The number of new homes Chevron Land and Development Co. has proposed plopping atop 510 acres of the West Coyote Hills above Fullerton seems to have dropped concurrent with the amount of pressure citizens have put on elected officials over the years to curtail building there. Still in the draft-environmental-impact-report stage, the project as originally planned would have dumped nearly 1,200 homes on land that's home to coyotes, hawks, furry little creatures, cacti, elderberries and rusty oil pumps. At last count, Chevron had cut its request to 760 homes. That's still too many for Friends of the Coyote Hills and other activists, so it's critical folks turn out Tuesday for the follow-up to the June 6 downtown march, which drew 70 to 80 people. Marching peacefully demonstrates the solidarity and commitment of preservationists, who also draw positive vibes from the respectful way they address the Fullerton City Council. Sadly, the pro-development council does not always reciprocate, cutting off project critics while letting supporters and oily building reps drone on and on and on. Despite this shabby treatment inside the council chambers, the persistent Friends plan to once again end their march there, using the public-comments portion of the meeting to speak on behalf of saving the hills. Good luck, everyone. Between the Chevron Land Development Co. and that pesky roadrunner, the coyotes need all the help they can get.
Friends of Coyote Hills Downtown Street March begins at the northeast corner of Harbor Boulevard and Chapman Avenue, next to the Fox Theater, Fullerton; www.CoyoteHills.org. Tues., 6:30 p.m. Free.
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.