Santa Ana Garage Sales Help Fund Battle to Halt High-Rise

This is how passionately Connie Major opposes plans for a 37-story office tower in Santa Ana: Going against her pack-rat nature, she held a garage sale Saturday to raise money to fight the building’s construction.

Selling her children’s once-prized toys and her treasured antique books, along with lawn chairs, book cases and potted plants, Majors made a quarter here, a buck there, and $270 altogether, to battle the city’s biggest developer.

Such nickel-and-dime fundraising may seem futile, but it speaks volumes about how driven Major and other opponents are.

And Saturday was a banner day for them because this is one of only four weekends a year when the city allows garage sales.

She and her garage-sale cohorts made more than $2,000 to oppose Mike Harrah’s One Broadway Plaza.

The opponents say the glass-enclosed office tower, which would be Orange County’s tallest, is too tall for the city’s character and would generate too much traffic in a neighborhood that includes small businesses, schools and residences.

“For me, this is something personal. I have worked too hard to make the city what it is to see this building come in and destroy it,” said Major, 55, a ceramic artist who lives in Washington Square, a tree-lined enclave not far from downtown.

The money is needed to pay attorney Dan Wildish, who represents Citizens for Responsible Planning.

The group has collected enough signatures to force an April 5 referendum on the $86-million One Broadway Plaza.

The building was approved by the City Council in July to rise at 10th Street and Broadway, just north of downtown.

Harrah has sued the project’s opponents, the city of Santa Ana and Orange County, alleging that the referendum petition signers weren’t provided with enough information.

A judge disagreed, and Harrah is appealing.

In another lawsuit, Harrah wants the signatures invalidated because petition-gatherers did not make clear the effects a successful referendum would have on the city’s general plan.

Harrah’s opponents have sued too, alleging that the project’s environmental impact report is flawed.

In their two-pronged campaign to stop the building, the opponents have amassed $80,000 in legal bills.

Harrah “is trying to run us down,” said opponent Jo Ann Ramirez. “We have fought too hard and we can’t let him.”

Harrah said he resents the David and Goliath image cast by his opponents.

He said he has spent nine years and $3 million planning the tower and another $10 million for the land, and will spend millions of dollars to resolve traffic problems.

Harrah said the project would increase the city’s tax base and raise property values.

Opponents “are the ones who started the war. What did they want me to do, lie down on the lawn and get run over by a lawn mower?” Harrah said. “Should they sue and I just go, ‘Whatever’ and not fight it?

“I doubt if I’m just going to lay down right now,” he said.

Neither will opponents.

“We went through years of feeling unsafe in Santa Ana,” said Major, referring to the crime that once plagued the city. “Now things are better and we’re faced with a building that could bring thousands of cars to our streets.”

It was partly to improve the city’s image that, nearly a decade ago, city officials restricted garage sales to four weekends a year.

Among the dozens of garage sales Saturday were at least four dedicated to raising money to fight One Broadway Plaza.

At their French Park home, Joe and Kim Gerda were hoping to fetch $100 for a 120-bottle wine rack and $1 for pinatas. By mid-morning they had taken in nearly $700.

Mark Sanderson donated a refrigerator to their garage sale.

“I care a lot about Santa Ana and I think folks should have a say about such important projects,” said Sanderson, a nine-year resident of the city.

In Wilshire Square, Ramirez sold a $175 antique armoire, a $235 china buffet, and a $75 sink, items all donated to the cause. By mid-morning Ramirez had collected $800.

Juanita Vasquez, a customer at Gerda’s sale, regularly hunts for bargains on garage sale Saturdays, and only learned when she arrived at Gerda’s that proceeds would benefit project opponents.

“I think it’s great,” she said. “The building doesn’t fit in this city and the city isn’t taking into account people’s opinions.”

Other shoppers were more worried about bargains than buildings.

“I’m just here to find anything that looks like a Christmas present,” said Maria Sermeno, 34, who cleared her schedule for Saturday’s garage sales. “I have no political motives,” she said.

After the garage sales run their course, building opponents plan bake sales, teas and other neighborhood fundraisers.

Some residents have sold jewelry and even redirected church tithes to help pay the group’s attorney, said Jeff Dickman.

“People are taking some deep, painful hits to fight this,” Dickman said. “It’s a fight that makes people want to push themselves to do what they can.”