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Icky Vicky and the Renaissance Plan
Posted by Gustavo Arellano in Notes from the Banana Republic
January 21, 2008 8:26 AM
Permalink | Comments (4)
Yesterday, we promised to investigate why SanTana officials were so adamant in redrawing the boundaries for its much-vaunted Renaissance Plan so that planning commissioner Victoria Bentacourt could vote it. Actually, we knew what we wanted to write, but there were football games to watch, broder! But now, Betancourt.
President of Coneybeare Staffing, Betancourt is a developer's dream--not only will she vote on your project, she'll also buy property from you mere days after voting on it. Consider her 2006 fiasco, when SanTana activists discovered Betancourt voted on ground-floor plans for the reprehensible One Broadway Plaza 37-story Freudian tower then accepted a plane ride to Hawaii and lodging 10 days later to check out a condo she bought from One Broadway Plaza owner Mike Harrah. The Fair Political Practices Committee ultimately cleared Betancourt, but that didn't make the episode any less smelly.
But Betancourt stands to gain much more if the Renaissance Plan gets passed. She sits on the board of the Santa Ana Business Bank, which counts as members councilmember Carlos Bustamante and trolley king George Pla, whose Cordoba Corporation is already planning SanTana's light-rail dreams. A Betancourt vote in favor...ah, let's get real; anyone actually think Betancourt would vote against something that would benefit her, her pals and a city that employs her company's services? Might be legal, but that conflict-of-influenza bug still produces one Icky Vicky!
*UPDATE: The Associated Press files a dispatch about SanTana's Renaissance Plan redrawing. Unsurprisingly, Pulido and Sarmiento didn't return a call.
Comments (4)
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January 21, 2008 10:29
Great article. During the first Discovery meeting in April 2006 Vicky was sooooooooo excited that this plal was going to make her property value go up! When she realized it did not include French Park,she was oh so heart broken ): The first Planning meeting that the RSP was discussed ,she was told that her property was too close and that she would have to abstain from voting. Like that would make a differance HAH!
January 21, 2008 13:41
Given the problems that Michelle Martinez gives the rest of her colleagues, does anybody else smell a Betancourt run for City Council against Michelle Martinez?
If Measure D passes, don't count out Lisa Bist, one of those who signed the ballot argument in favor of Measure D, to run against Michelle Martinez. Bist lives in Wilshire Square which is well beyond 500 feet.
January 21, 2008 13:48
Seems like Michele Martinez is in on the RSP fiasco. The Plan is being redrawn to accomdate her. Michele is now trying to claim victim but that doesn't obfuscate the fact that she was well aware her house was within the Plan but kept quiet (a real first for Michele).
Vicky will always push the limits, Gustavo, but I don't think she'll ever break the law. I'm sure the mayor pulls all the strings on this Cougar's body. Sad.
January 21, 2008 20:31
Ms.Martinez's property is not within the plan. Her home is just past the 500 feet rule. The boundaries were not changed to accomodate her. They have always been B for Pulido & Sarmiento.
They excluded it for the purpose of being able to request a variance to their zoning after the adoption of the plan. That way they as always have the best of both worlds!