ROPER Consulting 806 Canada St. Ojai, CA 93023 Phone: (805) 377-0493 E-Mail:
[email protected] Subject: Esperanza Hills Housing Project Date: August 31, 2018 To: Board of Supervisors and Planning Commissioner (Via Email:
[email protected]/
[email protected]) Dear Supervisors and Commissioners: I have been asked by Protect Our Homes and Hills to evaluate the need for a second, daily public access for the Esperanza Hills housing project. I have reviewed aerial photography of the site and surrounding areas on Google Maps and reviewed the proposed site plan for 340 residential units. This letter is in addition to my prior letter dated May 8, 2017 citing initial points to be addressed. In summary, it is my recommendation that there be two, full-time daily access points for this project. Ingress/egress issues were documented in the Orange County Fire Authority’s 2008 Freeway Complex Fire After-Action Report. Adding the proposed 340 units with associated vehicle traffic will compound the prior evacuation issues and create unacceptable risks to the public and first responders. I have been in the fire service for 40-years serving as the Ventura County Fire Chief, from 1998 to 2012, and as the Nevada State Forester, from 2015 to 2016. I was part of the team that developed California’s response to major emergencies, which included policy development at the local, State and Federal level. I also helped create the National Wildland Fire Cohesive Strategy. While serving in “all-hazard” emergency response role, I focused on the wildland fire topic. The purpose of the Environmental Impact Review (EIR) process is to present proposed projects and identify areas of concern.