From: Orozco, Linda
Sent: Mon 2/13/2006 9:56 AM Subject: For Public Meeting

SAVE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD FROM NARCONON

Feb. 13, 2006
Leona Valley Town Council Meeting:

My name is Dr. Linda Orozco and I have lived with Narconon as a 'neighbor' for over 7 years. I strongly encourage you to reject Narconon, and work intensely to block them from coming into your neighborhood. Thank you for allowing me to share my experience and that of dozens of neighbors of the multi-million dollar Narconon business in Newport Beach.

Narconon rents an oceanfront residential triplex at 1810 W. Oceanfront, on the Newport Beach peninsula. The property has NO street access, only a narrow alleyway--which we all share to access our garages/carports and homes. One must drive past at least twelve other properties on both sides of the alleyway to access Narconon. Please note, our windows and homes are located only a few feet from this alleyway. We, as neighbors, were always aware of the high traffic, noise, littering, profanity, lack of parking, and high occupancy use of this property. Over the years, city officials pushed our complaints away by saying, "Narconon is licensed by the state of California and there is nothing you can do." We now know better. But we continue to suffer because this multi million dollar business continues to 'cultivate' favor with our local government leaders, and threatened lawsuits when anyone tries to correct, limit, or stop their expansion in this property. [I have personally received 2-3 letters threatening legal action against me by Narconon because of my 'legal' efforts to expose their lies, illegal operations, and document their intrusion/disruption of our neighborhood.]

Over the years, here is what we have observed, videotaped, photographed and suffered through. Remember, this is a $4 million dollar a year business on a residential property ($25,000 per addict for a 2-5 month stay):

OVER OCCUPANCY

Repeated violations of maximum occupancy limits observed by neighbors, videotaped, and documented in written violations by the state licensing agency, Calif. Dept. of Alcohol and Drug Programs (ADP).

Narconon houses addicts/clients on the property with 27 beds, and 29 full time staff (documented by ADP). The property only has 3 parking spaces! In addition, they bring in dozens more PER DAY with at least 3 vans they operate specifically for this purpose. Vans arrive in the morning, and take the additional clients back to other residences (in Costa Mesa and other cities) in the evening. Because we have videotaped these illegal 'overage clients', Narconon now drops them 1-2 blocks away from their property, and they all walk in from various directions to the Narconon house. (We have even videotaped this practice) It is all a farce and a sham attempt to get more and more clients served by this oceanfront residential property with 27 beds.

OVERWHELMING VEHICULAR TRAFFIC

All vehicles by staff/clients place an enormous burden on traffic and public parking around this oceanfront residential property (with only alley access!). Yet they claimed in a City Council meeting that the 29 staff don't drive, but instead 'bicycle' to the property. Really? NO! We see and experience the lack of public parking and alley traffic (and the blocking of the alley) in our neighborhood to sustain the vehicles by Narconon.

Commercial trash service, with commercial trash containers, and 'special' trash trucks picked up on an almost daily basis. This has now been reduced to 3-4 times a week, plus our own city service to our homes. The result is we have trash trucks in our neighborhood, in our narrow alleyway ALMOST EVERY DAY.

Daily deliveries by FedEx trucks.

Multiple deliveries a week from Office Depot

Regular (multiple times a week) maintenance vehicles for plumbing, rug cleaning, electrical, repair, handywork, cable, etc. Don't fall for their claim (nor their attempt) to show you receipts proving limited services of this type- they did this with our city council. We see it every day, and have tired from taking the pictures.

The drug/alcohol rehabilitation nature of the business also requires regular doctors' visits, drug testing vans, paramedic vans, etc..

To feed the overwhelming large number of residents and staff, there are delivery vehicles twice a week from SYSCO foods, and 2 twice for fresh produce. For years, SYSCO delivered in large (and I mean LARGE) refrigeration semi- trucks. Deliveries would take almost 30 minutes while the truck motor idled in a very small shared public alleyway. The alleyway would be completely blocked during these times. For over a year we complained to Narconon and the city, both did nothing. Finally we contacted SYSCO, and the President of the company kindly responded to our complaints and now deliveries by SYSCO commercial food service, is done with multiple vans. A much needed improvement, but still impacts traffic and blocks the alley.

