Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutSupplemental Information Received After Posting Agenda - Item I (5)Steven Fowler From: Eric Douphner Sent: Monday, September 11, 2017 9:37 AM To: Sandra Massa - Lavin Mike Varipapa; Ellery A. Deaton; Steven Fowler, Brian McKinney; Leslie Medina; Schelly Sustarsic; Thomas Moore; michelle.steel @ocgov.com Cc: Kevin Pearce Subject Seal Beach City Council: LA Fitness Attachments: Scan.pdf Dear City Council Members, Please find the attached letter requesting that you vote against the proposed development of LA Fitness. Thank you for your favorable consideration. ORANGECOCNTY BLSINESSJOURNAL BEST PLACES TO WORK 2 0 1 7 (a Powerstorte Eric Douphner, CCAM • Senior Community Manager i • Irvine • CA 92618 f r8 in • www.powerstonepm.com ROSSMOOR REGENCY ASSOCIATION September 10, 2017 City Council Members Sent Via E -mail Only City of Seal Beach City Hall 211 Eighth Street Seal Beach, CA 90740 Re. La Fitness Center Building Permit Request Dear City Council Members, Thank you for your leadership and care you provide our City. As the Managing agent for Rossmoor Regency Association and on behalf of the Board of Directors we are requesting that you vote against the proposed development of the LA Fitness Center directly behind our community. This request is based on the negative impact this development will have on our community and the surrounding neighbors. The issues are increased traffic, excessive light pollution, amplified noise, and the removal of trees screening our community form the development. We ask that you carefully consider our concerns and reject the proposed LA Fitness Center. Thank you for your favorable consideration. Sincerely, Eric Doup CAM Senior Community Manager.. Rossmoor Regency Association E -mail List: smassalavitt @sealbeachca.gov; mvaripapa @sealbeachca.gov; edeaton @sealbeachca.gov; sfowler @sealbeachca.gov; bmckinney @sealbeachca.gov; Imedina @sealbeachca.gov; ssustarsic @sealbeachca.gov; tmoore @sealbeachca.gov; michelle.steel @ocgov.com r Pov Wn Pmpoty Mena emeM • 9 Irvine C~ a11ve. Uft 300, • Irvine. CA 83618' (M) 7163808 • FAX "8 7183808 CrystalLandavazo From: Jill Ingram Sent: Monday, September 11, 2017 11:16 AM To: Robin Roberts; Crystal Landavazo; Steven Fowler Subject: FW: Final LA Fitness Correspondence to Seal Beach City Council Attachments: Coalition Flyer.pdf; Thread on Nextdoor LA Fitness.pdf FYI Jill R. Ingram, City Manager City of Seal Beach - 211 Eighth Street, Seal Beach, CA 90740 (562) 431.2527, Ext. 1300 For Information about Seal Beach, please see our city website: htto:11www sealbeachca.aov NOTICE: This communication may contain privileged or other confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient of this communication, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this communication to the intended recipient, please advise the sender by reply email and immediately delete the message and any attachments without copying or disclosing the contents. Thank you. From: Joseph McGlinchey i Sent: Monday, September 11, 2017 11:08 AM To: Sandra Massa- Lavitt; Mike Varipapa; Ellery A. Deaton; Thomas Moore; Schelly Sustarsic Cc: JIII Ingram Subject: Final LA Fitness Correspondence to Seal Beach City Council Respective members of the Seal Beach City Council, I have drafted and sent a couple of letters in support of the proposed LA Fitness project at The Shops at Rossmoor over the past 18 months, and my position on the project has not changed: I believe that the project fits in well with the current shopping center and will serve the community in a positive way. However, the purpose of this correspondence is to hopefully enlighten you as to the amount of support being suppressed due to tactics that have been coordinated and implemented by the very vocal opponents of the project who are for the most part residents of the townhomes /condominiums on the border of the long -zoned commercial property and Rossmoor residents who do not want vehicles currently parked in the shopping center to park in front of their residences. Along with my wife and 19- year -old son, I attended the Planning Commission meeting back in June and spoke in support of the project. My wife and I work in downtown Los Angeles, so we had to take an hour and '% vacation time to make the meeting and get a seat in the Council chambers. Unfortunately, we will not be able to register our voices at the Council meeting tonight due to late afternoon meetings and the fact that we will have -to wait for hours to speak before needing to wake up at 4 AM for workday on Tuesday. I hope that you have had the chance to view the Planning Commission meeting because there were many events that have been going on that are designed to suppress support of the project. First, opponents have led a coordinated attack on the LA Fitness project where they have inundated the Seal Beach residences surrounding the Shops and the Rossmoor neighborhood where I live with unsupported claims that verge on the hysterical, such as property values decreasing immediately by 5% - 10 %; homes, vehicles, and people becoming victims of crimes at an increased rate, and children walking to school (the nearest school being a mile away) and to the shopping center will be at increased risk. A copy of the flyer that was hung on our door is attached to this email. Next, opponents of the project have utilized social media (namely the Nextdoor website) to engage in behavior that borders on cyber bullying. As an example, I am attaching the shortest of approximately a dozen threads wherein a Leisure World resident voiced her support of the LA Fitness project. Instantly, the same posters repeatedly hammer the thread starter regarding how ill- informed she is, while at the same time they post and repost their unsubstantiated opinions as fact. On the Nextdoor website, it has become a game of "Whack -a- Mole" where anybody who supports the LA Fitness project is immediately inundated with insulting remarks to the point where supporters do not want to subject themselves to any more