Mayor Nicholas Dunlap said, “ I am recusing myself from this matter. I want to be clear because there’s been some misinformation circulated. My father and his partners owned the Villa del Sol property that is situated at the corner of Wilshire and Harbor. They have since the early 90s. He happened to own a management company that manages the property on a day-to-day basis. I have no financial ties to his company or the property. But in an abundance of caution, I’m recusing myself from this matter. So, at this point, I’m going to step out of the room and hand it over to the Mayor Pro Tem, who will lead the meeting.”

Councilmember Ahmad Zahra asked, “May I address the audience for one minute, please, before we start?”

Mayor Pro Tem Fred Jung said, “Of course.”

Zahra said, “So folks, for those who don’t know my day job, I’m a producer, and I’m on this show. I flew in today, and I’m flying out at 11:00 PM. I have to be tomorrow in Pennsylvania. That’s my day job. OK, so I know everybody’s coming in to speak. I really would appreciate it because of the time I need to be out of here by 8 to make my flight. Otherwise, I will be fired. I know everybody’s passionate about this. A lot of speakers, if there are groups, maybe you can group together. I hate to cut down on your public comments. I’m just asking as a favor. Thank you.”

District 2 candidate Jan Flory, who is a former attorney, asked for the City Attorney to clarify why the Mayor was recusing himself so everyone could understand.

City Attorney Dick Jones said, “There are two principles of law in effect your statutory conflicts of interest or established and regulated by the Fair Political Practices Commission and essentially relate to economic interest. In this situation, all Mr. Dunlap is not asserting an economic interest.”

“The second principle is called common law, conflict of interest, and that is the public’s entitled to receive from the elected officials a fair, unbiased, and unprejudiced opinion. If a council member believes they’re biased or incapable of being able to participate in that decision, they have the right to declare a common law. Conflict of interest is not based on economics; it is based on a fairness question. If their mind they believe because of the circumstances they’re in, they cannot participate in the decision, they have the legal right to declare what’s called a common law conflict of interest is there to protect the public from somebody who feels, for example,, if you have a son of one of the council members who was 40 years old employee of that company there was no legal conflict in terms of economic interest, but the council member felt because her son worked for that company she felt she couldn’t be fair. In this case. Mr. Dunlap has indicated that he believes he has a conflict based upon common law and the inability to act fairly and unprejudiced; therefore, he has declared the conflict. That would be the legal principle.”

Economic Development Director Sunayana Thomas said, “Tonight, we are seeking direction on the future of the Walk on Wilshire (WoW) program. In 2020, the WOW program began as a temporary response to the pandemic, transforming a 200-foot section of Wilshire Ave. into a pedestrian zone for outdoor dining. Since then, several key milestones have shaped the program. In March 2022, the citywide temporary outdoor dining program was ended, but the council extended the WOW. Program for 18 months until June 30th, 20/20/24. In July 2024, a 90-day extension was approved, which is why we are here tonight.

“During the time businesses participated in the parklet program, however, not all utilized their spaces fully, and participation was mixed. Some businesses, like Fullerton Brew Company and SomiSomi, have permits but have not yet constructed parklets, while others, such as Sip and Savor, and Green Bliss, declined participation. What we have today is one business Mulberry has that has gotten permits and fully constructed and invested in a parklet. Rialto has cafe seating on the sidewalk using existing guidelines, and the others are still in their temporary form.

 “Over the last 90 days, follow-up actions were taken to further engage the community and assess the Walk on WoW program. The Community Chalk event, a grassroots group from the community, has formed since the last community since the last council meeting for Walk and Wilshire and has met with staff to brainstorm event ideas and resources needed to make it happen. They were able to organize one event earlier this month called the Community Chalk Event or Chalk on Wilshire, which was fairly well attended. The SCAD Kit of Parts is a collaboration with the Southern California Association of Governments. We tested what’s called a Kit of Parts installation at our farmers’ market and extended the market parameters. This temporary setup demonstrated how public spaces could be improved with flexible, movable infrastructure to enhance walkability and seating options. The test provided insights on how we might expand the use of the space in the future, as well as technical challenges in terms of the materials themselves and maintenance. Business community engagement. We continued engagement with the business community through direct feedback and meetings. We have some businesses that voice their concerns, especially those outside of the closure area, while others expressed interest. And seek further enhancement of the existing pedestrian spaces.

“The main concerns over the business stakeholders are really over equity. So businesses outside the closure feel that they have not directly benefited equally or really indirectly seen the full potential of what WOW could be or what is sort of expected to be there certainly. Supportive of all of their neighboring businesses. But it’s just the reality of how the law has done in the last couple of years. And I think the expectations were not as met for what is considered to be in direct benefits to those businesses. They had comments about limited visibility and access for businesses not adjacent to the closure. They provided suggestions for either a more seasonal approach for events or reopening the street while allowing parklets on a case-by-case basis.

“From a legal perspective, the continuation of the temporary closure requires adopting a resolution. If we pursue an extension long-term or indefinite closure, we will need to establish a Slow Streets program in compliance with the California Vehicle Code.

“With that, staff has identified 3 potential paths forward for a parklet program for downtown. We can develop a broader parklet program that kind of balances both the pedestrian needs plus the parking needs of our downtown businesses. It poses a challenge due to the shared parking model in the downtown overlay restaurant district. So, we would need to analyze the feasibility of the parklets, ensuring that they can coexist within a shared parking system without negatively affecting the other businesses. The second option is permanent closure. We could move towards a long-term closure and enhance infrastructure with additional public amenities, with an estimated cost of anywhere from 80 to $90,000. Or three, to terminate the program and reopen Wilshire to its pre-existing conditions. Staff is requesting until January 31st to restore the street, including restriping with traffic signal modifications.”

Jung asked, “Who said that the Parklet program requires some sort of analysis in terms of the shared parking? Why wasn’t that done already?”

Thomas responded, “Because the Parklet program has been in place for years. It’s only the standard outdoor guidelines that we have, which are basically cafe seating or sidewalk seating. If you cannot use a public parking space, utilize a parklet. A parklet is essentially used anywhere from 1 to 3 parking spaces, depending on your storefront, and you’re able to construct and go beyond. You can apply through an encroachment permit, etcetera. But our existing guidelines don’t include parklets for the public right away. We do have it for private property through our office. We do allow Parklet to do so if they wish. So, there is a process that would require us to integrate some of those guidelines. Obviously, the public right away is slightly different. So we need to analyze that. A challenge to this is that all of downtown is based on a restaurant overlay district, meaning they all share the parking within those parameters unless their seating is in addition to 200, then they have to provide additional parking. So just requires us internally to do some work in terms of what that means for the parking.

“Does it really impact it? Can we coexist between the two, or do we take a case-by-case approach?”

Jung asked, “Do you find that in the event that there is a business that is impacted, decides to then take legal action against the city based on our actions this evening if we were to approve a permanent closure or the parklet program, either of those two options 1st two did. I mean, this would be like Groundhog Day, right? We would be back here again, trying to analyze what to do next because you’re saying that the study hasn’t been done. We still have to do it, right?”

Thomas responded, “That’s only for a parklet program. So if the council today decides, yeah, let’s go move forward with the parklet program for downtown. That’s essentially the directive for staff to work on thereafter. You’re passing a resolution saying that you want to do a Parklet for downtown. The resolution that’s before you today will cover the legal aspect as far as WOW is concerned, and I’ll certainly defer to legal counsel to expand on that.”

City Manager Eric Levitt said, “Mayor Pro Tem and council, I just want to make a few things clear. You could not authorize a permanent closure tonight. You could direct the staff to start a process, but there are several components that have not been done that would need to be done to even have that be a possibility. So you could start the process, but you could not authorize a permanent closure.

“The second is on a temporary closure; it would require, past this date, a resolution to be passed, which requires a minimum of three votes because it is a quorum of the Council. So if Council member Zahra had to leave, then that would require the other three of you to all be an affirmative vote at that point.

“The third thing is on the parklet; it would be an evaluation that you could also authorize us to evaluate to expand as far as the recommendation is to expand beyond just this street but in the entire downtown area.”

The City Attorney, Dick Jones, said, “I have a couple more comments regarding the legal status. We have received some questions that have been processed in the last few days. As regards this before you this evening, let’s make it clear that with respect to a permanent closure of the street, that’s a separate process. At most of the day, you could ask the staff to begin that process, but it’s an entirely different analysis than what’s before you this evening. “Secondly, with respect to the temporary closure or a permanent closure, staff has done analysis regarding California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) issues. Staff believes they can respond to any questions you may have this evening, and they do distinguish between the temporary closure and the permanent closing based on what the CEQA analysis would look like. The staff is comfortable with addressing any CEQA concerns that may be out there.

“And then, finally, with respect to where we are this evening, the City Council needs to give the council and staff clarification regarding our status with respect to this particular property. The initial findings that were made, as indicated by the director, that were related to COVID have expired. To proceed with any further temporary closing, we need to make appropriate findings. That resolution does provide those findings that would be necessary to continue, whether you’re temporarily close it or whatever, it would be appropriate to adopt the resolution so that we have a consistent council direction relative to this temporary closure.”

Jung asked, “CEQA is often used as a quote for litigation for all manner of things. How do we come to the conclusion that it would be seeking a CEQA analysis?

Jones responded, “Staff does that analysis. You’re always subject to a CEQA challenge. CEQA challenges do not stop a project. It just requires further analysis. We have to come back with a more robust CEQA analysis in this particular situation, given the fact that a temporary closure has been proposed, and staff has determined there’s a minimal, if not a full, exemption from the CEQA process. Should we go through a full closure of the street, that would be a more robust analysis by staff; they’d have to make determinations of whether a negative impact or an exemption would be appropriate, but there would be a formal CEQA analysis done at that point in time.”

Zahra asked, “If it’s terminated, what is the cost of that to restore?”

Director of Public Works Stephen Bise said, “I don’t have an exact number. It’s pretty minimal. We’d have to restore the traffic signal back to preconditions as well as restore the striping that could be absorbed in our operational expenses. I could estimate maybe $2000.”

Councilmember Charles asked about the Chalk on Wilshire event. “You said it was a community group that organized it. Did that cost the city anything to be able to have that?”

Thomas replied, “No, it did not. We met with the group initially, who was very interested in kind of being a part of that conversation and wanted to see how our special events process application worked. We walked them through the entire process. What they would need is that they partnered with folks who’ve done events in the city prior to this event.” They were able to execute one event without any city staff or payment on our part.”

