s and Vinci’s; and a microbrewery in the triangle parcel. The additional dozen new food vendors will be required to obtain separate license approvals for the sale of alcohol.

7 separate items pertaining to the Fox Block and the Fullerton Transportation Center will be heard at the Tuesday, November 15 City Council meeting. The City  appears to be fast-tracking items to beat a December 31^st, 2022 deadline stemming from the 2012 statewide dissolution of former redevelopment agencies.

 Fox Block – 5 Items: 5 items are to be heard regarding the Fox Block. It is currently unclear whether Item 12 includes the theater itself.

1. Closed Session Item 1: Price and Terms for Triangle Parcel at Harbor and Ellis, Ellis lot, and surface parking lot at northwest corner of Pomona and Chapman
2. Closed Session Item 3: Price and Terms for public parking structure land
3. Consent Calendar Item 8: Purchase and Sale Agreement for public parking structure land
4. Consent Calendar Item 9: Abandon a portion of public street: Ellis Place
5. Regular Business Item 12: Fox Block Project “Disposition and Development Agreement”

Meeting to be held Tuesday, November 15th – 4pm and 5:30pm

City Council meeting at City Hall, located at 303 W. Commonwealth, Fullerton. Contact Council at (714) 738-6311 or council@cityoffullerton.com  

The author of this article may be reached at cluttercontrol@earthlink.net