abuse, so they just keep quiet instead. Lastly, I'd like to inform you about what went on at the Planning Commission meeting in June 2017. After arranging for vacation time at work, I arrived for the meeting at 6 PM and was at the front of the line to be let into the chambers. During the hour that I was standing at the door, a person who appeared to be a City Employee allowed several members of the opposition to enter the chambers for a few minutes before they were escorted back out. Once the doors opened, I secured seats for my wife, my son and myself at the front of the chamber so that I could speak as early as possible before immediately departing to get enough sleep for work the next morning. When the meeting started and the project presentation commenced, opponents sitting outside the chamber started yelling profanities to such an extent that the meeting had to be stopped on multiple occasions while warnings were issued about any further outbursts. After the presentation ended and the announcement was made to line -up for public comments, I immediately approached the lectern and was first in line (along with my wife and son). The City Employee who had let members of the opposition into the chambers early then stood beside a member of the opposition at the side of the lectern and began pressuring me to allow the Coalition speaker to go first since they had a PowerPoint presentation with 12 speakers lined up (each speaker using 3 minutes), meaning that I would have to wait over a half -hour to speak in support of the project. Ignoring the pressure to step aside, I held firm and told the employee that I needed to get to work in the morning and that we would be leaving as soon as we made our statement. At that point, he yielded, so my wife and I did get to voice our support of the project. After respectfully making our points as to why we believe that the project met all EIR criteria (I read it carefully) and that the project will be an asset to the community, we exited the Chambers and started walking towards the street ... and several opponents of the project sitting outside proceeded to boo my wife, my son and myself. My son was taken aback more than a little bit by that response, but I told him on the ride home that this is how it is in the "real world ". As an attorney, these kinds of actions have no effect on me as I brush them off like water off a duck's back. However, I can assure you that the combination of the opponents' data being issued / published without any factual foundation, the cyber bullying and the personal attacks have made a large impact on suppressing the opinions of those who support the project since most people do not want to put themselves through that kind of abuse. Thus, they stay quiet. In closing, I wish the Board well in their deliberations over this controversial project and I sincerely hope that a decision will be made in a rational and level- headed way and not be swayed by a form of mob rule. Thank you for your time and careful consideration in this matter. Joseph R. McGlinchey Attorney At Law Rossmoor WE NEED YOU!! LA FITNESS LAfit�ness HAS APPEALED... ITS NOT TheSf6' OVER YET! i X at Rossm PLEASE support our community at the Seal Beach City Council Preserve 0 Quality of Life Meeting on Monday Sept. 11th 7:00 p.m. www .CoalitionAgainstLAFitness.org 211 8th Street, Seal Beach 90804 Consequences of proposed LA Fitness Project include: • Property values estimated to drop immediately by as much as 5 -10% ($50,000 - $100,000) • Traffic will increase (up to 3,500 more trips per day) • Parking congestion on neighborhood streets will be exacerbated • Risk to children walking and bicycling to school and the shopping center • Crime will increase: Homes, vehicles, and people will become victims of crime • Save your community, attend the FINAL city council meeting at: Seal Beach City Hall 211 8th Street, Seal Beach, CA 90840 7:00 p.m. Monday, September 11, 2017 Sign our petition: http //www.ch2nqe.org/search?q=coalition+la+fitness Donate to assist with legal and related expenses: http7 / /bit.ly /calafsb (Go Fund Me) or C.A.L.A.F., P.O. Box 223, Los Alamitos, CA 90720 Join our fight by joining our Facebook Group: Coalition Against LA Fitness Project Visit our website for updates: httos7 / /coaliticnagainstlafHness.org/ Shannon Brennan, Leisure World LA Fitness - Good for Seal Beach I am a resident of Seal Beach specifically Leisure World (LW) I support the proposed LA Fitness (LAF) at the Shops at Rossmoor. I moved to LW almost 10 years ago. It is a wonderful place to live. We have great amenities. In 2016 approximately 48k people played golf on our 3 par course, over 78k worked out in our gym and approximately 49k used our pool or hot tub. We have many ACTIVE senior citizens living in LW who are very interested in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In December I will be 65. 1 will be eligible to join the SilverSneakers Program. SilverSneakers is a free fitness program for seniors that's helping millions of boomers stay fit. Silver- Sneakers includes unlimited access to every participating gym and fitness center in the network. Unfortunately there is not one gym in Seal Beach that accepts SilverSneakers. The proposed LAF will be the first and only SilverSneakers participant in Seal Beach. We need a state of the art gym in Seal Beach. There are 9,000 seniors living in LW. We make up 113 of Seal Beach. I don't pretend to speak for all LW residents, I don't pretend to speak for all of Seal Beach but I know that I speak for many. Last June the Sun polled readers with the following question: Do you support the proposed LA Fitness health club planned for the Shops at Rossmoor? 