Charles asked, “ May I ask a question of the city attorney, just for a quick moment? Given the number of people that are here, is it possible to make a motion to shorten the time period to a minute and 1/2 or two minutes?”

Jones said, “It’s possible.”

Charles said, “I would like to move that we shorten the time to two minutes per person because we have over 30 people registered already. And as we know, we’re on a little bit of a time crunch here. So if I could make that motion, I’d like to move it.”

Zahra seconded the motion.

Jung said, “Council members made a motion. We need to take public comment on it. Feel free to make public comments on us, taking it from three minutes to 2 minutes only.”

Councilmember Bruce Whitaker said,  “Considering the math, 90 seconds would probably be a better option.”

Charles said, “I will take the friendly amendment to 90 seconds.”

Jung said, “Can we get any folks that are in the audience or on Zoom that wish to make a comment on 90 seconds of public comment this evening?”

Public Comments on whether to leave or shorten the time

Zee: I’ve many times I come up here to speak, and I can’t get what I want to say in 3 minutes. I’ve asked on a couple of occasions, on four. I’ve seen some speakers who are senior citizens who may speak a different first language get over 3 minutes, but just because the council member, unfortunately, has to fly somewhere. I don’t think you should penalize every speaker here, um. On the three minutes, that has been the regular rule here since I’ve been coming to these meetings in 2021. I think the three minutes is warranted. It’s people who have come here out of their own busy schedules to show up to speak their minds, and they deserve the full amount of time. Every time I’ve spoken about any issue that I’ve been afforded, it’s just three minutes. So I, I am, I’m dead set against that because I, I think that’s a prejudice. I think it shows disfavor to the people who came here and want to speak about this issue there. If there is passion as I am, they want to be heard. And again, they’re here, and they deserve their 3 minutes, and I support all of you who want to speak for three minutes.

Yolanda Harrison: I don’t know, Councilman Zahra, I support you a lot, but this is the one thing that I’m not going to be supporting you on. I understand it’s your job. I understand that, but there are red eyes. In the morning, 3 in the morning. Again, it’s prejudicial not to let them have the three minutes they’ve come here. Every single person who’s here for the Walk on Wilshire has taken time out of their lives to try and protect something that they believe in. They need to be able to speak. They need to be able to be heard and 90 seconds, that’s basically slapping them in the face. Two minutes. That’s still. Ridiculous. They deserve all three minutes.

Todd Harrison: I’ll be brief now. I’ll probably even be briefer than 90 seconds. But I’m glad I didn’t pre-write a speech because I would have been aiming for three minutes. Let’s be realistic about the clock. Even at 90 seconds, you will not be voting on this before Ahmad has to leave, so I hope he can designate someone for him or get put off somehow. I’m sorry, I’m not, but these people deserve their chance. They feel very strongly about it. And thank you, Zee, who I know is on the opposite side of this position from me, but he’s advocating for everyone who has something to say to be permitted their usual time. And sorry, Doctor Charles, I wouldn’t take my 3 minutes, but I think everyone who needs that time should have it.

A resident: 90 seconds, obviously, because I’d like to get out here, and I don’t have a plane to catch. In all honesty, if you look around, you will see a lot of people with green signs and green shirts. I’d like to know why one can’t speak for all of them because they’re all going to say the same thing.

Another resident: Every individual is allowed to speak for themselves. The allotted time is 3 minutes. If you want to reduce the time, do it from your conversation.

A third resident: I support the 90 seconds, even if we want to do 60. We’re all here in numbers, so that speaks for itself, and I’m sure some of us will have the same points.

A fourth resident: I’d like to say that I am against the 90 seconds. My apologies to Councilmember Zahra, but failure to prepare on one’s part does not constitute an automatic emergency on our end. A lot of people have come here to talk about something that they value very, very much, and I think we would all appreciate it if we all had the time.

The motion was unanimous to leave the time at 3 minutes.

Zahra said, “I think I’ve missed two council meetings. I flew in for this. This is my day job, and I appreciate everybody speaking, and I’ve always advocated for people to speak. This is not about limiting anyone’s freedom. It’s about trying to get to the decision-making and not having to walk out of here without making a decision. I think it’s important that we make this decision tonight. This council votes on this item. So I just asked a favor in the beginning so that we can actually get to the points and the votes because if I walk out, then the outcome is not favorable. I hate to say this, but this is my job and I’m not losing my job. Sorry.

Jones said, “Mr. Mayor Pro Tem may make a legal clarification with respect to Mr. Zahra leaving the meeting. There would still be a full quorum of the council that could lawfully move forward. It does require 3 affirmative votes to adopt a resolution. But his leaving the meeting would not prevent the council from continuing to vote this evening.”

Jung said, “So premature that an action cannot be taken correctly.”

Zahra said, “An action can be taken for sure.”

Jones said, “And then there’s one more point, that is, there is also the possibility the council has 3 remain on a 2 to 1 vote could continue the matter if so desired.”

City Council Discussion

Councilmember Dr. Ahmad Zahra said, “I’m going to keep this short. I’m going to make a motion to extend Walk on Wilshire for 90 days and bring back a study on making it permanent. That be the starting the process to make it permanent.”

Councilmember Dr Shana Charles said, “I’ll second that.”

City Attorney Dick Jones asked, “Does that include the adoption of the resolution?”

Zahra responded, “Yes.”

Mayor Pro Tem Fred Jung said, “There is a motion on the table. I will get to that in a minute. I want to asked Director Thomas if we have an $81,000 investment in it so far or is it $90,000 investment so far, right?”

Economic Development Director Sunayana Thomas said, “$90,000 is correct.”

Jung asked, “Of that $90,000 what was recouped back in terms of the parklet program?

Thomas said, “The total anticipated revenue…”

Jung interrupted, “Not anticipated. What have we received so far.”

“Thomas said, “So right now the breakdown is over 22 to 2024. It’s $57,660.”

Jung said, “So we’re operating that currently the way it sits right now, deficit of $30,000 plus, right? And then we want to invest, or the staff is suggesting an additional investment of $81,000, correct? To make the improvements that are suggested and what is the anticipated revenue to recoup that particular investment?”

Thomas said, “The assumption here is also it doesn’t have a breakdown, but you could assume additional revenue based on a maximum build out between Fullerton Brew, SomiSomi. and or Rialto if it does come to fruition. At this time, the only ones we can save for certain are Fullerton Brew and SomiSomi because they have approved permits. But those are the general baseline revenue that you can assume. Once they build out their parklets, we would begin generating the revenue based on our billing.”

Jung said, “We know what the revenue is. How long would that take to recoup $81,000?”

Thomas responded, “Two years.”

Jung asked, “How long has the area been closed?”

Thomas responded, “Roughly 4 years.”

Jung said, “So when people speak about temporary, four years is hardly temporary for anything. There are folks here that have spoken eloquently this evening that haven’t even lived in Fullerton for four years, and I’m sure if you asked them, they remember every bit of their three or two years. So my concern is once again, and I echo this, the first time we got this, we seem to just be playing these Groundhog Day games over and over again. While it’s great for one restaurant and the one restaurant has invested a lot of money into fully accepting this program. Two others have not, and all the others aren’t even close as far as I can see. There are some concerns that I had from the beginning of this, that it was ad hoc, that it was clunky, didn’t look good. We’ve changed the way it looked 3-4 times, had these ugly orange barriers that went down the middle. We took the middle out. I mean, there’s so many different ways that we just. Didn’t do this right. You know, I, I did an interview with a local media entity and I said don’t just advocate for the thing. How about we advocate for the thing to be better or best? Why do we have to take just these average things? You know, I would have always said if we’re going to look at a closure of any street, close the entire St. Why 1/4 of it? Why not the entire street make it so there’s a legitimate investment that we make just like we did with the Hunt Library and make it work so it benefits the residents. I just find these kind of ad hoc things the way we’ve done is just, you know, I had a problem with it. I had a problem with Pacific Drive Park. There are people here that were advocates of this park being redone for years, many, many years, and they came into chambers over and over again advocating for it. And I said, let’s take a month and see if we can move the bathroom from the back to the front and the reason why. Because it was a public safety issue, and in the end the advocate said no, you hate parks. So we voted it and got it. Now the park has the restrooms in the back and the same fundamental issues that were there still exist. We never solved it because we were in such a rush to just get it done. And I understand everyone’s urgency to want nice things. So do I and I understand your urgency to want to bike in Fullerton. I went on 1/2 day bike ride it seemed like with the commissioner here that comes in chambers and advocates for biking and having this sitting bike friendly and it was harrowing. We went all over the city and it’s terrible for bikability, absolutely terrible. And I’ve walked in the city and it’s terrible for walkability. So there’s so many things that we need to do. I just don’t understand why we have to do the nearest thing and not the best thing. So I understand your motion. I understand you gotta catch a plane. I’m not going to prevent you from doing that if there’s no other comments.

Charles piped up and said, “I’m excited, Mayor Pro Tem, that you expressed that desire, which honestly is absolutely something that I would love to explore as part of this process, which I believe we can include that as part of the motion if the maker of the motion is open to it that we. Have the we do the temporary resolution now and as part of the permanent process that we’re looking at, we include that staff looks at extending it to the street, the full St. because I’m happy to include that. I mean, I’m excited because if that’s something that we can do, I agree with you. Let’s swing for the fences and do it. And you know, I don’t like to talk about elections on the dais. I’m going to assume that we are all here for this discussion also when that happens next year, whoever is here. I think we have something extraordinary here. We really do. I’ve been in politics my entire career. If you don’t know that I’m a political science undergrad. actually started my career working in the White House in 1995. So, I’ve been in politics.

