HomeMy WebLinkAbouteComment - Tom (Item No. 5)From:noreply@granicusideas.com
To:Yasuda, Erica; Woodward, Carrie; E-Comments
Subject:New eComment for Regular Meeting of the City Council/Special Closed Session-5:00 pm/Regular Meeting-6:00 pm
Date:Monday, October 5, 2026 6:47:13 PM
City of Tustin, CANew eComment for Regular Meeting of the CityCouncil/Special Closed Session-5:00 pm/RegularMeeting-6:00 pm
Guest User submitted a new eComment.
Meeting: Regular Meeting of the City Council/Special Closed Session-5:00 pm/Regular Meeting-
6:00 pm
Item: 5. SECOND READING AND ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE NO. 1581 DEVELOPMENT
AGREEMENT 2026-0002 FOR THE MARINERS CHURCH TUSTIN LEGACY PROJECT
Adoption of Ordinance No. 1581 approves Development Agreement 2026-0002 to facilitate the
development and conveyance of the 3.324-acre City-owned site for the Mariners Church Tustin
Legacy project.
eComment: Mayor Austin Lumbard and Members of the City Council City of Tustin 300
Centennial Way Tustin, CA 92780 Dear Mayor Lumbard and Councilmembers, I wanted to be at
tonight's meeting to say this in person, but I couldn't make it. My kids have soccer practice, and
like a lot of Tustin parents, my evenings belong to them. So I'm putting it in writing instead, and I
ask that this letter be included in the public record. Please delay the vote on selling City land at
Tustin Legacy to Mariners Church. Residents haven't had a real chance to weigh in, and a
decision this big about public land shouldn't be rushed through. Honestly, Tustin doesn't need
another church. We already have dozens of them. What we need are more parks and sports
fields for our kids. Anyone who has tried to book field time for a youth team in this city knows
how hard it is. Practices get squeezed into whatever space is left, teams share crowded fields,
and kids end up spending more time on screens than outside. That land could give families a
place to play, run and just be kids. It's also worth asking whether a new megachurch is really the
best long-term use of public land. Religion in America has been declining for years. Gallup found
that the share of Americans who belong to a church, synagogue or mosque fell from 70% in
1999 to 47% in 2020, the first time it dropped below half. Parks and fields will serve Tustin
families for generations, no matter what anyone believes. If Mariners Church wants a home in
Tustin, I'd suggest they look at buying an existing church that's struggling. With so many
churches in Tustin, I'd bet some of them are having a hard time filling their pews and paying their
bills. Buying one of those would give Mariners a building, help a congregation that's barely
getting by, and leave public land for the public. So here's what I'm asking: 1. Delay the vote so
residents can actually be heard. 2. Consider using this land for parks, sports fields and outdoor
space for kids and families. 3. Invest more in youth sports and outdoor programs across Tustin.
4. Encourage Mariners Church to look at existing church properties instead of public land. Our
kids are Tustin's future. Let's give them somewhere to grow up outside. Thank you for listening. I
hope i did this correctly. - Tom
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