Publisher’s Opinion
By Martin Farrell

The worst housing plan in Fillmore's history is about to be inflicted upon our town.

The KB Home company has begun tussling with the Fillmore City Council over the design of its proposed 104-unit condominium complex at the southern end of Central Avenue.

375 residents are expected to be living there. "This is calculated based upon 3.61 person per household and there are 104 units." Four of these proposed units will be small studios. According to our City Planning Department, Kevin McSweeney, concerning new cars "... there will be a two garage [units] for each unit and a total of 33 guest parking spaces on the street. That comes to 233 new cars."

"There is no parking within the development for guests. Residents will park in their private garages. Guests will park on the street."

The Council was notified April 6 that KB had filed a lawsuit to push approval of the plan; the City has not as yet been served.

Another major concern of the Council (which should also concern all residents) is the number of 3-story units - 77. Three 3-story units along River Street, which do not face River Street, are planned. The side of these units face River. There are 10 units facing River Street that are 2-story.

The Council has a right to be alarmed about this proposed plan. Imagine adding 233 new cars to River Street! This plan is zoned high density, but there should be reasonable limits to density. This proposal will flood the area with too many cars. And any such structures can be assumed to last for at least 75-years. This proposal would change forever the friendly character of our town.

I urge our City Council to resist this plan forcefully. It is unreasonably high density.

The City of Fillmore seems to be targeted recently with nightmare proposals, sand trucks by the thousands and now crowded, high density living units within adequate parking for hundreds of new cars. KB Home has a right to build housing units of reasonable size with reasonable parking. It will build and later leave the scene. What they leave behind will impact our city for nearly a hundred years. I foresee 77 three-story units in such a small area as Fillmore's twenty-first century tenements.

I hate to use a "progressive" word, but it's time to RESIST - mightily.