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City
Council Could Sidestep Your Right to Vote
Is the environmental review process
being rushed to avoid approval by voters?
City Council / Redevelopment Meeting Announcement Tuesday,
July 19, 2005 6:30 PM City Council Chambers
At this meeting, the City Council/Redevelopment Agency will
be deciding if they should increase the Town Center zoning
consultant contract (Civic Solutions Inc.) from $227,000
to $300,182. The increase will be shifted to a bond issue.
This increase is necessary so the City Council / Redevelopment
Agency can meet their aggressive November 2005 deadline for
the Town Center PD (Planned Development) Zoning change to
the General Plan. See staff reports
The aggressive timeline for the Environmental Review for
this massive zone change was most likely brought about because
of the City Council / RDA's concern that the Yorba Linda
Right-to-Vote Initiative (www.ylrtv.org) will be approved
by voters in December 2005 or January 2006.
The Yorba Linda Right to Vote Initiative requires major
amendments to the City's General Plan to be approved by Yorba
Linda voters. The Town Center PD (Planned Development) Zoning
change would be considered a major amendment.
It is interesting to note that the City staff has proposed
two alternatives:
1) Proceed with the existing contract and complete the environmental
review process in the first quarter of 2006.
2) Void the existing contract, abandon the PD zoning regulation
project or negotiate with another firm.
Some of the highlights
in the Town Center PD (Planned Development) Zoning Regulations
include:
Five story structures in Town Center and housing densities
in excess of 50 dwellings per acre. Currently the maximum
for this area is 10 - 15 dwellings per acres depending on
the parcel.
It is interesting to note that the Town Center Developer's
(Creative Housing Associates) concept plan is proposing housing
densities less than 15 dwellings per acre and a maximum of
two stories or 35 feet.
Two big questions:
1) Why is the City's consultant writing the Town Center
PD (Planned Development) Zoning Regulations to allow up to
five stories and housing densities exceeding 50 dwellings
per acre on various sites if they are not building to those
limits?
2) Why don't they want to give the residents of Yorba Linda
the ability to choose if they want the General Plan amended
with this massive change?
As a side note: Yorba Linda is ranked 21st in a survey by
Money magazine and CNN/Money.com of the best places to live.
The survey took into account household income, schools, safety,
job opportunities, real-estate appreciation, and arts and
leisure activities. Yorba Linda was the only city in Orange
County to rank among the top 100.
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