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City Council <br />City of Santa Ana <br />Re: 2221 N. Heliotrope Drive CUP application 2022-06 Appeal <br />As a property owner in Floral Park and a former property owner at 2120 N. Heliotrope Dr., I am <br />writing to request that the City Council deny the Conditional Use Permit to allow the 23'4" tall <br />pagoda at 2221 N. Heliotrope Drive. <br />Given the Historical Landmark status of the home and its prominence in Floral Park, as well as its <br />MN-1 history in the City of Santa Ana, having such a large non -conforming decorative structure in the <br />back yard is precisely what the SAMC regulations was trying to prevent. The structure, based on the <br />renderings, would be of an architecture and scale inconsistent with and detract from the streamline <br />moderne architecture of the Historic Landmark Maharajah house. The assertion that the pagoda <br />cannot be seen from the street because it is now proposed behind the house relies on landscaping <br />that could die or be removed at any time. The landscaping also does not fully hide the structure <br />and potentially poses afire risk due to its proximity to the pagoda and the house. Granting the CUP <br />MN-2 would also set a precedent for other homeowners to request Conditional Use Permits for <br />overheight or non -conforming structures, the denial of which would place the City at risk for legal <br />action. <br />The City Council should direct the Homeowners to alter the structure to conform to SAMC <br />MN-3 regulations. They could easily remove the stairway to the first level of the structure or lower the soil <br />level to permit the structure to conform to SAMC height regulations. <br />When I lived on Heliotrope Drive, I was horrified by prior actions of the Homeowners, which <br />included tarping scaffolding to hide unauthorized changes to the trim on the home (which they <br />MN-4 were eventually forced to remove by the City) as well as unauthorized changes to windows done <br />without permission that have never been corrected. I do not trust the Homeowners to adhere to the <br />Limitations of the CUP, for one, that state that the structure is installed for personal use, as their <br />intended use of the property as a cultural center has already been clearly stated by the <br />Homeowners. <br />I kindly request that the City Council deny the Conditional Use Permit and direct the Homeowners <br />to alter the structure to conform to SAMC regulations. <br />Regards, <br />Mason Nakamura <br />2215 N. Victoria Dr. <br />Santa Ana, CA 92706 <br />(714) 349-2769 <br />masonn@aol.com <br />