Actions Speak Louder: Taking Issue with Councilwoman Fox’s Public Statement (Part 5)
Here is part 5:
“I supported Measure B because I believed it…it would reduce traffic congestion by restricting future development at the strawberry fields.”
A person might argue that she could not work on measure D because her time was spent instead on measure B. On this measure, she mobilized her supporters including her spouse. She also posted on Nextdoor in support of the measure. (During the campaign, I wrote a thread that was more objective on measure B than other threads, and it was deleted by the neighborhood lead Dawn Antis – who was appointed to the Child Care Committee by Councilwoman Fox. I was also removed from Nextdoor for over two weeks.)
Was measure B worth so much attention by a person so adamantly opposed to traffic congestion, runaway development and developers?
B was a choice between two alternative sites for the veterans’ cemetery and thereby housing construction. By supporting B, it is true we would not have seen development in the strawberry fields near the Interchange of the I-5 and I-405. But then the development would be next to Irvine Boulevard between Alton Parkway and Ridge Valley. How would having less housing construction near that interchange on the very edge of Irvine (Yes on B) be better for traffic and development than having less construction at the ARDA site which is deeper inside Irvine (No on B)? Please note that if measure B had passed, the development company Five Point would have received 125 acres of land for only $4 million or about $30,000 an acre – in Irvine!
“As your Irvine City Councilmember, I will fight to ensure that the public interest – in preventing over-development, over-crowded schools, and traffic congestion, and in preserving the character of our communities – comes before the private interests of developers, no matter how big and powerful those developers may be.”
Given her stand against the IRG movement, her voting record, her receipt of donations from developers, her lack of effort on opposing measure D, and her wholehearted support of measure B, I politely disagree with her conclusions and her entire statement. Instead of a true representation, I believe the statement of placing Irvine residents’ quality of life above developers’ interests is merely eloquent rhetoric. Her statement does not reflect what really matters in understanding a politician’s views and motives: her actions. They speak much louder and clearer than her words.
Thank you for attention. Hope you have found this insightful.
6 Comments
Mark Coffey
June 21, 2018 at 3:09 pmWesley: While I took a “NO” position on Measure B, the developer (Five Points) was proposing swapping 130 acres on the I-5/405 for 125 acres within the El Toro base targeted for the veterans cemetery plus cash. I don’t understand your math on the land value ($30K/acre) in all of this. More traffic is coming from legacy development entitlements- principally the Irvine Co. But city politicians and planning experts know this as part of managing the city!
Gail Lewis
June 23, 2018 at 7:37 am5 Pt lost!!! The residents of Irvine resoundingly (63%) voted no on measure B in spite of the lies perpetuated by 5Pt and the council members Shea and Fox. But is it over??? We know Shea, Fox and Wagner are mouth pieces for 5Pt but naively I didn’t realize 5 Pt’s tentacles also reach the County Supervisors. I shouldn’t have been surprised. The county wants to put the Cemetery in Anaheim Hills instead of the Great Park where it belongs. We need to attend the City Hall Meeting on July 10th and be heard!!
George P
June 23, 2018 at 5:22 pmMark – I think Wesley’s math stemmed from the fact that the land at the ARDA site was valued at $4m. So $4m divided by 125 acres is $32,000 per acre. Recently, the CEO of 5 Point was on record as saying that they value Irvine land at about $5m per acre so this valuation was significantly under market rates.
Dee Fox
June 25, 2018 at 10:36 amI think the acting City Manager should do her job and make sure the people of Irvine get the Veterans Cemetery built at the ARDA site, NOW! I hope when the election comes around in November we all remember these three; MELISSA FOX, CHRISTINA SHEA, and DONALD WAGNER. I will not vote for any one that supports, or is endorsed by, SHEA, WAGNER, or FOX. Where is the oversite?
Sharon Toji
June 28, 2018 at 8:41 pmUnfortunately, my party, the Democratic Party of Orange County, got bought by Five Points on this issue. I was in Sacramento for an Indivisible California Conclave along with the annual ACLU Lobby Day, and my group visited Sharon Quirk Silva, who had originally carried the bill for the ARDA site, and then changed the legislation over to the El Toro Y site at the behest of the Council majority. She informed me that she was “done” and that if Irvine voted “no” on B no one would sponsor legislation to move back to the ARDA site. Of course it is no surprise that 5 Points donated money to the OC Dems, along with various individuals like Melissa Fox. Business does not ordinarily favor the OC Dems with their donations, so I suppose it was tempting to snatch up the funds. Thus it did not surprise me at all to learn that powers that be have gone to the Board of Supervisors to punish the citizens of Irvine who voted “no” by removing the Cemetery from Irvine completely. The current political climate seems to be that citizens lose.
I certainly was not surprised by Fox’s perfidy, but was sad to see the rest of the Democratic party members follow her. I won’t be voting for any of her choices for city council, either.
Gail Lewis
June 29, 2018 at 6:38 pmLauren Johnson-Norris is Melissa’s choice for city council. Lauren came to the Democrats of Irvine meeting telling us we need to support measure B. Well 63% of voters said NO and I will be voting NO for Lauren Johnson-Norris come November.
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