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GMSP! Fagan Canyon project shares program with honored SP employee

February 20, 2004
Santa Paula News

A proposed housing development shared the program with an honored city employee at the February Good Morning Santa Paula!

By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesA proposed housing development shared the program with an honored city employee at the February Good Morning Santa Paula!Centex Homes Fagan Canyon Project Director Rick Bianchi hosted the Chamber of Commerce-sponsored event held at Logsdon’s at the Santa Paula Airport.Bianchi gave an update on the planning process for the approximately 1,700 home Centex project, noting that community involvement was key through workshops, planning sessions and a charrette.The latter “Created a very, very exciting plan,” of five different neighborhoods offering all levels of housing.Bianchi said the plan is unique for its traditional design as well as public involvement: “This was only achieved with the great input of the community; we’ve met with two to three thousand of you and that valuable input allowed us to come up with this unique plan.”Bianchi said Centex recognizes that “this project is not universally accepted,” although the need for housing is recognized by most. “There are a few drawbacks traffic being one of them. . .we hope to show that the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.”Santa Paulans have “been very cordial and very respectful regardless of the position they have and we respect that,” Bianchi concluded.
Anna Arroyo, Santa Paula’s Assistant Planner, was recognized as the Employee of the Quarter for her knowledge and outstanding customer service skills said Planning Director Tom Bartlett.“I have the honor of working with Anna everyday,” said Bartlett, who noted that Arroyo was accompanied by her “body guard,” her young son, Adrian.An employee for six years, Arroyo was “one of the persons that helped me understand what end is up,” when Bartlett joined the city. “Anna and Heather (Davis) got me up to speed,” on the city’s geography as well as its codes.Arroyo is bilingual and “it is her customer service skills, her ability to interact with the public, that makes her very special as a planner.”Arroyo also is skilled with in computer systems vital to the operations of the department, such as mapping.“In particular of late that is bringing her forward is her work on the visioning process,” community-based planning that Arroyo helps to facilitate, said Bartlett. “I admire her work on that. . .I gasped ‘How can anyone work with a seventeen member committee?’ Anna can.”