64% voted YES - -- 36% voted NO I like the Shops at Rossmoor. I don't want to see the Shops at Rossmoor fail. The Center appears to be thriving but I worry about a couple of the stores. We all have read in the news about the Macy's and JC Penny closures. Online shopping is hurting brick and mortar. I found an article in The Washington Post entitled Five Retail Trends to Watch in 2014. The following is an excerpt from the article. Big -box retailers and grocery stores have long been among the most sought -after anchors for shopping centers. But that is quickly changing, as developers look to large gyms and fitness centers to help draw a stream of regular customers. Gyms (such as LAF) have become coveted mainstays in Shopping Centers. As more and more consumers shop online for clothing and other household needs, fitness centers are one of the last remaining businesses that can draw regular crowds on a daily --or perhaps, weekly— basis. Nine stores in the Rossmoor Center had right of refusal ... that means that if any of the nine stores objected to LAF then the project was dead. All nine stores approved the LAF project. With all the available uses the developer has at it's disposal, I applaud them for thinking of this community and bringing LAFitness to Seal Beach. 5 May 25 neighborhoods in General Thank Reply 10 Thanks 48 Replies Melissa Knievel Natanson, Seal Beach North-5 May I'm quite certain if it was operating 170 from where you lay your head every night you wouldn't want it. Don't be selfish and ask your neighbors to swallow this so you can have silver sneaker, when there are plenty of other options. Sorry not sorry, shame on you Thank 8 Thanks Enea Ostrich, College Park East 5 May Shannon ... you are ill informed. The program you speak of is at many gyms..not just this proposed one. Do yourself and that gentleman who spoke at council meeting a favor for me ... stop promoting something that exists everywhere and if you need payment so bad there are opportunities within LW to get money in an honest way ... not this propaganda. Give it up as the members within your community are seeing your lies... beginning to talk about it. Pretty soon it will be a ridicule instead of just a post here. I. would hate to see you and your friend ridiculed in any way. You seem like nice people but caught up and duped most definitely... very unfortunate Thank 8 Thanks Melissa Knievel Natanson, Seal Beach North 5 May It sounds exactly like a speech made at planning commission the other night. Like any pawn, she has learned her "talking points ". Yes very unfortunate:(... Thank 8 Thanks Sandy Mitchell, Leisure World 5 May Thank you for your insight and research. I appreciate what you have to say. Thank 2 Thanks Nancy Mimoso, Rossmoor5 May There are SEVEN "Silver Sneaker' participating gyms all less then FIVE miles from Leisure World. Thank 10 Thanks Judy Carter Johnson, Leisure World 5 May I believe those of us who live in Leisure World should consider the traffic that will be imposed on those who live in Rossmoor as well as the families who use the library, all the kids to ride bikes to school and visit their friends. We have a great, well equipped gym in LW. If we drive into the area to shop at Sprouts, etc we will have to deal with the additional traffic and parking issues. If I could vote for LA FITNESS it would be a LOUD'NO'. Thank 22 Thanks Dave Burgess, Rossmoor5 May Shannon has 4" of 7" in the recent The Sun article. Great factual reporting. My Mom advised me on my posts, which I should heed. I really want an Xmas card from Shannon and Marty Polls. Thank 3 Thanks Enea Ostrich, College Park East 5 May Sarcasm ... we needed that about now Dave. Thanks. Thank Mayors Koh, Leisure World 6 May Absolutely right, i,b a Thank 2 Thanks Bret Anderson, Rossmoor6 May Really ?? You sound like a spokesman for JLL. This post is a joke Thank 6 Thanks Leslie Mintzer, Rossmoor6 May Shannon, did you share your Nextdoor (NO) password with Marty so he can monitor NO and post on your behalf? I find it interesting that you seem to put so much effort in crafting your posts and then you disappear. I would be curious to see how many times you posted on ND before these 2 posts of yours. Thank 6 Thanks Dave Burcess, Rossmoor6 May I don't we any last names of the LA Fitness supporters on the lafitness.com webpage. Example from one of the many Sandra's in LW: "Close to home (leisure world). Want to exercise. Love LA Fitness! - Sandra" Thank 3 Thanks Dave Burcess, Rossmoor6 May This statement: Nine stores in the Rossmoor Center had right of refusal ... that means that if any of the nine stores objected to LAF then the project was dead. All nine stores approved the LAF project. Shannon, can you tell us where to see the list of the nine stores? Again, why only 9 out of 30+ tenants? Thank 5 Thanks Kim Carasso, Seal Beach North-6 May Shannon —you don't seem to have a grasp on the reality of the situation. First, Silver Sneakers is located at several Local gyms, including the LA Fitness at Valley View and Lampson - -not that far from Seal Beach. Second, there are two LA Fitness locations already within a 5 mile radius. What evidence do you have that this area has enough interest and use to keep a third location in business? Based upon the numbers provided at the town hall meetings, they don't have anywhere close to the numbers. Know what that means? The gym fails. And then we are left with a huge building thats use is dramatically limited without significant TI (tenant improvement —which means it isn't a desirable location for potential new businesses). So then we have another empty business in the Shops. Have you noticed how long Callender's has been empty? Empty businesses aren't good for the economy nor the area in terms of safety (a vacant building that far off the street would be a haven for the homeless). Have you talked with local responders about what the additional car usage from the gym will do to the already logjammed traffic on Seal Beach Blvd. during rush hour? I pray you and your friends never have a medical emergency because that extra traffic is going to mean your arrival at Los Al, the closest hospital is going to take a lot longer — something that can't be afforded in cases of heart attack and stroke when time is of the essence. Traffic is already horrible up here during peak hours. The design of the parking lot in front of Sprouts is horrible. People walking into and out of the