THE “MEET ON MAIN – Valley View Edition” brought top city leaders to meet with West Garden Grove residents on Tuesday evening. Speaking with microphone is City Manager Lisa. At her left is Ursula Luna-Reynosa, economic development director; at her right is Niki Wetzel, community development director. At far left is Councilmember Stephanie Klopfenstein (Orange County Tribune photo by Jim Tortolano).

By Jim Tortolano/Orange County Tribune

City Hall came to West Garden Grove on Tuesday evening to report on what the City of Garden Grove is doing, and to answer questions from and field requests from residents on what they wanted done.
City Manager Lisa Kim, Economic Development Director Ursula Luna-Reynosa and Community Development Director Niki Wetzel were the panel of the outdoor “Meet on Main: Valley View Edition” (The “Meet on Main” sessions are usually held in the downtown area).

The event was organized by the Garden Grove Neighborhood Association, and attendees were told that:

• The Central Cities Navigation Center, located in Garden Grove in partnership with Fountain Valley and Westminster, will open in June to serve the homeless with 85 beds and support services;

• In today’s business environment, the “highest and best use” of land is now industrial, rather than commercial. Garden Grove’s Central Industrial District is located on the west side of the city and is so much in demand that it has a 2 percent vacancy rate;

• CalTrans has awarded funding to the city to eliminate gatherings of the homeless under freeway underpasses through the use of landscaping and fencing;

• Residents wanting to report problems with graffiti, street repair, code enforcement and other issues can do so using the city’s new app for mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets.

“It’s been an actual pleasure and honor to lead our Garden Grove organization,” said Kim, who became city manager last spring after Scott Stiles took a similar post in Palm Springs. “We have approximately 650 employees and we have some some amazing projects I’d like to highlight in the course of our conversation.”

Members of the audience had questions mostly about the West Grove area, covering issues such as a new Korean barbecue eatery – “The Thirsty Cow” – opening at the site of a former Soup Plantation in the Eastgate Center, and the resurfacing of roadways on Springdale Street and in the area of Eastgate Park.