Who owns property on the Union Pacific Trail that was recently shot down by Fullerton councilmembers Dunlap, Whitaker, and Mayor Jung?
The council majority chose Option 3 and directed the City Manager to terminate the grant agreement with the State of CA Natural Resources Agency (CANRA) and return grant funding or request staff to reproach the agency to relocate grant funding for another project in the city.
The problem is that CANRA confirmed that the City could not transfer grant funds to an alternate location or project. Additionally, the $1.78 million grant will not cover excavation, grading, or construction of any part of a street portion. This grant specifically aims to add greening and natural elements to existing urban areas.
The plan, which was passed unanimously by the Parks & Rec Commission, received overwhelming support from residents at workshops, in surveys, and public meetings and consumed several years of staff time was rejected by a council majority at the August 15 city council meeting.
The Observer (and many residents contacting the paper) would like to understand any objections to the walking/biking trail that would have connected the long shut down Union Pacific Park to Independence Park – and added 176 trees and much-needed green space to the south side of town.
Did any of the adjacent property owners (aside from Tony Bushala, who objected) also have objections to the plan to transform the unused dirt path behind their buildings?
There is no question that this trail will be developed, but the question is, how much will it cost the community?
Please write the paper at PO Box 7051, Fullerton, CA 92834, or email contact@fullertonobserver.com if you would like to voice your opinion. You can also contact your councilmember.
You may also be interested in this article: https://fullertonobserver.com/2021/05/09/city-receives-grant-for-union-pacific-trail/
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Fire them! Council members pursuing their own or friends’ agendas above those of the community DO NOT DESERVE the public trust. It has been normalized and all-too-commonplace in Orange County. We do not need permission from a rich developer to govern our community, do we!?!! Choose better candidates! We need open space!!! (Hint: the ones with all the signs and funding are corrupt! Follow the money!) This is not democracy. Recall the corrupt!
What proof do you have any of the them you reference are corrupt? Just curious. Because one of them votes with your guys most of the time on policy. So are your guys corrupt too? Logic and facts help.
Ahmad muttering Bushala at the conclusion of the discussion was not statesman-like. I voted for him with confidence he would be better.
I’ll see your complaint about Zahra and raise your a complaint about Jung: Jung abruptly cutting off Charles’ request to discuss his motion, and then getting the other two Councilmembers to vote down further discussion on his motion, was not statesmanlike. Zahra had a point; Jung was being obstructionist at best.
Zenger – Why are you changing the subject? Why don’t you and Bushala reveal your plan for the trail and surrounding area? Why keep it secret?
BTW – I took part in the community meetings that came up with what was dubbed the “peoples” map because it was drawn up by ordinary people. Those meetings were open to anyone in town who wanted to participate and help draw up the best map. Unfortunately the council majority at that time – much like this current majority – did not listen to the people and instead chose the ridiculous map dubbed “the bar map” drawn up by some politicians and downtown bar owners who were afraid of having limits put on the out-of-control bar scene by downtown residents who knew what was going on.
Jesus Silva – had nothing to do with the ridiculous bar map.
Maybe this corrupt council will be held accountable, but i doubt it, they are too busy serving their own self interests like typical politicians and engorging themselves on our hard work. I am all for voting them out and finding proper representation, this is just the latest entry in a sordid tale of dirty politics and corrupt politicians. I am not at all surprised, seems like whenever there is anything actually good for a community (and not a property developer) the council magically finds a problem, but if its a new development ($$$) then apparently its all good, doors are open, come on in. It’s a tale as old as time, power begets corruption in the weak minded with a chip on their shoulder, our council members are no different.
I did not want to think the worst of this Coucil majority, but I truly cannot think of another reason for which they would have opposed this project. Their reasons made no sense and were inconsistent with reasons they had provided previously on other projects.
To me, it seemed like they decided to vote against the project, and then came up with invalid reasons not to support it.
Fake, Astroturfing doesn’t mean community support.
Same thing happened when a 10 people decided to create a phony “People’s Map” for D3 to protect the political career of Jesus Silva.
If you had been listening to the council and especially Jane Rands, you (and many residents contacting the paper) would have all the information you needed to comprehend that this idea was hare-brained.
I attended the Council meeting. I listened to the discussion. I did not agree with the points that Rands, Whitaker, Dunlap, or Jung made. All the information I have heard about the project has led me to support Union Pacific Trail.
I fear that you only support Rands because her statement aligned with Bushala’s real estate development goals, not because it supported the wishes of the community.
Zenger – I find it very disturbing that you and Bushala and Councilmembers Jung, Dunlap and Whitaker often refer to residents as “special interest groups” or “astroturf groups”. Why don’t the five of you buddies reveal your own secret plan for the area that is somehow ruined by accepting the $1.78 million grant for the green-space trail? Why are you keeping it secret? Unless the city wins the lotto or comes up with new revenue stream the long planned improvements for the area will have to be accomplished in sections instead of all at once. This grant would have got the process started. You don’t even live in Fullerton. Even so – the ideas you and Bushala have might be good but who can tell when you refuse to reveal them? Why not put them out to the public? Are you afraid of actual residents disapproval of your secret plan?