store cause backup of cars trying to enter from Plymouth. Adding another 1,200 cars a day would basically make this intersection unusable. And guess what? It's the only intersection into /out of my Seal Beach community (Old Ranch). Finally, if you truly want a big gym location close to Leisure World, there is a perfect solution. You know the industrial area off Westminster where Boeing is? There is industrial space there that can support this sort of traffic. When Boeing vacates soon, there will be even more. You have two major thoroughfares there that can withstand the increased traffic without affecting residents the way the current proposal would. Something has to go into the Shops, but this is the worst possible use for this property. I can think of many other uses for the property that ft with Seal Beach's stated desire to maintain a small town feel and provide successful, thriving businesses that the area wants and needs. Be a good neighbor and think about ALL of Seal Beach. Remember, we have a say when something you don't want may be on the docket. It would be horrible if we factionalize the way Congress has. We don't need and is v. them mentality. Then nothing will get done. This project - -as slated — will have negative effects on Seal Beach and the surrounding communities and these negative effects greatly outweigh the potential positives. Thank 11 Thanks Eddy Naime, College Park East-6 May Guess what? YOU have to drive in that traffic too when visiting the Shops. YOU have to deal with the increase in crime for this area. Since YOU make up 113 of seal beach residents, then stand up for seal beach as a community and make the right decision for our town. Please don't spread misinformation to further an agenda that is not yours. YOU are not exempt from these implications just because you live in LW. Thank 10 Thanks Zoe Hacmann, Rossmoor6 May Anytime Fitness in SB near the Leisure Word Center offers the Sliver Sneakers program... no need for LA Fitness in SBI Thank 11 Thanks Ron Blaul, Old Town & The Hill 6 May I'm not sure I understand the difference in traffic no matter what additional Shops/businesses go into the center. Parsing out a bowling alley would add less traffic than a movie theatre than a gym than a restaurant seems like splitting hairs to me. The real issue is continued development of the center which brings more business = good and possibly some more traffic = bad. The good old days were not which businesses there were ... the good old days were how many businesses and residents in the area there were. The issue is more an issue of infrastructure and how much is too much ... not whether its a gym. Thank 2 Thanks Ellen Odell, Rossmoor6 May I notice everyone seems to be discussing the effects on Seal Beach - when the greatest effect will be on Rossmoor residents who have absolutely no say in the matter. I have friends who live on Yellowtail who say that the crime increase in Rossmoor started with the opening of the Target center. S0000 ... is Seal Beach going to continue to be a lousy neighbor just to make afew bucks? Thank 7 Thanks Eddy Naime, College Park East 6 May Not only is rossmoor going to see more crime and more traffic. I would be willing to bet that the more commercial the area becomes, the lower your house values will be. Thank 9 Thanks Zoe Haamann, Rossmoor6 May A big corporate gym is the problem... they will have about 2,000 members per day ... an over load of traffic for the area which means they will target membership from out of the area to be profitable. Their hours are 5 OOAM- 11:OOPM ... not normal business hours ... very sad for the SB condoltownhouse residents who's bedrooms are 200ft from the gym, car alarms, beepers, voices ... no one I know would like that! SB residents driving north on SB Blvd. will have much more traffic. This gym would create a horrible parking issue for the SB condo/townhouse residents who will have to park in the neighborhood in front of resident homes ... no resident I know would be fine parking or their kids parking 5 houses down from their home. These families would have to cross a busy street with kids, groceries, school books ... to get to their condo /townhome. This area as it is, is not so safe for pedestrians, elderly or kids on bikes... increased traffic would put these lives at risk. Gyms are known for criminals to hover and break into cars and then be exposed to the neighborhood for greater break ins ... I don't know anyone who would be okay with their home or car getting broken into. There are already over 25 gyms within a 3 mile radius of the center, many are SB addresses ... I don't think any of these gym owners would want their business at risk of going under ... SB should support their business any way they can, not bring a corporate business in to create hardship on an existing business. The list goes on ... a corporate gym is not a fit for the area, a business with business hours and low traffic is the right fit. The factors listed above are a horrible trade off for money and convenience. Money can still be made with another business and individuals can easily drive a few miles, we are not talking 10 -15 miles to a gym ... 