“It is so hard to get 89% of people which we have 89% of businesses agreeing that they like this. 89% of people don’t usually agree that the sky is blue. It is so hard to have over 90% of people. 2000 people signing a petition is huge and it’s so hard to get signatures. I’ve tried to get signatures for something. I tried to get signatures, for free college. On Cal State Fullerton campus from students that are burdened by debts and loans and I couldn’t get them to stop and a petition for our college for all petitions that could have actually been on the ballot. And I’m pretty good at public speaking and it was hard. It is super hard. And this grassroots organization that is absolutely volunteer is extraordinary. I hope that we do move towards a permanent Walk on Wilshire. If we do, I really hope this energy extends. And you know, I really think like a friends of Walk on Wilshire foundation that would be community led business, led by the fact that Chalk on Wilshire was 0 involvement of the city. I mean I went to a Yorba Linda event that was hosted by their city government and God bless them they had to hire professional artists. The adults weren’t really involved. It was kind of just kids doing things. It was only at their library and very small. The Chalk on Wilshire was extraordinary and it really did draw hundreds of people and I saw it was multi generational and it didn’t cost us as a city anything. It was completely done on a grassroots level. So I, yeah, I think we need to give the people what they want. We need to respect the businesses. So I did, after the July meeting go and talk to business owners on that stretch, including, you know, the ones that I had called out personally. And I looked into the signs issue. I didn’t get to every single person. I apologize. I’m happy to take a meeting with you. As you know, my office hours are Thursday, 12 to 2 every week. And I’m absolutely happy to talk to any business owner and I heard from many of them too that and again, it was eight out of eight. We’re talking 10% of businesses that responded that they really wanted it to be farther down the street and they wanted to also get the benefits for their businesses as well. So I’m for that and if the maker of the motion. Agreed to that friendly direction from the Mayor Pro Tem that we could include exploring that option as part of what our staff can do. That would be great. And you agree?”

Zahra said, “Yes. I do want to say one comment. I think everybody knows my views on this, so that’s why I’m trying to be concise, sorry. But I do want to add one thing – the benefits. I mean, we’re looking at just numbers of what we made as a city from this or that. There are two things here. And we’re not calculating the benefits to the businesses and the economic activity that’s creating that will bring revenue to the city. There is an intangible benefit for the public as well. But this is why we build parks, right? The parks don’t generate revenue. This is why we have a Public Library where we spend $4 million a year. There’s an intangible benefit. So I just want to say that I hope we can make take this vote.”

Charles said, “Going back to what council member Jung said about that $30,000, we’re recouping. We have a $289 million budget. So if we’re talking about spending $80,000 for this thing that so many people love, I think that’s worthwhile investment.”

Jung said, “OK, I certainly I think he’s already kind of late.”

Zahra said, “I’m checking in.”

Jung said, “I’ll make a substitute motion. I would like the $2000 opening of Wilshire while staff comes back with a comprehensive plan to close the entire street off. I’d like a cost breakdown. And this architectural rendering, that Save Walk on Wilshire, folks, it’s amazing if we can incorporate the things that they’ve asked for, suggested, and the remainder of the community get their input as well and bring something that’s comprehensive. Perhaps Senator Newman would even provide some state funding.”

Charles asked, “Is that with the closure until January 31st as recommended by staff and that’s your substitute motion?”

Jung said, “Yeah, to open it, but by January give plenty of time and then come back with a comprehensive plan that we can actually do this for real this time.”

Charles asked, “As a permanent closure?”

Jung said, “That’s correct.”

Charles said, “And possibly looking at the full street,?”

Jung said, “That is correct. OK, that is my substitute motion. I’m combining 2 motions together.”

Levitt said, “So essentially. I wanna make sure 2 motions, but basically that it would close but open up by January in conjunction with the way the resolution is. And then at that time while it’s open that we do this study and evaluate.

Charles said, “And the study would start now actually. So it potentially my understanding from staff as they might even have that back for us in January.”

Zahra said, “So, so wait, to clarify, sorry, we’re going to open it up and study if we’re going to close it up again?”

Jung said, “No, no once again. What I want is the study to start now. That if they can get it back up before January, great. If it’s not January, it opens back up. It costs us $2000. We’ll have a pretty quick idea of whether or not the business are negatively impacted and become positively impacted. Then we can talk about a real, doing this the right way.”

Zahra said, “Mr. Mayor Pro Tem that is my motion and it is to extend it for 90 days and do the study. For permanent closure and in 90 days we’ll come back and they will have a study on the permanency.”

Charles said, “I will point out, I think it is a semantic difference.”

Jung said, “There’s a difference. I understand that it’s semantic, but there is a difference. So that is my substitute motion.”

Charles said, “So I if I second the substitute motion, we vote on that one first. Is that the way it works?”

Jones said, “For the record.”

Jung said, “Mr. City Attorney, you’re making my life really hard.”

Jones said, “Are we adopting the resolution?”

Jung said, “So once again, so I’m expecting, with this motion, that the street reopen by January 31st. In the meantime, do a study. If it takes longer than you know what streets open for a month and make the appropriate funds to keep it open.”

Jones said, “OK, got you.”

Charles said, “OK, this is how I’m understanding it. Is that council member Zahra’s motion, the original motion, was to adopt the resolution extending the temporary closure and also doing a study for making it permanent whereas the difference is now Mayor Pro Tem Jung is saying we’re not doing the resolution to keep it closed. Instead we are doing a resolution that would direct staff to work on opening it by on January 31st, not earlier. Then, do a study on the permanency status of it. So that Council is able to vote on that in mid January if there is the potential that on January 31st that would have been superseded by a vote about keeping it permanent.”

Jung said, “Leave it to the professor to get it right.”

Charles said, “Then I will second that.

Jung said, “Very well. All right, so with no further discussion, we’ll go ahead and vote on the substitute motion.”

Failed 2 to 2, Whitaker and Zahra No.

Jung said, “OK, well that was my compromise. Now we vote on the original. Let’s go to the original. Now we have to vote on council members original motion at this point, which was first on the resolution of the temporary closure.

Zahra said, “I think I was confused, Councilmember Charles, I think your explanation confused me. I did not understand anything you said.”

Charles said, “I have a substitute motion that we direct staff to do 2 things at the same time during these very complicated months of November, December, and January. The 1st is to look at exploring a plan to reopen on January 31st, which would mean that as of January 31st, the Walk on Wilshire would go away. At the same time, the full CEQA analysis of keeping it permanent and also extending it down the street. We need those two separate, please. Keeping it permanent, the 200 foot and extending it the extra 400 feet to make 600 feet will be presented to us at the mid January meeting. And at that time council will be able to consider it and see about the permanency of keeping Walk on Wilshire.”

Jung said, “Madam Councilwoman, what I would support is the full closure of the entire St. not 1/2 measure or quarter measure. So what I want to see is the full closure of the street. In a manner that makes perfect sense for longevity and for the community to have a really nice thing.”

Charles said, “A friendly amendment if you would second that, that we will then have that plan of just the full closure of the entire St. and that will be explored, which is what everybody wants to have in the first place.”

Jung said, “You have your second.”

City Attorney said, “You need the resolution with the findings.”

Charles said, “OK,  the motion includes the resolution with the findings.”

Passed 3 to 1, Councilmember Bruce Whitaker No.

Public Comment Advocating to Keep Walk on Wilshire Permanent

43 people spoke.

1. Nathan Bass: “I’m here as a representative of Senator Josh Newman, who is a resident of Fullerton and represents the cities of the California State Senate. In anticipation of your consideration of Walk on  Wilshire, Senator Newman wrote a letter to the council expressing his support and asked me to read a statement tonight. Begin statement: Since its launching and the pandemic, the Walk on Wilshire program has created a lively community space in downtown Fullerton. I’m among many who believe that with further enhancements, it has the potential to become an even greater asset to the area. After the council voted in July to extend the program, city staff consulted with the public, local businesses, and the Southern California Association of Governments on how to best use this reclaimed space. The staff report for this item noted a consensus that the Walk on Wilshire program has not yet reached its full potential, mainly due to a lack of public awareness. Despite this, feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with suggestions to improve visibility and boost commercial impact. I strongly urge the council to direct city staff to explore all identified opportunities for enhancing the public space and programming before making any decision to terminate Walk on Wilshire. Consistent, well-publicized events, along with the extension of past successful events such as the weekly farmers market, could significantly increase Awareness and pedestrian traffic and ultimately benefit local businesses. Regarding concerns over downtown parking, I believe that a relatively small reduction in parking spaces is manageable. The adaptive reuse of this space presents an opportunity to make better use of the underutilized parking infrastructure on both sides of Harbor Blvd., allowing the city to maintain sufficient parking capacity without compromising the benefits of this program. I encourage the council to fully explore these alternatives before making any decisions that could permanently reverse progress made on Walk on Wilshire. Beyond local support, the program also aligns with state and federal initiatives promoting active transportation. It is eminently reasonable to expect that a reauthorized and expanded program could attract. Additional funding similar to the $200,000 Safe Streets and Roads for All grant awarded by the US Department of Transportation in 2022. My office is ready to assist in securing such resources. This is an opportunity to build on the creativity spurred by the pandemic and continue to foster a connected and thriving downtown. I respectfully urge continuing the Walk on Wilshire program. End statement.”

2) James Kim:  “I’m a volunteer with Save Walk on Wilshire. Today, we are excited to submit an official packet of support from business owners, residents, and community members. This 175-page document is organized into 5 main sections.

• The first one has an overview of our findings and two main recommendations we want you to consider tonight.
• The second section includes statements of support from over 65 local businesses. 65 business owners tell an important story. They believe Walk and Wilshire has helped cafes, stores, and restaurants throughout all of downtown. They want you to know removing the Walk on Wilshire will hurt many of their small businesses.
• Third, we summarize our demonstration event called Chalk on Wilshire.
• And finally, the last two sections feature nearly 2000 signatures and 250 personal testimonials from community members. Our petition signers want you to read their statements and keep the Walk on Wilshire.

“This evening, our ask is simple. We have two main recommendations on the second page of your binder behind the red section.

• First, we ask that you commit today to making the Walk on Wilshire permanent and fully pedestrian year-round. If that means pursuing it or studying it, so be it, but make that commitment today. Dismantling Walk on Wilshire in January would directly go against the wishes of the public and most local businesses. We agree. Let’s study walkable spaces and the Parklet program throughout downtown. However, we ask that you commit to making Walk on Wilshire permanent now, so staff will work to build upon the program rather than abandoning it. Notably, there are multiple businesses that have been waiting to build parklets for over a year and a half. Because this council has not yet made Walk on Wilshire permanent. Your decision is long overdue. Commit to a permanent protection zone today.
• Second, we ask the council to resolve any concerns regarding the Walk on Wilshire without harming the large number of businesses that currently benefit from it. We know that there are some in our community who have voiced valid concerns about WoW. However, we also believe the city can address these issues without removing the space entirely. For instance, multiple businesses have stated that they would support the pedestrian zone if it were expanded to their space or simply made more beautiful. The city can support those who feel left out of Walk on Wilshire benefits through better signage and maps, marketing support, and special events. There’s no need to remove the space to do these things. Today, you’re going to hear from people who have told us that Walk on Wilshire means something to them, their families, their businesses, and our community. Please make the right decision for our city and make Walk on Wilshire a permanent pedestrian-only and year-round. Do it today.”

