Residents’ Say Needed on City’s Plans

* Recently, the majority of Garden Grove’s elected officials approved going into debt for $62 million, with $42 million of this debt to be spent on public improvements.

On Tuesday, as the Redevelopment Agency, they are scheduled to decide how to spend this money. I would think that those who care about Garden Grove and the expenditures of its tax dollars would attend this meeting to express their thoughts.

City staff has made some recommendations, totaling $38 million. Some of the items recommended are a theater, a new city hall, an expanded or new police station, widening Trask Avenue and adding bike lanes and eight-foot-wide sidewalks and over $7 million to subsidize colleges to move into the center of Garden Grove.

In order to make room for the bike lanes and wide sidewalks on Trask Avenue, some people will have to lose their homes but at least we will have some nice wide sidewalks.

I haven’t been able to figure the reasons for the colleges to be at the corner of Euclid Street and Garden Grove Boulevard. It will help us get rid of over $7 million. When I asked what we would gain from the colleges, I was told that occasionally some of the students would buy lunch in our city. This land once provided sales taxes, property taxes and services for residents. Being used for colleges, the land will provide the city no revenue.

I would think that those who care about Garden Grove would be glad to come to this meeting and let the city officials know how the citizens think the money should be spent.

ROBERT F. DINSEN

Garden Grove

Robert F. Dinsen is a Garden Grove councilman.