25 gyms within 3 miles, plenty to choose from. The Silver Sneakers program is offered at 4 gyms 1 -5 miles from Leisure World /Los Al. Everyone needs to think about the community before they think about themselves... we are a community firstl Thank 13 Thanks Fred DelliSanti, Old Town & The Hill 6 May I work out at LA Fitness and think tt would be an asset to Seal Beach. Thank Mike Lumme, Rossmoor Highlands-6 May Fred maybe 4 u but not for us Thank 10 Thanks Kim Carasso, Seal Beach North 6 May Fred —what benefits specifically do you believe outweigh the downside? Thank 7 Thanks Dondi Buchmcker, Leisure World.6 May Why do you need a gym. The one in LW has great equipment and we have a beautiful pool there are also many classes Thank 8 Thanks Eddy Naime, College Park East 6 May Please allow Fred to speak folks. Please share your thoughts about the reason LA fitness would be an asset to our community Fred. I would like to hear you out. Thank 4 Thanks Melissa Knievel Natanson, Seal Beach North 6 May We aren't against an LA fitness in Seal Beach. We are against WHERE they want to put it. Fred probably has logical input about benefits and there could be benefits for sure in another location. Our main point is that it's a corporate super gym operating 19+ hours a day in a residential neighborhood. It will be surrounded by families: babies and elderly on more than 50% of its perimeter. The debate is not about the benefits of LA fitness, its about the location. Appreciate your input Eddy;) Thank 4 Thanks Hilme Jacobsen, Rossmoor 6 May Shannon so you like to shop at the Shops. Well, if La Fitness builds behind Sprouts and takes over the parking spaces which they will and they do at all their gyms all the people that shop at the Shops the stores such as Staples, Petsmart and Home Goods and other stores . will have no place to park because when I have been there during the week guess where these shoppers are parking - yes, right where the gym people will be parking as there is no place to park in front of the stores its always full and If shoppers cannot find a place to park they wont shop there they will go to places where they can park so there will be alot of empty stores.I guess Seal Beach doesnt care they will have gotten their sales tax money up front and not much after that. Shannon you should think of the many other people that will be hurt by this gym instead of your own wants and you have a gym in leisure world. Thank 10 Thanks Enea Ostrich, College Park East-7 May The warrant most people who support the gym in Seal Beach sound alike. They say it as if it was a matter of fact. I feel like I have stepped into the twilight zone with people like that. Thank 4 Thanks Eddy Naime, College Park East 7 May I just wanted to get a dialogue going with Fred. The most effective way for us to make those in favor of the gym understand why it's not a good idea, is to have a dialogue and educate them on the reasons why it's a bad idea. Unfortunately it looks like Fred didn't respond. We can't just keep pilling on when someone says they are in favor of the gym. We need to have some dialogue. But I'm quickly noticing those in favor of the gym don't want to engage in a conversation. They simply spew their talking points and disappear leaving us preaching to the choir. Thank 5 Thanks Dave Burcess, Rossmoor7 May The parking at Sprouts and Marshall's has worsened because the developer told all the employees to NOT park in the proposed gym area. Thank Enea Ostrich, College Park East 7 May Eddy ... the point is moot because those who believe the project should not pass have valid points to back up their claims ... the ones who support the gym there do not have claims that stick. This is why their warrants at meetings do not get attention. Watch and see how it goes at the key meetings and you will see what I mean. If you cannot prove how valid a huge gym is in this neighborhood of good residents just like yourself... then you really have to reevaluate why you believe what you believe. Thank 1 Thank Shelly Bolander, Old Town & The Hill 7 May The proposed LAF will be the first and only SilverSneakers participant in Seal Beach.THIS IS NOT TRUE SHANNON! We don't need a 24 hour fitness in a quiet residential neighborhood. In addition, a new fitness center is going in at 2nd and Westminster. There is another large fitness center 4 miles away. It's not a good fit for the Rossmoor neighboorhood. We don't need more traffic in and around the bus stops, additional crime, congestion and pollution. Traffic is bad enough in that shopping center and on Seal Beach Blvd. Just say NO! Thank 9 Thanks Chris Heidel, College Park East 7 May Anytime Fitness honors the silver sneakers program. No to more larger corporations in our city. Thank 9 Thanks rachel nierman, Rossmoor7 May the traffic won't effect you because you live in leisure world and don't have to drive to and from school every single day. you have protected gates that keep creepy people out of where you live and i don't. Thank 5 Thanks rachel nierman, Rossmoor7 May i also ride my bike to the library almost every weekend and i don't want to deal with people speeding down the streets. its a risk for the safety of teenagers and kids who spend time outside. Thank 5 Thanks Arthur Ungerleider, Rossmoor-7 May There are spas ad fitness facilities all over incl. los alamitos. We surely don't require more, doesn't leisure world have one ?? Thank 4 Thanks Tom Fessenden, Rossmoor Highlands 7 May Let's get 2000 of our friends and go for tours of Leisure World. Seriosly, Zoe Hagman is spot on Little by little our area is becoming unlivable. Thank 2 Thanks Bret Hudzietz, College Park East-7 May Let's just bring back Rossmoor Gyml Thank 3 Thanks Florence Moore, Rossmoor-7 May Let's put the LAF in LW and we'll all go there! Problem Solved! Win -Win! right? Thank 6 Thanks Mike Lumme, Rossmoor Highlands-7 May All you need is to demolish the Leisure World Amphitheatre and then bingo It will fit Thank 1 Thank Maryann Shaddow, Leisure World 7 May Here is what 1 can not understand if you live in Leisure World....why do you need to go outside to a gym when we have a perfectly good one here and k's free..... when I think of the added traffic ..... and the school children in the area ...I think we need to pause and remember that it will bring added headaches to the area ... also for those of us who frequent the Shoppes there will be much more congestion.... Thank 12 Thanks Dave Burgess, Rossmoor7 May Marty is going to have to come up with a new spin(propaganda) approach. Thank 5 Thanks Cheryl Sarin , Marina Pacifica 7 May I guess no one remembers the Rossmoor Fitness Center /Gym that used to be there right behind Rossmoor Park Condos. Why would a "name brand" Gym be different? Thank 1 Thank Zoe Haomann, Rossmoor7 May Cheryl... Many of us remember Rossmoor Athletic Club very well, I worked there for over 20 years. RAC was a small independent gym focusing on just the neighborhood. LAF