Fountain Valley Ca Development And Redevelopment

After a two-year delay, workers will resume construction of the future home of the Boys and Girls Club at Mile Square Regional Park this week. Construction has been delayed because of unexpected work to stabilize the ground, lack of money and requirements attached to federal grants earmarked for the clubhouse. Last week, the City Council approved a revised agreement on the use of the federal money for the $1.6-million project. "It's not a pipe dream anymore.

A resident who sued over a City Council decision to allow The First Chinese Baptist Church to move to a vacant school site has agreed to settle the suit, city officials said this week. City Atty. Alan R. Burns said the terms of the settlement have been agreed upon by resident S. Alex Gilbert as well as church officials. The council approved the settlement Tuesday in closed session. Mayor John Collins called the settlement agreement "beneficial for all of the parties."

The California Assn. for Local Economic Development has given its annual award of merit to the city for its public-private development project "Civic Center Transformation." The project involved converting a vacant former Police Department building into a satellite campus for Coastline Community College and leasing a former public library building for a child-care center, operated by FHP International Corp.

The City Council this week approved a lease agreement with the Fountain Valley School District for a piece of land at an elementary school campus to be used by the city to build two water wells. The 10-year lease, which can be extended to a 100-year term, will allow the city of Newport Beach to build two wells to tap into the underground aquifers, said Jeff Staneart, utilities director for the city. The city will pay $22,125 annually for use of the site at Hisamatsu Tamura Elementary School.

Residents living near Hisamatsu Tamura Elementary School hope to sink a proposal to build a pump well station on the school property to supply water for Newport Beach. "This site is a lousy site because of the impact on neighbors and the value of their property," said resident Bob Moss, who has lived in the neighborhood for 31 years. His neighbor agreed. "To sacrifice someone else's property and lives is unfair," said Helen Bolen.

Housing developments proposed at three closed Fountain Valley School District properties won't be built because the developer failed to meet deadlines to get the projects started, officials said. But school district officials plan to market the properties to find a new developer. The Board of Trustees announced that Tumanjan Development Co. has not met the requirements or the timelines of the purchase and land sale agreements on the sites, despite several extensions. "They defaulted.

For eight years, a sign has stood on the site of a planned Boys & Girls Club to let people know that the 19,000-square-foot facility will be built. Club executive director Chris Schneider said that within months, walls, a roof and doors will be constructed on the slab of concrete--now the only telltale sign that the $1.5-million Fountain Valley club has not been forgotten.

City officials are hailing a redevelopment deal that will bring a retail electronics business to town as the first step in luring other retailers to Fountain Valley. "This is one way Fountain Valley has chosen to fight back in the down economy and marauding from Sacramento," Councilman John Collins said. The City Council, acting as the Agency for Community Development, approved an agreement last week with Fry's Electronics Inc. in a move toward converting an industrial park to retail.

The Planning Commission will hold a special hearing tonight on a revision of the city's General Plan, the road map that will guide Fountain Valley's future development. "What this does is give us a blueprint for the next 20 years--but there's not a lot of development that can occur," City Manager Ray Kromer said. Kromer said the city has little land left for new development. However, he said the new General Plan addresses redevelopment and alternate uses of properties.

Plans to add developments on a 55-acre site next to Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center cleared a hurdle this week. The Planning Commission on Wednesday approved a report on the environmental effects of the proposed expansion on the site near the southeast corner of Warner Avenue and Euclid Street. The report addresses such issues as traffic and noise and the impact on utilities and public safety services, as well as ways to eliminate or reduce these concerns.