Multiple times a month, paramedics, fire &/or police are called to the property. Overdoses by addicts, fights, and other problems requiring fire/police have become a routine for our neighborhood.

Sundays are visitors day! Expect a doubling of people on the property as relatives and friends of the 'clients' come on Sunday. Also remember that according to David Feinberg, an administrator from Calif. Dept. of Alcohol and Drug Program, 80-90% of clients in these facilities have criminal convictions. Imagine the 'friends and family' that will now be welcomed into YOUR neighborhood?

The vehicular traffic and necessary public parking needed to maintain the operation of this business is staggering, and has negatively impacted our neighborhood.

ILLEGAL EXPANSION

In October 2003, the neighborhood became enraged to find Narconon opening a SECOND separate property at 1811 W. Balboa Blvd. This location was just across a 20ft wide alley from their first house. We began to aggressively find out more about this 'business' and try to protect the 'residential quality of our neighborhood'. In March of 2004, Narconon announced in a City Council meeting that they were closing the 2nd residential rehab in response to the neighbors. Narconon lied. The Calif. Dept. of Alcohol and Drug Programs closed them down. We didn't find this out for months until we forced ADP to give us copies of public access documents. [See ADP letter dated 12/4/03]

NOISE & OTHER

As noted, above, the traffic noise is terrible.

We regularly hear yelling, fighting, profanity, spitting, vomiting, coughing. etc.. With the large number of people on this one residential property 29 full time staff, and 27 beds, (plus more clients delivered daily by van), just imagine how disrupting these sounds are to children, the elderly, and ourselves.

We have suffered thru the noise and disruption of commercial vacuum cleaners and commercial washers/dryers. Again, imagine the volume of clothing generated by this many people. These appliances seemed to be operating around the clock. These could easily be heard by neighbors almost 4 homes away from Narconon.

Foot traffic. These clients and staff walk thru the neighborhood on a regular basis coming to and from the property. Trespassing thru our property by Narconon 'clients' has been a problem. Their talking, yelling, coughing, smoking- pass by our windows/homes constantly. We estimate that there are almost as many persons on this single residential tract as there are on the entire block of other residences COMBINED.

Recruitment & Tours: Narconon recruits new clients by giving tours and orientations to prospective clients on the property. They have even hosted large numbers of international visitors as they continue to expand their international business.

Cigarette butts and Littering. We are amazed at the constant smoking of clients and staff at Narconon. And we continue with efforts to stop them from littering their cigarette butts on our properties or smoking outside our windows in the alleyway. This may sound like a mild issue, but neighbors report problems cigarette butts everywhere in great volume. I have picked up over 50 butts from my property alone in just a matter of one week.

CITY BUSINESS LICENSE CLAIMS ZERO EMPLOYEES?

The city issues a business license to Narconon. On the city's website for their business license, ZERO employees are listed for Narconon. Why? Narconon is state-licensed with 29 full time staff. Why does Narconon continue to mis-represent the truth about this business?

City Business License Website: http://www.city.newport-beach.ca.us/revenue/revenue.htm http://owaportal.fullerton.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.city.newport-beach.ca.us/revenue/revenue.htm

Based on our experience, we encourage Leona Valley to consider intervening to stop Narconon from entering additional residential neighborhoods based on the violations, intrusions, disruptions, and suffering we, the neighbors of this business in Newport Beach, have experienced.

In sharing my experience and FACTS with you-Narconon may try to silence me again with legal threats. These threats are illegal and violate 'anti-SLAPP' legislation in California, which protect individuals speaking/writing on public issues in a public meeting. Is THIS the kind of business you want in your neighborhood? One that has a proven record of threatening neighbors with legal action when they tell the TRUTH in public meetings, and try to protect their families, neighborhoods and others?

Sincerely,
Dr. Orozco