is a big corporate gym 37,000 sq.ft. we can expect about 2,000 members per day coming thru our neighborhood and streets drawing members and traffic from many cities from out of the area. We are a small area and we cannot accommodate that much traffic, we already have traffic issues, pedestrians, elderly and kids on bikes at risk. LAF is not the right fit for the residential area ... Marty Potts the developer has even stated... commercial and residential do not mix well. Thank 6 Thanks rachel nierman, Rossmoor8 May it's just a dumb idea in general to put such a huge traffic filled facility that attracts crime in a place with so many young families with children. sure I'd love to have a gym to walk straight over to from my house but it's just not worth the safety risks. Thank 7 Thanks Kimberly Brady, Rossmoor-8 May Rossmoor Athletic club barely had foot traffic. You can't compare Rossmoore athletic club to LA Fitness. LA fitness has way more members than Rossmoor athletic club I've lived here since 73 evidently you don't recall Thank 2 Thanks Jennifer Robles From: Gary Gumbert Sent: Monday, September 11, 2017 1:01 PM To: Jennifer Robles Subject: I SUPPORT a new LA Fitness at Rossmoor Center I enthusiastically support the construction of an LA Fitness health club in the Rossmoor Center. Do not be fooled by The Coalition Against LA Fitness's ploy and various claims that a gym would not be good for that location. The ONLY reason they do not want a gym there is because the residents in the adjacent condo complex would lose extra parking that they desperately need. I know several residents in that condo complex and they are very worried they are going to lose that parking which is not even theirs to park in. The parking issue is the whole reason the Coalition was formed in the first place. I hope you have had time to do your research and can see right through their tactics. The Coalition Against LA Fitness's claim there are 33 health clubs within 2 miles of Rossmoor is a pure lie.(not even close to being true.) Their claim that crime would increase is laughable. Gym attendees usually go to the gym by themselves, are conscience, and are focused on working out. They will not be drinking alcohol or doing drugs. They just want to get into the gym, workout and leave. They don't hang out in the parking lot, socialize or even make any noise. To me nothing is more important than one's health. As a senior citizen I have become to realize that exercising regularly is key to Irving longer. Having a quality gym like LA Fitness come to our neighborhood would make it so much easier and convenient to get to the gym, and as a result I would work out more. The city of Seal Beach should welcome LA Fitness with open arms, especially since they have such a large senior population. Look how convenient it is to Leisure World. Plus, additional tax revenue would be generated when gym patrons go after a workout to the convenient restaurants and stores. LA Fitness would attract a quiet, conscientious adult customer, unlike alcohol- serving restaurants or stores with noisy kids (no Walmart, please!). Again, the ONLY Reason for the Coalition Against LA Fitness's formation is to assure the adjacent condo residents they will not lose overflow parking they desperately need. Please do not be fooled by their tactics. Tome it is a no brainer but to have LA Fitness build a facility in our community. Gary Gumbert, Surfside Steven Fowler From: karen schultze Sent: Monday, September 11, 2017 2:28 PM To: Sandra Massa- Lavitt; Mike Varipapa; Ellery A. Dearer; Steven Fowler, Brian McKinney; Imedina @sealhoarh,a � ,,- Wrho11= <.ednnr gov; Schelly SustarsiG Thomas Moore; Building Official; Subject Opposed to LA.Fitness project Esteemed Seal Beach City Council, In my opinion, L.A. Fitness does not belong in the Shops at Rossmoor. There are many reasons why. Noise, traffic, and parking are just a few. The large size of membership would cause severe disruption and harm to the Seal Beach residents whose bedroom windows are just feet away from the proposed site. The Seal Beach Residents' moming sleep will be disrupted by sounds of employee and members arriving in their cars and motorcycles. Doors and trunks will be slammed shut. Beeping of cars being locked and conversations will be heard. All this noise before school children should normally get up. This will continue all day and into the night until after school children should be in bed. All sounds will be magnified by bouncing off of existing walls and buildings. Seal Beach Blvd is the main artery for Seal Beach residents to get children to school. LAUSD has already staggered start times of all schools, offered low cost busing, and started a walk to school program. All this to deal with an overload of traffic. The large size of membership of L.A.Fitness would completely overload traffic to the Shops At Rossmoor and all the surrounding streets. This would be disruptive and harmful to Seal Beach residents, Shops at Rossmoor merchants, and the surrounding community. Longer drivelwalk times to school, decreased air quality, and more accidents will happen. The existing Seal Beach merchants at the Shops at Rossmoor will experience the loss of parking spots by L.A. Fitness members. Just take a look at any shopping center with a big box gym. The potential customers and existing customers will go elsewhere in seek of less congestion and easier parking. The Seal Beach residents, living feet away from the proposed gym, will also be forced to park on the streets in the surrounding community. Maybe a medical building with lesser hours, noise, and traffic would be less disruptive to the Seal Beach residents and serve the surrounding community better, while letting the developer develop. Thank you for hearing my opinion. Sincerely, Karen Schultze Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android Steven Fowler From: Denis Bilodeau Sent: Monday, September 11, 2017 12:30 PM To: Steven Fowler Subject: La Fitness Comment Letter Attachments: EIR comment letter.pdf Mr. Fowler, Please