3) Gabriel Coral: “I am a 5-year citizen of Fullerton and creative director of WoW. Imagine, if you will, a vibrant, bustling stretch of our city where locals and visitors alike gather, shop and create memories. This isn’t just a dream; it’s the current state and future of Walk on Wilshire. I’d like to direct you to the first tab, page four of your WOW packet, where you’ll find that talented architects at DNA Architecture and Design have crafted stunning renders of what WoW could become. Adaptable to any budget or scope. And for such a space that has overwhelming public support, it’s an easy win for a city, especially in an election cycle. In my creative field we use the phased approach when pitching projects. I propose we do the same for Walk on Wilshire. Let’s present a vision for its entirety but break it into phases with clear goals and timelines. This approach ensures progress, keeps stakeholders informed, provides businesses with an incentive to participate, and allows us to adapt as we go. That’s exactly what DNA Architecture has provided for us: a guideline and vision for what WOW can be.

“Now I understand some concerns. It wasn’t perfect yet, but let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Instead, let’s expand and help our local businesses thrive. Picture Pilgrims Coffee hosting regular live jazz shows just like they did during COVID. But right out front, on a charming little stage, drawing foot traffic weekly or purple pedal holding, hosting classes outdoors so the public can experience a class just by walking by. These are just a few examples of how Wow can benefit all businesses and make our city a true destination. Removing WoW would be a step backward, killing the organic foot traffic that is vital to our local economy. Look at Laguna Beach, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles all have successful pedestrian spaces that beautify their cities and provide gathering spots for their communities. WoW is more than just a street. It’s a rare positive outcome from the challenges of COVID. It’s become a public win recognized beyond our city limits.

“In July, LAist highlighted WOW as a local landmark, evoking Disney magic in our historic downtown. And just last month, the OC Register featured WoW when awarding Fullerton as one of the best downtowns in Orange County for the second consecutive year. But why stop there? Imagine a year-round farmers’ market experience that builds on the success of our seasonal market, which residents already adore. Council members, Walk on Wilshire is not just a street; it has the potential to be the heart of our community. A canvas for a city’s future. With your support, we can transform WoW into a thriving, beautiful space that serves our businesses, delights our residents, and attracts visitors from far and wide. Let’s not just preserve Walk on Wilshire; let’s help it flourish. Commit today to make WoW permanent year-round, fully pedestrianized, and pursue solutions to address local business concerns without removing Walk on Wilshire.”

4) Allison Ritto: “I have owned Allison’s Goods, a Fullerton Business, since 2019. I’m located on Harbor Blvd. You can refer to your section in the packet about Chalk on Wilshire, which is what I highlight in my speech. This is a viable gathering place for small business markets and events that promote the nearby brick-and-mortar stores, as demonstrated by Chalk on Wilshire. You even saw images of it used by the city. The Chalk on Wilshire event on October 5th was a chalk art festival free to the public. It was an idea I had to create a striking visual impact with minimal expense, and as we heard, there was no expense to the city whatsoever. It was a definite success and a defining moment for the Walk on Wilshire. We spent only $600 on marketing, printing, and, of course, chalk, and we paid the musicians. We, in turn, brought thousands of dollars in sales to the surrounding businesses. At a minimum, we had hundreds of people attend via our online promotion, as well as people who just happened to walk by. I earned in my small business as a vendor over $1000 that day in four hours, which is twice as much as I make on a regular Thursday night Farmers Market, which I have done for three years.

“It was well worth the organization, and we had none of the vendors on the actual chalk on Wilshire competing with the local businesses. In fact, we were intentionally driving customers to those nearby businesses. We had coupons donated by a dozen businesses, half of which were on Walk on Wilshire, but the other half were actually in the nearby areas, so we sent customers out into the surrounding area. In a very short timeline, on a shoestring budget, we were able to prove with our drive that this could create a constant stream of attendees at the event. In my five years of working at pop-ups and events, the most successful events are at the Nexus of pedestrian traffic and with event-specific attendees. The Plaza east of Harbor doesn’t create the same amount of foot traffic for the farmer’s market, and we saw an example of that by the farmer’s market extending itself to the West side of Wilshire when we had the end of the farmers market with the Toontown edition. Chalk on Wilshire as a demonstration of what’s possible in this space, and we can only grow from here. The potential is for events like these artisan fairs and art walks to happen weekly, monthly, and 12 months out of the year. I would love to help organize and host with my experience, pay the permits, and bring in revenue for all the nearby businesses. The businesses nearby can plan or participate in events like we proved. They can find new customers by participating in these events, which has no negative impact on them. Or they could even just send workers over with samples and coupons at no expense to them. And this is a viable marketing strategy. To encourage them to use the space in the form of a team or tables or to organize an event as we were able to. Having this as a pedestrianized space will have long-term economic and civic benefits for Fullerton and our surrounding cities. Please do not dismantle our efforts. Commit to permanent status tonight.”

5) Elmer: “I’m here today to speak about the importance of preserving Walk on Wilshire as a pedestrian-friendly space. My name is Elmer Bautista, and I’ve been an active member of the local Pokémon Go community for several years now. Through my involvement in organizing events and fostering community spirit. I was honored to be selected by Niantic, the company behind Pokémon Go, as a Community Ambassador for Fullerton. For those unfamiliar with Pokémon Go, it is a popular mobile game. That encourages outdoor exploration and community interaction.

“Our local group, Fullerton Go, has over 7,500 members from Fullerton and nearby cities. In just the last three months, we had nearly 3,000 people participate in our events. Talk about bringing in foot traffic to businesses, mainly hosted in downtown Fullerton. This event draws about 300 participants each event. Walk on Wilshire is always included as a key area. This pedestrian-friendly space has become crucial to our diverse community, which spans all age groups, from families with children as young as 6 to our oldest member, Kathy, who just celebrated her 77th birthday last month. You’re never too old to catch them all, but the benefits extend far beyond our group.

“Walk on Wilshire has evolved into a vibrant community hub that brings together people of all backgrounds. Recently, we held our Chalk on Wilshire events, which showcase the potential for creative community engagement in this space. This car-free environment allows residents to stroll, interact, and truly experience the heart of Fullerton safely. Keeping Walk on Wilshire closed to traffic preserves a unique asset that enhances the city’s livability, promotes public health, supports local businesses, and strengthens community bonds. As someone deeply involved in our community, I’ve seen firsthand how spaces like Walk on Wilshire can transform and unite people. I urge you to consider the diverse groups that benefit from this space and the positive impact it has in our city. If you like, I can provide you with data on detail usage in this area.”

6) Jason: “I am not actually a resident of Fullerton, but rather a visitor and I’ve been a long-time visitor. I’m actually a 34-year resident of Buena Park. I went to high school at Troy. Go Warriors. I also went to Fullerton College before transferring over, and I am actually an employee over at the Fullerton College campus. We all know the pandemic was terrible, but a great thing that came out of the pandemic was the outdoor spaces, such as the Walk on Wilshire. I was actually surprised to see it when I first came back to campus because I was driving down Wilshire and had to turn right or left because of the closure. But you know, I really grew to love it. It’s a great outdoor space. I don’t think it really impedes traffic or anything. It’s just a wonderful place to be. And downtown Fullerton really deserves some sort of space where pedestrians can gather. As you know, there’s a farmers market that’s been there for a long time and hasn’t really impeded anything. In fact, it’s always really popular, especially with the folks we’re always talking about work. It’s a fantastic thing to just have something in there that’s kind of just year-round, just there for us to be able to enjoy and gather. I just think it’s a wonderful thing. I would deeply implore the mayor or the City Council to consider making this our home. It kind of is.”

7) Todd Harrison: “Wow is the unintended, accidental benefit of coping with the COVID emergency. A fortuitous accident, a surprise good thing that no one expected to succeed as it has. Not perfect, not perfectly fair to every business, and yet a launch with something Fullerton didn’t realize. It needed. These many others address multiple specific benefits and, frankly, the negatives as well. We’ll let them cover all that. I’m here just pushing you on, not failing to grab this golden chance that has landed on us like it fell out of the sky. Businesses and people in their multitudes have suffered from this. Restaurants COVID helped Saunders kill my previous wife. Like work from home changed businesses mostly for the better. Let’s take this opportunity. Uh, my wife and I were with us. Now, my current wife loves what Walk on Wilshire is providing this community. Whatever it takes, knowing there’s going to be unexpected costs, knowing there’s going to be the usual legal rambling, it’s still far more worth it than not doing it.”

8) Yolanda Harrison: “Pokémon Go. Wonderful. There’s actually, there’s actually 8 pokey stops here at City Hall and at the library that people can access, and I’ve been playing Pokémon Go intermittently in between knitting. Gotta do something with my time. Walk on Wilshire is probably the best thing that could happen to Fullerton. It might not seem like it, but it is. It’s got that community feeling, it’s got that community gathering feeling, which is more important. It’s not a park, but it is a park. It’s not really shops, but shops are there. And when you have the market there and so forth and so on. I grew up in Ontario with the Little Itty Bitty farmers market, except it wasn’t Itty Bitty. It was huge. It would be about the length from the Walk on Wilshire all the way to the churches at Wilshire, and tomorrow, I think it is. At least, except it was used around, and it was inside and outside of a market. It was great. I love the market. I met Allison. At the market, I fully supported the chalk on Wilshire, too. I wasn’t able to go there for medical reasons. But I’m still here, and I’m still fighting, and I’ll still keep on fighting for things I believe in. A year ago there was another issue before City Hall. You might remember it. The Union Park Trail. Do the right thing this time, the first time, and keep the welcome cheer going.”

9) Catherine Heaton: “I’m a faculty at Cal State Fullerton in the sociology department. I’m a resident of Fullerton. I went to Golden Hill, Ladera Vista, Troy, Cal State Fullerton, and elsewhere. I can appreciate the European feeling of the Walk on Wilshire. I lived abroad for a few years. And I’m a fan of the pedestrian, so I support it for that reason. I also think it’s important to have a space where we can gather as a community, especially with heightened polarization and with the upcoming election. So I urge you to please support it as we’re all here urging you to.”

