Tag Archives: vicky baxter

There has been a lot of dissent in the Santa Ana Artists Village of late, which has been fanned by the local media.  The good news is that the folks who run Downtown, Inc., the non-profit that operates the Santa Ana PBID are holding a town hall meeting this week, on January 6, at 6:30 pm, at the CSUF Grand Central Art Center, which is located at 125 Broadway, in Downtown Santa Ana.

According to Vicky Baxter, the Executive Director, in an email sent today, the meeting is a follow-up to the previous meeting on Oct. 12, which focused on safety and security in the downtown area.

Amongst the issues that I am sure will be discussed are:

• The now defunct trial valet parking program at the Santora that angered the artists
• The formation of the Artists Village Alliance of Santa Ana (A.V.A.S.A.). This group has formed out of their mutual concern for the future of the Artist Village
• The PBID, an annual assessment paid by downtown area businesses.  Thirty five of these businesses recently signed a petition to dump the PBID
• The maintenance of the historic structures in the Artists Village – specifically the Santora Building
• The use of signs, primarily the sign touting the Original Mike’s restaurant, that Mike Harrah, the owner of that restaurant and the Santora, placed on the Santora
• Public safety

And I am sure many other issues will come up as well.

Kudos to Baxter, at Downtown, Inc., for taking the initiative to launch this meeting.  At this point, all of the stakeholders in the Artists Village will be better served by meeting and airing their views than by launching more pointless attacks in the local press.