find attached my comment letter for the IA Fitness Club appeal tonight. Please place it in the administrative record and distribute it to the City Council. Best regards, Denis Bilodeau, PE INFRASTRUCTURE GROUP, INC. Orange, California 92867 I I September 10, 2017 Mr. Steve Fowler Assistant Planner City of Seal Beach 211 Eight Street Seal Beach, California 90740 Subject Draft Environmental Impact Report (SCH# 20170110033) for the Proposed LA Fitness Health Club Dear Mr. Fowler: Infiastmcture Group Inc. (IGI) appreciates this opportunity to review the draft Environmental Impact Report (EB2) for a proposed LA Fitness Health Club located at 12411 Seal Beach Boulevard in the city of Seal Beach, California. Page 4.4 -11 of the EEt provides the basis for the trip generation and projected future conditions of the proposed project. Specifically, it references Institute of Transportation Engineers (I'M), Trip Generation, Ninth Edition (2012). The publication on page 940 provides the following admonition for Health/Fitness Club trip data: "Users are cautioned to use data with care because of the small sample size" In fact, the trip data was derived from only 4 studies conducted across the United States. It is my professional opinion and recommendation that additional trip generation observations be conducted at existing LA Fitness Clubs in Southern California to accurately assess the traffic impacts associated with the proposed project The use of the ITE trip generation rates is inadequate given the small sample size. Sincerely, AOFEM10` Infrastructure Group Inc. ov its A California Corporation y n e � No. 2008 Exp. &3012 14 Denis Bilodeau, PE 9gAFF %rJ OF CPS Principal Doug and Margaret Majsa Seal Beach, CA 90740 Steve Fowler Assistant Planner City of Seal Beach Department of Community Development 211 - Eighth Street .._. - -.__ Seal Beach, CA 90740 RE: LA Fitness Seal Beach at the Shops at Rossmoor Dear Steve, I have reviewed the proposed reconfiguring of Seal Beach boulevard into Rossmoor Center Way. Those reconfigurations are needed now with the current traffic patterns. The issue is that the reconfigured Rossmoor Center Way leads to a four way stop sign which halts the incoming traffic. That will cause major traffic jams resulting in angry drivers and accidents. The Shops at Rossmoor will get less foot traffic due to shopper frustration about the inability to enter the frontage parking lots. Please find a better ingress /egress traffic solution before allowing LA Fitness build. Thank you, Margaret Majsa .� a�Z w Z I �. 7),, Wo Ga 7ilAlas5 UYL Steven Fowler From: Robin Roberts Sent: Monday, September 11, 2017 4:10 PM To: Steven Fowler, Crystal Landavazo Subject: FW: Public comment in support the shops at Rossmoor From: Alan McAuley [mailto Sent: Monday, September 11, 2017 4:02 PM To: Robin Roberts Cc: Sandra Massa- Lavitt; Mike Varipapa; Ellery Deaton; Thomas Moore; Schelly Sustarsic Subject: Public comment in support the shops at Rossmoor Hello Robin, My name is Alan McAuley and I was bom and raised in Rossmoor from the late seventies to when I moved away to attend College in 1998. I am a Rossmoor knight, McAuliffe eagle and Los Al Griffin. I participated in many different activities in and around Los Al including playing baseball at St. Hedwig and the Navy base, playing ayso, (go region 159), a starting player for the Los Al boys soccer team, to Cub Scouts, Seal Beach Christmas parades, car shows, Autumn fests and on and on. Throughout those years, I have many fond memories of the Rossmoor center (formerly know), like French fries at Champs, bowling, penguins, racquet ball, haircuts, staring at cakes, cheap seats movie theatre, and of course $.25 Thrifty's ice cream. I moved back to Rossmoor in 2010 with my wife and two children. We are blessed to be able to own a home near Rush park where my kids are now growing up in a great neighborhood doing the things (hopefully the good things) I did, especially enjoying the offerings at the Shops at Rossmoor. Other than a short time I lived in San Diego, though my parents still lived in the neighborhood while I was not living in Rossmoor, I have directly witnessed the life of Rossmoor and the Center for the past 40 years. With that, I would like to make the following comments with regard to the proposed LA Fitness development at the shops in Rossmoor. First, I would like to state that without the shops, Rossmoor would not be nearly as an attractive place to reside. The convenience and quality of shops provide a great value to Rossmoor and its residents. The current owners of the center have done a wonderful job redeveloping the center over the years. The various retail offerings are applicable to the demands of the community and they are very well maintained. If the shops were not there or possibly worse, if there had not been any redeployment of the center since its original development, Rossmoor would not nearly be as sought after of a community to live in. Next, I would like to comment on some of the concerns I have heard, especially that the LA fitness development would somehow destroy our neighborhood. How? First is the big T -word. Traffic. I read the EIR, specifically the traffic section. It is my opinion that the increase in traffic, over the existing traffic, is nominal and an acceptable amount. I especially like the improvements to the traffic circulation into and within the center by Sprouts. Well thought -out. Second would be crime. There is a belief that people who work -out are also criminals. Well, I guess that could be true, that criminals like to work out. But the thought that developing a gym at the center would somehow greatly magnify the amount of crime in our neighborhood is just plain old silly. More likely that the fit gym guy (or gal) see's something and does something to help fight crime in our neighborhood. Third, the classic safety. All of a sudden, a few more cars on the road and our kids are no longer safe to ride and walk around our neighborhood? I know it's hard to stop the thought of fear when we think about our children's