10) Justin: “I’m a former student of Fullerton College and a local musical artist. Earlier today, I was in Hollywood working alongside industry professionals for the benefit of my career as a musician. Why do I bring this up? Because I wouldn’t have the opportunities I have currently if it wasn’t for the little idiosyncrasies of downtown Fullerton. I got my start as a musician, a writer, and a singer by performing in this community. You may have seen me at the Night Owl on Tuesday nights like tonight and Friday nights, where I sing and play guitar. Or maybe you’ll see me on Mondays at Poor Company performing in the evenings. We were even at this year’s Fullerton Day of Music. Before all that, I met my mentor Janelle, a good friend of mine at Mo’s Music, before it was bought out and gutted into a tech center. The point I’m trying to make is that in an ever-changing world with capitalism and greed, creative environments are falling thin. It’s because of this city and its little quirks like the Walk on Wilshire that allow people like me to find community and on my craft, giving me lucrative business opportunities like I had earlier today. Performing with industry professionals. If we abolish the Walk on Wilshire, who’s to say that the rest of this beautiful city won’t fall like dominoes into the grave? Until every loving aspect of this city has morphed into a plastic, lifeless strip mall of chain restaurants and consumerism. Making the death of an Oasis like this a place to slow down and commune and hone our craft. This may not seem like a big deal to you, but it’s little actions that lead to big changes, for better or for worse.”

11) Dalton Murray spoke. Amelia, his wife, stood next to him at the podium with a sign that said Save Walk on Wilshire. “We’ll try to keep it brief for respect to Councilmember Zahra. We’re here tonight to show support for Walk on Wilshire, and we hope to hear a commitment to make Walk on Wilshire’s future permanent. Year-round and pedestrianized, downtown Fullerton is a lovely place, but the heart of the area is bisected by car traffic and narrow sidewalks. It’s not a place that feels welcoming to spend time in if you’re not directly inside a business. To me, Walk on Wilshire represents an acknowledgment that pedestrian safety and comfort are a priority to the city, and it’s hope for the future. We urge you to please save Walk on Wilshire permanently year-round and pedestrianized.”

12) Andrew Galusha: “I’m a student here at CSUF and a resident of Fullerton. The Walk on Wilshire is an incredible space where people can freely enjoy our small local businesses. As well as safely and comfortably mingle and socialize within this block. I really wish the Walk on Wilshire area was much larger so more businesses could reap this benefit from having more space for dining, retail, and entertainment. I’ve been fortunate enough to learn Dutch and spend time in the Netherlands. The Walk on Wilshire reminds me of the Kinder More movement they had, I believe, during the 70s, and basically, so many children were being killed by cars that Dutch residents were able to repurpose their neighborhood streets into places for their children, and I believe that’s what we’re seeing at the beginning of the walk on Wilshire. We’ve been able to repurpose this street into an area where people can just socialize, they aren’t stuck to a six foot wide sidewalk if they want to go from one store to another, they don’t have to dodge traffic. It’s a safe space for people to socialize, spend money, shop, and enjoy dining. And so the result was that now we have these incredibly beautiful walkable bike and Kid-friendly spaces all throughout the Netherlands, and I’m not saying that, um. You know, the US and the Netherlands are very different countries, but the similarities between these two movements are very clear. Please make the Walk on Wilshire permanent, because this is the cornerstone. This is the foundation of something much bigger. Because Fullerton existed long before cars, and I’m not saying that we should go back to the time before cars, but if you’ve been able to spend time in walkable cities you realize, you look around and you see people, you see people everywhere. Here, you see cars everywhere.  Fullerton isn’t a big city. It’s a very small town. And being able to see so many more people out and about in these walkable areas just really harnesses that small-town feel. And so please, for the sake of giving our children and our families, and residents a safe space to play and socialize and for businesses and the economy of downtown to  flourish with this additional real estate that they have access to. Please keep the Walk on Wilshire and make it permanent.”

13) Karen Lloreda: “Fullerton resident. I’ll try to keep this very concise. This has become a controversial issue, pitting one business against another where one has greater success at the expense of the other. It need not be like that. Let’s have a win, win, win where all our downtown businesses benefit, and the city reaps a little bit more revenue in the process. As you know, I’m always here to speak about economic development. I suggest one of you make a motion this evening to approve item one. Let’s keep the space as it is now temporarily and direct your economic development staff to explore creating thematic pedestrian links from one part of downtown to all the others. Consider increasing the current cordoned-off footprint. To perhaps the end of the block next, use themed landscaping, signage, and hardscape where supported. This encourages visitors to stay longer. Visit all the many amenities while parking only once. It is local, which allows people to bring their bicycles, knowing that we will have plenty of bicycle racks throughout the downtown area. There is an opportunity here to welcome residents and visitors alike to a new and dynamic downtown experience, and it generates revenue. Please, speakers, use your time wisely.”

14) Mark Barron: “I’m a former homeowner at Meredith Manor condominium complex. 1341 S Pomona Ave., right across the street from the Aspect Luxury Apartments slash Orange Square Mall. And I love the fact that I could walk there, and I could. Get food, get out. I could have another option besides getting in my car and driving somewhere. I like the fact that I could walk there. Currently, I reside in Buena Park, just walking distance from the Metrolink station, where I can walk. Come to Fullerton, or I could go to LA QR to walk it. A lot of the sentiments have already been mentioned tonight. What I’m sharing is going to be different than what other people have probably shared, and I appreciate your time, especially online. Zahra, having worked in Hollywood as a Sound Engineer, I wish you strength, safe travels, and quality rest. But one thing I enjoyed about being a resident and a business owner based here in Fullerton is that I could walk, I could dine, and I could just enjoy a quality life. If I go down Harbor, having Wilshire closed was one less impediment that kept the flow of traffic going along Harbor. I didn’t have to wait as long at a light to go to the Fortune Elks Lodge, which I’ve been a member of for many years, or to pick up my son, who was in Boy Scouts at Hillcrest Park for a meeting, or to pick up my daughter who goes to the local high school. Everything is so centered there and so close. And I really like that about Fullerton.  It keeps us coming back to Fullerton and spending money in Fullerton. Whether I have family coming in from out of state or from LA, I bring him to Fullerton events. Or I take my wife out on a date at the Cellar or my kids after school. They hang out in DTF. They spend money. And they study, or they tell me that they study. Anyone who’s a parent knows what I’m talking about, but again. I think we have something here that we cannot afford to throw away. It is a golden opportunity. Perhaps for those businesses who may not be benefiting, they could maybe use our resources like Cal State Fullerton Business School or from our hundred-plus-year history of Fullerton on what works, what doesn’t work to promote business.”

15) Garrett Diaz: “I’m a resident of District 4. I’m a homeowner, father of two children at Pacific Dr. Elementary, and a Cal State Fullerton alumnus. You know, I made this fun little graphic here. I’m not sure if you can see this. This is a map of six or seven blocks of downtown Fullerton. You’ll notice a lot of orange there. You might not know the details here, but this is certainly a lot of orange there. All this orange represents car-dedicated space in downtown Fullerton in our beautiful, walkable community of downtown Fullerton. We’ve dedicated that. I don’t know if you noticed the little blue smudge. This is what we’re fighting over here. We’re all fighting over this little smudge for a sense of community for a third place. Earlier tonight, when we were talking about the preservation district, I saw a sense of place and sense of community thrown around, and a unanimous vote to support those things. Hopefully, these aren’t just lip service words for Nimbyism and, you know, preventing developments and much-needed housing. Hopefully, you guys mean that. I really hope to my core, I know that everyone here does. And if you really truly mean that we need third places like Walk on Wilshire. As far as traffic goes, I looked that up. It adds a 10th of a mile if you just go around it. There’s really no significant impact there. So you know, if we really want a sense of community, if we really want these third places, if we really don’t want to have this, this car-centered culture, if we want to focus ourselves on people instead of, you know, these, these two-ton steel and glass robots that are all around us, we need to make not only Walk on Wilshire permanent pedestrian friendly year-round, we need to make perhaps other spaces as well. So I  definitely urge this council to make Walk on Wilshire permanent so that they can make that decision tonight to move forward.”

16) Linda Gardner: “I’ve been a Fullerton resident since my family moved here in 1959. I have enjoyed Fullerton restaurants since that time. Many restaurants where we ate are no longer here. Our family ate at the Snack Shop on Euclid and Commonwealth and loved the takeout at Jan Hawk Kitchen in the Alpha Beta Center on Orangethorpe and Brookhurst. I ate my first taco at Taco Bell right across the street from the Fox Fullerton, and what is now Clydes. I also enjoyed great Mexican food at La Chiquita on Harbor and Valencia. My point is Fullerton has long had many options for eating out. I’ve eaten in restaurants all over Fullerton for years, and Walk on Wilshire has only added to those options. I attend First Christian Church on Harbor, and several of our members walk across Harbor to enjoy lunch there after worship on Sundays. I know my story is not unique. As a member of the great Fullerton Loves Food Facebook group, I know that many folks in that group enjoy the fine Fullerton restaurants all over town. The argument that the beautiful ambiance of Walk on Wilshire gives an unfair advantage to the restaurants located there is ridiculous. My observation is that the many other restaurants throughout Fullerton that still have good crowds and often have long wait times. I have yet to hear a compelling reason to open Walk on Wilshire again to traffic. I strongly urge the council to keep this lovely spot in Fullerton available permanently for dining and pedestrians. This is one additional reminder for some members of the council. You represent your district. You represent the people of Fullerton. Not one or two wealthy businessmen.”

17) Matt Truxaw: “Full disclosure: I am running for City Council against Mr. Jung in District 1. My family actually moved here in 1920, so I think I’ve got most of you beat, and I want to give hats off to the Fullerton Heritage because I really love that we’re trying to preserve some of that history and charm that is Fullerton. I spoke in favor of Walk on Wilshire the last couple of times I’ve come here. I don’t need to go over that again. We’ve gone through the business benefits, community benefits, health benefits, and other things. So I’m going to appeal to in particular, Mr. Whittaker and Mr. Jung because this is an election cycle, I know Mr. Whittaker’s wife is running and some of what his vote may carry over into her. I know Mr. Jung is running against me. I have talked to almost every house in District 1 and walked all the streets. I’ve talked to a lot of people. There are really two scenarios that come up all the time. One is the roads. Roads are horrible. We need to fix roads. Everyone knows that we need to do that, but the other one is, what’s your stand on Walk on Wilshire? And when I say I’m in favor of keeping it. That’s when people say, OK, you’ve got my vote. So if you don’t care about the community, you don’t care about the businesses, you don’t care about the health, but you care about your votes. Support Walk on Wilshire.”

