Officials in this small city have called a truce with a development company looking to build on property that the locals fondly call "the hilltop."
City officials recently agreed to hold public hearings and move swiftly on a development plan for 125 acres of the hilltop area, said Gary Jones, the city's planning director.
In return, Irvine-based Southwest Diversified Inc. plans to drop a lawsuit it filed against Signal Hill on Aug. 30. The company had asked the court to force the City Council to lift a building moratorium imposed in May.
The developer also plans to sell the city property at Willow Street and Cherry Avenue, where city officials want to construct a commercial project.