safety. But it's not the fault of the center. LA fitness or not, people drive fast in our neighborhood. Let's all slow down and put down our phones. That's how we'll keep our kids safer in our neighborhood. And Fourth, property values. For myself, the nicer and more applicable the Shops amenities are, the more willing I am to pay more for a home in Rossmoor, not less. The owner who we purchased our home from received more than they would have since the shops have been updated. If the shops are poorly kept or not allowed to be redeveloped every so often, home values in Rossmoor will likely trend down. I think the largest "inconvenience" is the issue of the current use of the parking lot and how it will impact the residents of the apartments and condos who have been using the parking lot as well as a few owners of the Rossmoor homes directly across from the condos and apartments. I have a question. How much do the residents of the condos and apartments pay the owner of the shops to allow them to use the parking lot? Do they pay to maintain the parking area? Clean up trash? Security? Etc ... I was told that the residents don t contribute. If I was misinformed, then please disregard these next comments. But if that was true, that they do not contribute, and they are now facing the possibility of having to park somewhere else, possibly farther away and less convenient than the adjacent parking lot, and now the actual owner wants to use the parking lot after allowing their neighbors to use it for free? And the many of those same residents, who enjoyed the free ride are fighting to not allow that gracious land owner to use his property as he sees fit? That doesn't sit well with me as a neighborly or American thing for the residents to do to the owner after all of these years. Ask not what your country can do.—The second part of this equation is that of the Rossmoor homes adjacent to the condos and apartments. Yes, it is currently inconvenient for excess cars from the condos and apartments to be parked in front of those homes. Unfortunately, when the original development of the condos and apartments were developed and approved, they didn't include enough internal parking. However, that should not be a reason to not allow an owner to be able to improve his property. It has nothing to do with him, other than they were nice enough to allow to them to park there over the years. Again for free. Last and defiantly not the least the issue of the silent majority. It is my witness and belief that the silent majority of us in Rossmoor, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach and throughout America support the freedom to redevelopment one's own property, whether it be the shops at Rossmoor, Main Street Seal, Fanners and merchants bank, big home teardowns or small remodels. And it is a sad day when our nation heads in directions based on the loudest and most fear based theorist voices. Sad is the day when those loud voices affect our individual comfort and willingness to voice our opinion. And possibly the worst, when those loud voices change the decisions made by our City, County State and Federal representatives. So I ask the current decision makers of Seal Beach, Mayor Ellery Deaton, Mayor Pro Tern Mike Varipapa, Council members Sandra Massa- Lavitt, Thomas Moore and Schelly Sustarsic. I ask you to remove yourself from the equation. Remove all of the loud noise. Peel back the onion of this project and ask yourself, is the proposed LA Fitness Center a good project? It is worthy of approval? Has the owner of the center been a good steward of its property and would this help them to continue to be successful? There you will find the answer to allow the continued redevelopment of a great community center we call the Shops at Rossmoor. Sincerely, Alan m. Sep 111706:01p Microsoft 562-030 -4751 p.1 /5� S i September 11, 2017 Michael A. Norton Seal Beach, CA 90740 City Council Members City of Seal Beach 211 Eighth St. Seat Beach, CA 90740 RE: LA Fitness Ctr., Bldg. Permit Req. Dear Members of the City Council, As a longtime resident of Seal Beach, I request that you review the following concerns I have as a property owner, landlord; and most importantly a resident of Seal Beach. 1. The building of the LA Fitness Center, literally at my back door will have very negative consequences and will severely impact my lifestyle. It will also negatively impact other residents in the buildings and homes surrounding the proposed structure. 2. The nuisance and noise of construction will certainly cause noise and environmental pollution during the construction period. Perhaps you would like to pin us on our patios during this time. Perhaps you would like to experience the noise and dirt coming through windows closed to no avail. Dirt? Can you imagine the filth that will cover our homes inside and out? Can you picture yourself constantly scouring and cleaning? We went through this when the shopping center was built and then remodeled years ago. Why should this be inflicted upon us again? 3. The beautiful trees that we worked so hard to have planted will be destroyedl Why? Why would anyone want to see this happen? They are not only aesthetically attractive. They serve as a noise and dirt barrier from traffic generated at the shopping center. Building the LA Fitness Center would only increase dirt and noise pollution. Tearing down the trees dramatically Increases the dirt and noise pollution. This makes absolutely no sense. 4. Property Values will go down. You can count on Property owners within a mile radius to Petition a revaluation of their property taxes if this oroiect is approved. Do the math. Members of the City Council, I beseech you to imagine Irving next to this monstrous building. I trust that you would not want to inflict it on your neighbors. Allowing this to be built will be remembered forever as a Monument to the insensitivity of the Seal Beach City Council. Not approving it will serve as a Shrine to the integrity and compassion of Seal Beach's elected officials. Sincerely MlChae�Norto n.