18) Nicholas Sumambot: “I’m a resident and local event organizer in the City of Fullerton. I am in support of the Walk on Wilshire. I would like to say there is a noticeable difference in the quality of life between those who live in walkable cities and those who do not. The pandemic cut programs like our Parks and Recreation division, and we even temporarily lost our Fullerton Art Museum. I brought many from outside of our county and even California to this little walk because it is different from the modern bustling streets of Socal. Look at Los Angeles, for example. I believe that the Walk on Wilshire is a culturally significant zone that enables growth for friends and local businesses, some of whom you’ve even seen today. And this street is not just an Avenue – it is a venue for social gathering, and for the expression and opportunities for cross-cultural exchange.”

19) Doctor Alissa Matus: “I am an assistant professor of chemistry at Fullerton College. I’m also a resident of Fullerton, and I live on Wilshire Ave., which is two blocks away from our Walk on Wilshire. I purposefully moved to my apartment because of its proximity to this particularly walkable, safe from cars, and pedestrian-friendly area “of downtown Fullerton, and I constantly walk to work thanks to the safety of this area. However, I’ll be frank: I’m not super impressed by the proceedings regarding the Walk on Wilshire so far. The Council, during an election year, seems committed to opinions that have been formed based on prior experiences rather than those of the constituents in the chamber at present, and I want to ask, how often does this happen? How often is it that this chamber is so full of constituents that there is even time for council members to begin to debate the amount of time that is allotted to people who want to speak? How often does that occur? I think. That speaks volumes about the amount of support that is being shown for Walk on Wilshire, not just for Walk on Wilshire but also for our desire for walkable spaces in this city. So, how often do residents so passionately support a project? Generally, not just in walkable cities – but large housing properties, and businesses will become devalued if the lot closes because of the increased traffic risk. We’re going to be facing person versus car. The car is going to win. I’ve read comments in the Fullerton Observer, and I’m deeply concerned that there are opinions in this room that are rooted not in collective reality but in personal experience only. And your decisions, I have to remind you, must be made for us, the constituents particularly. In an election year, we are who you represent, and I urge you to remember that your civic duty is to us, the constituents.”

20) Geneva: “I’m not only a proud resident of Wilshire Ave., directly where Walk on Wilshire takes place, but also a current graduate student in the cultural Anthropology department at Cal State University Fullerton. I am here tonight with some of my professors who have always inspired me to question, challenge, and advocate for culture and community. I will admit that I did skip one of my weekly graduate seminars to be here this evening, but it was with the strong support and encouragement of said professor. As a concierge at an esteemed luxury hotel in Anaheim, the downtown Fullerton area is the first space that I recommend to my guests looking for a family-friendly area to explore specifically because of the area on Walk on Wilshire. The Walk on Wilshire isn’t just a seasonal or temporary idea. It’s an opportunity to enhance the way we experience the city of Fullerton, our hometown. Let’s create a space that is safer, greener, and more enriching. And I may end it by saying. They’re all asking you for a favor.”

21) Lirr Cook: “I lived in Fullerton for seven years – and Walk on Wilshire is really special to us. Every Friday after school, we go to SomiSomi. We sit out there and just have conversations, and we go to the Half-Off Bookstore, and we’ll get a book. We spend a lot of time there. We spend a lot of money there. And it’s just a very special place. And I have a 7-year-old who has severe anxiety. She probably gets it from me. And two weeks ago, there was a performer there in the evening. He was playing music, and my daughter got in the middle of the street and started dancing. And I’ve never seen her shine and dance and feel happier. And as a mom, I’m sitting there, and I’m looking at my daughters, and I’m like, wow, what’s happening right now? Like Sophia’s over here is having the time of her life. I just think it’s important that you guys provide a space for the people here at Fullerton. We’d love more memories like that. And as a mom, that’s going to be a memory that I take with me to the grave. So please save the Walk on Wilshire.”

22) David Brown: “I’m a resident at Fullerton. I’ve only lived here for almost three years now. I’m originally from a small town in Central California, and the reason that’s important is that it’s in a nice town; it’s so small. Our Main Street is walkable, and it is very accessible to everybody. What I love most is being able to see my friends and my neighbors just walking down Main Street. Coming to Fullerton, I was really excited that this was a space that we had, and it’s a regular space for my friends and my family who come and visit. I always like to take them down there and sit and just have breakfast and relax.  Although we talked about taking away this space and what it could do for business, that’s not a direct correlation to it helping the businesses that may be struggling. A suggestion of mine is that if they haven’t already, they should create a free Google business account where they can be connected with a representative who can help them market online and get their businesses seen. If anything, that is one of the greater things that they can do for themselves so that people outside of our town know that they’re there and that we residents, know that they’re there as well. And so that’s my own recommendation, and hopefully, we will keep this space that we all love and hopefully keep those businesses that are struggling open as well.

23) Megan Fleener: I’m about to brag for a second. I’m going to brag that I get to walk to work and I get to walk to work because I live in a walkable city and it shouldn’t feel so dystopian to say that I live in a walkable city, but I do, and when I tell friends about it. All the time I get the response. Wow that must be so nice. I’m so jealous of you that you get to walk to work every day. On my walk to work I walk through WoW.  I walk through Wilshire Ave. I actually live on Whiting. So every day I walk on Wilshire Ave. Yeah. So I’m a local business owner. Actually, I’m only 23 years old. I am a Cal State Fullerton alum. I live in Fullerton. Really proud of myself. Got my degree here and then I started my business. We actually employ nine other people, four of which are Fullerton residents and four of which are Fullerton alum. And you know, I definitely can testify to how great it is to see people my age in this community. You know, I love being able to support other small businesses on this street. I love seeing other people occupy this third space and to me, I see my future in downtown Fullerton, whether that be owning a storefront or continuing to do markets or just networking with other people. I think that taking away this communal space would send a message that this space is not important to the Council and neither are the small businesses affected. And like I said, I might be one of the youngest business owners coming to speak, but I do feel like I represent a generation that is the future of Fullerton, future homeowners, future voters, future educators, and maybe even future politicians. So with over 2000 signatures signed, I really want to see today that there is a motion to keep the Walk on Wilshire.

24) Diane Vena: I’m asking for you to vote tonight to make to start the process of making Walk on Wilshire permanent. For many reasons that have already been expressed both tonight and in the past, this is not a hypothetical question Walk on Wilshire. There’s a treasured, loved area without cars that allows people to gather, walk, eat, teach the children how to ride bikes and so much more. It is already a functioning beloved area that has been written up in the Orange County Register. To take it away and open up to cars would truly be a loss or tragedy. It was mentioned last time on the dais that it should be more resident driven versus city driven. I disagree with that comment because I believe that it was already resident driven. But since our last meeting, a wonderful group of people have worked hard to make it more than what it was already, they have researched the businesses, residents, increased activities such as extending the farmers market to connect with Walk on Wilshire, planned events and so much more. People just use it on their own to come and dance, play music, take wedding pictures. It’s just absolutely wonderful. I continue to talk to people that I know about it and not one person is against it. They’d like it all closed. A very good thought provoking book called the “Reluctant Fundamentalist,” is written by a man from Pakistan and a portion of the story takes place in Pakistan. He tells of the street that is closed at both ends and people gather to eat, dance, much like Walk on Wilshire. Even though the analogy doesn’t fit it exactly, it is very thought provoking when he says that the area democratizes the people there. He talks about how before in other areas, people being high up in a car were of higher class and more wealth than the people down below walking who were lower class. The poor and again, although the analogy doesn’t fit exactly, but Walk on Wilshire does democratize people. People can go there who don’t drive. You don’t have to worry about the power of a car hurting them. They can just relax and gather safely. There are so many who use it who may not be able to use other areas safely – children, those with physical challenges, but really all of us. It’s something to think about. So please make this beloved space permanent or at least start the process tonight.

25) Helen Higgins: As a very strong advocate for the Walk on Wilshire, I am privileged to read this very brief letter signed by Caleb Brandon, General Manager of the Fullerton Brew Company.

“I’ve managed the Fullerton Brew Company in downtown Fullerton since. 2015 I am writing to express my heartfelt support for keeping the Walk on Wilshire open to pedestrians and bicyclists and closed to vehicular traffic. The Walk on Wilshire is a vibrant public space that enhances the community feel that makes downtown Fullerton unique as well as brings foot traffic and revenue to downtown Fullerton businesses. I support keeping the Walk on Wilshire closed to cars and open to pedestrians and bicyclists only making the Walk on Wilshire permanent and enhancing the Walk on Wilshire to extend its benefits to as many downtown businesses as possible. We have experienced an increased volume in sales since the Walk on Wilshire started and we have hired more employees. If the Walk on Wilshire were to close, employees lose shifts which may lead to layoffs. Please support keeping the Walk on Wilshire.”

 And I’d just like to add for myself that we’ve heard from a lot of young people, I’m an older person and I support the Walk on Wilshire.

26) Ho Co: Initially I had a long speech, but I am just going to respond to that you said that there’s 2000 people tonight. OK, well, we have actual 2000 signatures. We have 65 business right behind us right now. We all want this so right now, next door, you have a phrase that says pick Fullerton first. OK, So we would like to hear that. Stand for that, please. Right now. We have a lot of people right here. You’ve heard them. I would like to motion for a vote right now.

27) Doctor Karen Stocker: I am a Fullerton resident, social scientist, professor at Cal State Fullerton published author of a book about walkable cities and placemaking pedestrian and customer of independent businesses along the Walk on Wilshire. I’m speaking today briefly to offer research based support for the Walk on Wilshire, citing research by Janette Sadik Khan, Jeff Speck, Mike Lyden, and Anthony Garcia, Fischer, Spence and Connolly, and many other reputable scholarly sources, I attest that when cities prioritize walkability over car centric driving culture, there are multiple and interconnected benefits to community economy, health, the arts, environmental stewardship, and civic engagement and voting. On the basis of  these research backed ideas, I want to encourage you not only to drop the idea of eradicating it. Far from eradicating the walk on Wilshire, we ought to extend it fully to the remaining block, if not more. Set aside more space for safe inter-generational community engagement. Please commit today to start the process to make Walk on Wilshire permanent, fully pedestrian and year round.

28) Elizabeth McMillan: I am a lifetime resident of Fullerton in the 4th district and homeowner now in Fullerton. I love the city. I’ve never been to a City Council meeting in my life, but I felt very passionately about Walk on Wilshire. I think it’s really cool what everyone has said a lot more eloquently. So I’m just going to leave it at that. I like it, I support it. Please keep it.

29) Brian Yanity: I’m a 13 year resident of downtown Fullerton and I fully support keeping Walk on Wilshire permanent for all the reasons that people are very eloquently spoken to tonight. And one thing I don’t like about my neighborhood, downtown Fullerton, there’s too many cars, there’s too much space for cars. We need more space for people. And I want to start, I hope with Walk on Wilshire as the start of closing off more streets in Fullerton.

30) Andrew Penn: I’m 19 years old and I am a student here at Fullerton College. Go Hornets. I would like to start by apologizing for my comments earlier this evening. I believe that giving the full 3 minutes for every speaker was the right thing to do, but to refer to Councilmember Zahra’s extenuating circumstances as a failure to prepare was unprofessional on my part. This is my first City Council meeting and I’d like to formally apologize for my behavior.

I’ve had my drivers license for the past ten months. I got it in January, much to my father’s joy. So I think it’s safe to say that I can speak from the perspective of a student and a pedestrian and a cyclist. Actually, that’s it’s been very, very helpful for me in my educational career before getting my license.  Cycling all throughout the city, I have always had to be very cautious of the cars on the road and staying on the sidewalk. I’ve had to be mindful of pedestrians. Even on the bike lanes it’s been difficult. So I say that this city is difficult for cyclists and pedestrians. You know, my dad’s always complaining about ohh, when are they going to pave our street? There have been so many great St. festivals here in Fullerton. Fullerton First Night is the one I can name off the top of my head. There is, you know, all sorts of walkable streets here in Fullerton and from the library to the Comic Book Hideout to the Fullerton Arboretum at Cal State Fullerton to the train station, to I could go on. All of the good memories I have of this city that I’ve lived in my whole life have not been behind the wheel of a car or on pedals of a bike, but on my own 2 feet. I personally have not been to the Walk on Wilshire a lot of times, maybe twice and since it’s been up. But I believe that we should give the next generation of pedestrians and cyclists and students, young people, young kids who can’t even drive a chance to make their own good memories of our fair city.

31) River Brown [a very young child]: I love walking to Walk on Wilshire and I really want it to be open because I love biking and walking there and seeing all the fans out there and eating at restaurants.

32) A resident: The first time I went to the Walk on Wilshire, it was kind of an accident. I was walking somewhere else down Harbor when I saw it, and I was very charmed by the whole area. I ended up having lunch at the Fullerton Brew Company. Later on I went to the Chalk on Wilshire and ended up having a tea at the Sunny T studio, which isn’t on the Walk on Wilshire but is close by. I went to the area for the Chalk on Wilshire and ended up spending money in the area. Just this past Saturday I was meeting with some friends. We met at the Walk on Wilshire. I ended up going over to the clothing store there and spending $105. Which I only slightly regret. The point is the Walk on Wilshire is amazing. I have lived in Fullerton my entire life and I love having a space like this. Yes, actually it’s not entirely true. As far as living in Fullerton my whole life because I lived 10 months in Paris doing study abroad and you can go to the Latin corridor in Paris. I recommend it. It’s a beautiful, walkable area and you will always find it full of people, full of music, full of people performing. It’s a wonderful place, that’s why so many people go there, and it’s the same with the Walk on Wilshire. It’s worth keeping and I highly encourage you to please do so.

33) Veronica Moran [Spanish speaker, translated]: I will be very brief. I do ask that you permit the Walk on Wilshire program and please listen to us the constituents.

34) Andrew: I’m with the Save Walk on Wall Street group and I’m five year resident of Fullerton and I’m here to explain to you that Walk on Wilshire is good for business. I hope you didn’t forget in that packet that all of you have in your hands, there’s 65 Fullerton businesses who support this space. They’ve expressed support of Walk on Wilshire and I urge you to look through the packet and read the testimonies from each of those businesses. They explain to you how the space brings them foot traffic, more eyes to their store, and also improves the safety, the culture and the sense of community here in Fullerton. Now, despite the popularity of WOW, we acknowledge a handful of businesses have concerns about the space and we think that these concerns can be alleviated without getting rid of WOW. We need to think of creative solutions like having more events like the previous person wanted. Have more events on WOW. While involving the existing businesses that are already there. You can also create some signage for these businesses. These are again creative, affordable solutions to activate the space and alleviate their concerns. Now I want to remind you, many of you have spoken about how you want Fullerton to be seen as a business friendly city, yet removing the space will go against the wishes of 65 businesses who express support. Can somebody wake up Mr. Whittaker, please? Thank you. OK. Alright, again, 65 businesses who expressed support. I want to ask you, is removing the space business friendly? These businesses who invested money and purchased outdoor dining infrastructure and you want them to take that stuff away and toss it out, Is that business friendly?  I don’t know if you know that multiple businesses are ready to invest, but they’re being held back because this space is temporary. Is that business friendly? A business friendly city does not hold back local businesses from investing in their community. I urge you to please start the process to make this space permanent.

35) Anjali Tapadia: I’m here to advocate for the Walk on Wilshire. There’s not much more that I can say that hasn’t already been said, but I will match anecdote for anecdote. I’m often on the Walk on Wilshire, and I see it full of people. If you go there after about 7:00 in the evening, you’ll see tons of kids sitting around SomiSomi having ice cream when we were out there we saw not one but 2K pop dance crews filming music videos. All because the full time pedestrianization allows the spontaneity that permits activities like this. When we were at Chalk on Wilshire, we had a married couple just married from the Chapel, still in their wedding attire. Come to the Walk on Wilshire specifically to take photos. They weren’t from Fullerton. They weren’t staying in Fullerton. They chose to come there to take wedding photos specifically because the space was so beautiful. These are just some of the anecdotes. I see people out there walking, walking around. I see parents teaching their kids how to ride bikes. I see a busker all the time playing music and doing stand up comedy. These are activities that are only permitted by full time, year round full pedestrianization of the space. These are people who bring revenue to our city. These are testimonials. Again, from almost 70 business owners in downtown Fullerton and around, these business owners also support the Walk on Wilshire. They don’t just support the Walk on Wilshire, they strongly support keeping the Walk on Wilshire. So if you’re going to shut it down to try to benefit a couple of businesses whose troubles are valid but are not necessarily caused by the Walk on Wilshire, then you will be negatively impacting almost 70 other businesses who do benefit from the walk on Wilshire and I don’t see how that pans out. I urge you to keep the Walk on Wilshire as it is. I urge you to keep it fully pedestrianized year round, not seasonal. And as an avid cyclist, I also advocate for keeping it open to bicycles only and not vehicular traffic.

36) A resident: I’m an employee of Fullerton with over 20 years as an employee. The Red Hat Society we’ve had several events in downtown Fullerton. We had stopped doing it because the ladies are 50 and above because the pedestrian walking was insane. If there was a place there to walk around to do our events we would have stayed here. Now we move our events elsewhere though we’re based in Fullerton. So I do hear what the business owners are saying. So I would think that this would fall in line with the beautification with downtown Fullerton with the signage. So if somehow you marry the two and help the businesses with the signage, I think that would probably help. But you absolutely need more space for walking for sure.

37) Egleth Nunnci: I’m here to support the Walk on Wilshire. We see so many community members here to support it. We are always talking about revenue – bringing more business and empowering our community. Then we are here one more time to talk to you and ask you please to listen to the community. Respect the Walk on Wilshire. It is something positive.  Like during the pandemic, it can unite us like right now in bringing more events. You want other businesses to invest? We have to give them certainty that that Walk on Wilshire is gonna stay. Nobody’s going to invest when you have uncertainty of what’s going to happen. Continuing it shows that we really value our business economic revenue. Why cut this when you can open and help it flourish? When you invest in community it always benefits us.

Zoom Callers

38) Megan: I live in District 1. And I just want to say Walk on Wilshire, for the most part, it’s empty now because it’s not permanent. It’s not properly lit because again, it’s not permanent. The Walk on Wilshire is showing the appearance of a road. Make it permanent, make it a new area. Welcome foot traffic and people will show up. We have Soco District but let’s not stop at one single walking area. Besides, that area is not targeted towards families like Soco District. Rebrand the area on Walk on Wilshire. Update viewable directories and other signage to explore other areas. Walk on Wilshire is a perfect anchor checkpoint for downtown Fullerton, we are encouraging downtown Fullerton to be pedestrian friendly. Foot traffic draws more revenue. It’s allowed for me to casually spend my free time and stroll. When have I ever said stroll before? Stroll round to explore and find a plant shop, a vegan shop, and an axe throwing shop off Commonwealth, …places that aren’t directly involved with Walk on Wilshire. But in my eyes, it is a sign that Walk on Wilshire is influential for the entire downtown. Also, it’s my birthday today and although I couldn’t attend … I’m spending tonight to make sure this motion follows through to keep it permanent. Please make this the best birthday present anyone could have and keep Walk on Wilshire.

39) Dominic Moore: I live in District 3, Doctor Charles’ District. I fully support Walk on Wilshire mainly because of the bicyclists including myself. I use the electrical bike and Walk on Wilshire is a pedestrian and a bike friendly space. A lot of the bike lanes out here in our city are unsafe and that’s probably one of the only safest bike lanes that I can think of. So I’m fully in support of it. Keep the Walk on Wilshire.

40) Maurine Milton: During COVID it kept people going and gave them purpose outside of walking around in a home. It has been delightful. Every time I’ve driven by on public transportation, I look down and see the light. And it’s warm and gorgeous. I would like to see it go all the way down the street eventually. There are some things that have to be changed. I have talked with the Fire Chief Loeser about it. He knows what I’m talking about and it’s very simple. And I think that it should be kept because it is a gathering place and it’s warm when you’re out in the evenings. I would like to see a street on the east side the same way, on the West side on the same way for those residents. The streets are going to be closed on the east side of Harbor. There is going to be a fast food area, not a dining experience like Wilshire, so I’m looking forward to it very much to stay open.

41) Kent Morris: I’m a longtime resident of Fullerton. I’ve lived here since 1961. Retired college professor. I remember when Fullerton was a very rural town and I really missed that, but having the Walk on Wilshire reminds me of those past days. I love sitting outside and having dinner at Mulberry Street in the fresh air. It’s not as noisy as being inside. And I just love the ambiance of just watching everybody walk around. So I’m really advocating for the spiritual benefits of Walk on Wilshire and I would like to see you start the process of making that dream come true and also opening the rest of the city to that possibility as well.

42) Isabelle Boone: I am a resident of Fullerton and taxpayer in Fullerton. I actually live on Wilshire and I want to urge council members to vote for the people which is keeping the Walk on Wilshire permanently closed and pedestrianized. Um, I don’t have anything additional to add just that like the same everyone else feels Walk on Wilshire is a place that makes Fullerton special, like community it brings in business. Anytime I have people visiting I always bring them there. I’m sorry I’m not able to be there 24/7. I have to work. Um, but yeah, we just want to say that we support Walk on Wilshire. We want to keep it.

43) Diego: I’m 18 years old here. I’ve been a resident since I was three years old. I’ve had All my experience in life growing up here and so I don’t have anything too unique to add. I would just like to say that I really support keeping Walk on Wilshire. I’ve been there many times with my family. I brought my family, and we’ve brought our family friends from out of town there because it’s a really wonderful communal spot. I think there is a growing understanding that especially in the last century, there was a lot of movement towards creating very car dependent infrastructure throughout the entire country, but especially in California and Los Angeles. And I think there’s kind of a growing reconciliation that that wasn’t the best move for city planning. This is a very small movement, but I think this small decision would just be that little push in the right direction for Fullerton. So I really hope you guys vote to pass a motion to continue Walk on Wilshire.

Public Comments to Open Walk on Wilshire to Thru Traffic

8 people spoke

1. Sonia: I had the privilege of being in a roundtable with that gal there, intelligent young lady and decided to just reiterate what was said that evening. “Wouldn’t doing the right thing be more honorable than your reputation?” I’m talking mostly to you, Doctor [Charles]. You had spoken about it being posted in LA and how it is now the heart of Fullerton, the Walk on Wilshire. Problem with that is this was a wonderful, wonderful idea that you guys came up with at the time of the pandemic. Great idea. And now 200 yards is what everyone’s kind of complaining about. It’s kind of ridiculous, but I don’t think anyone has spoken about the statistics that children under the age of 14. There are significant pedestrian deaths. Their highest risk is getting struck by a moving vehicle due to the factors of unfamiliar surroundings. And you got them on Harbor Blvd. I have pictures where business owners on Wilshire Ave. pictures of Mulberry. They closed down at 8pm. There’s no one out there tonight. There were two people at 6pm. I can go back pictures and I will have September 15th. There’s nobody there. September 12th, Thursday at 6pm nobody is there. September 8th nobody is there. Thursday, August 8th, 1:24pm. There are two people walking on the street. So you have 32 people here talking about Save Wow, 2000 signatures. How many residents do you have in Fullerton? 2000 signatures I can get 2000 signatures tonight saying open it. It’s really that simple. I think, excuse me, don’t test me please, anyhow. [audience booed] But what I’m saying is we are all for the partial part. We went and spoke and said close it on events that you want to do the talks have the little things. On the end, come out when you want it closed. close it down for events. A partial closure whenever there could be a win for everybody here but. The full closure of 200 yards seems ridiculous. You also had two years of putting plans together to figure out how to close the entire St. which would have been the ideal thing. Not 200 yards. As a cyclist, I would not ride my bike down here and enter into oncoming traffic or have to watch for pedestrians. Doctor Charles, you also mentioned being at the coffee shop your other guy spoke for 10 seconds over. So you’re not there all day to see the businesses. I love the fact that you respected and you know, have the coffee thing, but you’re not there all day to see the  downfall.

2) Jack Dean: I’m a 40 year city resident and I’m also president of the Fullerton Association of Concerned Taxpayers [Councilmember Bruce Whitaker is also a member]. I have always appreciated an old political joke which defines democracy as being 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for dinner. Tonight in this meeting we have a very large pack of wolves who feel they have the right to decide the financial fate of a small group of business owners and property owners on Wilshire and they don’t. The Council must protect the rights of these few businesses against the feel good desires of a large number of people who have signed petitions, the overwhelming majority of whom do not live on Wilshire and in many cases live in other cities or in other states. And those people definitely have absolutely no personal investment in these businesses which have been experiencing a loss of traffic and income. Finally, we must remember that this street belongs to the taxpayers of Fullerton and the taxpayers want their St. back. The Walk on Wilshire should have been terminated 90 days ago. Please do so tonight.

3) Zee: I became familiar with Fullerton when I relocated here in 1978. Wow. Not your wow, but the dictionary wow. This turnout of my community makes me proud to be a long, long, long time resident of this place that I love, Fullerton, that I cherish this turnout of speakers and is a testament to individuals who care. The cure is about what is light. This is a pet project. I seek to have a few of you think a bit more about others and not only about self. Think about the children who mostly live in the apartments that line both sides of Gilbert Ave. South of Orangethorpe. To the lower socioeconomic and disadvantaged walk their children to Orangethorpe Elementary School in the street. These parents, many who speak a primary language other than English, don’t have a voice. I invite any one of you from WoW group to consider advocating for children.  Why do they not have sidewalks to walk on? They walk five days a week in the streets. Please advocate. Advocate for something bigger than yourself. Rather than advocating for an outdoor meal or your bicycle, could you advocate for some children, for some sidewalks who try to make it to school every day?

4) Mike [owner of Zings]: I’m one of the business owners there near the Walk on Wilshire. I am one of the business owners that’s negatively affected by the closure of my customers don’t have access like they had before and I took a walk down on Saturday night to the silicon area packed. Absolutely packed full of people. My area empty, dead. They don’t have the access to, you know, to the area that they had before it was closed down. And then additionally, there’s, you know, the walkability is not going to change that much if you reopen the street. It has a huge crosswalk in the middle of it. Easily cross the street, you don’t lose walkability by reopening the street. And then one of the other things is maybe just write temporary reopening of it and see how our businesses do you know if our businesses return with a temporarily reopened for a year then we’ll know. OK, yeah, is the right thing to do. Open it for our businesses continue to sag and not do as well as it did before. But yeah, maybe keep it close, but. I’d really like to see it reopen. I think the other businesses would have hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars invested into our businesses would like to see it reopened.

5) George Bushala: As a 29 year resident of the City of Fullerton, I want to express my concern for our ability as a community to come up with a simple, effective solution to this matter at hand. Opening Wilshire for cars to pass through is at the end of the world. For Walk on Wilshire, as the previous person suggested, just open it temporarily. Clearly shown by this, Fullerton Farmers Market Street can easily be closed down if an event was to be planned. Walk on Wilshire is not an event. As a previous student of Fullerton College and avid cyclist, and a current employee of a business that requires my services to be conducted around the vicinity of Walk on Wilshire, I can confirm that the Walk on Wilshire being permanently shut down is completely unnecessary. A current business owner on Wilshire expressed the actual condition of the Walk on Wilshire and she was booed while she was speaking. So I just want to show that, you know, we need to come together as a community and listen to the people that are affected by the matter at hand.

6) Tony Bushala: 55 year resident of Fullerton Troy High School, Fullerton College, Cal State Fullerton, raised my family here. I own a property on Wilshire. We’ve been affected by the taking of the street closure for the last 4 years and it’s time to open it now. The city manager told me back when they put in the bullards that those bullards could be pulled out and the cars could go back and forth and when there’s an event, you could put them back up closing the street and have an event. I think there’s been one event that I know of this Chalk on Wilshire that brought people downtown and if the Pokémon Shotgun Wilshire people want to rent the space or lease the space for a special event I don’t see why they couldn’t apply for a special permit to do that and then put the bollards in the street and then people can come down and, and Walk on Wilshire. Again, you know, I’ve been in Fullerton for many years. I you know, I’m the founder of Fullerton Heritage and I’ve been in downtown for quite a while. My business has been in downtown for 40 years and I’ve been walking the streets of Fullerton for 40 years. I don’t understand why people are so upset over the fact that you can walk on the sidewalks. But you got to close the street down in order for people to be able to think that they could walk. It doesn’t make any sense to me. And I just think that it’s kind of at the point in our history in Fullerton where we need to open that street up. Like the previous speaker mentioned, let the businesses continue and if there’s an event, close it. Have the event and then when it’s done, pull the bullards up and let the traffic continue.

7) Chris Presta: one of the owners of one of the businesses on Wilshire. As I spoke last time again it sounds great but everybody says it sounds amazing. Problem is I never see those people there. I got hours of video and photo of that street being empty. If it was to that degree, it would be a whole different conversation, but it’s not. I mean Friday night, Saturday night, Thursday night, Sunday day. I don’t understand where all these people are. There’s more people in this room that are Walk on Wilshire. I am 100% for the parklets. I think the parks are a great idea. I’m 100% to keep that as an area to do special events. But we had three special events this year and that walkout Mosher failed to do anything for them. First Night, nobody was on Walk on Wilshire. 4th of July, nobody was on Walk on Wilshire Day of Music. Nobody was on Walk on Wilshire. If this whole Walk on Wilshire was that special, I would see more people there and I’m just not seeing the people there.

Zoom caller:

8) Matthew: I live in Fullerton. I live on Wilshire and I can attest that prior to the street closure it was already a walkable area of the city and it doesn’t need to have the part of Wilshire closed. Speaking for myself, the last thing I want is I think somebody wanted a Disney magic there. I’d rather have an actual downtown, an authentic downtown. There are restaurants there who serve people in the street. I’d like to point out that those restaurants already had outdoor dining prior to the unilateral closure of West Whilsire by a city manager during COVID in order to provide the restaurants with some form of revenue so they would go to business. Well you know they can now serve legally indoors and they don’t really need it I don’t think. I think that if people want to see car free streets it would be nice if they didn’t choose the only designated Bike Blvd. in the city to try to achieve that. It actually is I think somewhat dangerous to try to mix pedestrians and cycling. And I think it’s for that reason not necessarily the best St. to try to use for that purpose if somebody wants to teach a child to ride a bicycle. I’d say that’s probably a pretty terrible place to do that. If they want to do that, I would suggest going to the downtown Plaza, which is largely empty almost all the time, except when there’s some sort of an event going on, which I have to say seems to sort of be the case for the so-called Walk on Wilshire. As I say, I live on Wilshire. Like I go down there all the time. There are many, many times where I see virtually nobody there. So whenever this big St. party is going on, I apparently wasn’t invited. It’s a thing that people want to see. They like to dine outside. It’s completely understandable. I would love to see more walkable parts of the city without cars. But I don’t think that just glomming onto this one short section of Wilshire and clinging to it is the way to go about it. I encourage you to avail yourselves of options two and three on your agenda, which would be to restore vehicular traffic there and try to form a comprehensive plan for some sort of outdoor dining areas or pedestrian only areas in the city. But to just keep this thing open, keep it going and going and going when it was claimed that closing it would be for the benefit of a few business owners while keeping it open is for the benefit of a few business owners.  I understand why people want to have this area. I just don’t think it’s necessarily the best idea to  hold on to this one little area and try to build it out from there. I think it’s a much better idea to pull back, maybe close it for a few things and then go for a bigger plan.