Yorba Linda Ca Development And Redevelopment

Officials have stepped up efforts to choose a builder for a new golf course in Yorba Linda. At a special meeting of the City Council this week, officials agreed to interview four golf course developers to design a new course on 205 acres of vacant land in the northern part of the city. They expect to narrow the field to two potential developers and choose a winner within 10 months. Officials estimated it would cost roughly $11 million to build an 18- or 27-hole course.

Several months after the Orange County Transportation Authority approved and agreed to fund the city's plan to widen and landscape Imperial Highway, the county agency told city officials they would not see that money until 2004. "They simply opted to make [us] the last priority," Councilman John M. Gullixson said. There was some good news, however, from OCTA for Yorba Linda. It agreed to release $2 million immediately so the city may build a bridge over the railroad near Fairmont Boulevard.

The merchants of Main Street, the city's historic shopping district, may finally be getting the attention from the city they have sought for years. The City Council has directed its staff to study ways to improve the area. Councilman John M. Gullixson said he wants the staff to canvass the area known as Old Town and talk to residents and business owners about the changes they want. "It gives us a little hope," said Louie Skull, owner of Yorba Linda Plumbing on Main Street.

Their first home burned to the ground before they even moved in. It took 10 years for them to find a second one, and now they must wait another two years before they can finally move in. Still, the members of Yorba Linda Heritage Museum and Historical Society couldn't be more pleased that a developer has agreed to donate to the city the last remaining building of the historic Bryant Ranch and has agreed to restore it.

Residents will get a chance to vote on the city's plans to improve Imperial Highway, but possibly not before the bulldozers move in. A total of 3,200 signatures collected by the Organization of Unified Concerned Homeowners have been tallied, enough to put the issue to the voters in 1998, Mayor John M. Gullixson said. But the group did not submit the signatures early enough for this year's election.

Members of a citizens watchdog group say they have enough signatures to secure a spot on a special election ballot early next year that would allow residents a say in the city's plan to expand and improve Imperial Highway. At City Hall on Tuesday, more than 50 residents turned in petitions along with the Organization of Unified Concerned Homeowners or OUCH!, a group that says it is dedicated to preserving a rural lifestyle in Yorba Linda. More than 5,500 signatures were gathered, the group says.

The on-again, off-again equestrian ring at Arroyo Park will definitely be included in park changes, according to a plan approved this week by the City Council. The park also will have a playground, a picnic area and a field for sports practice when the construction is completed next spring, said Steve Rudometkin, director of parks and recreation.

A dormant stretch of industrial property near Bryant Ranch has received final approval to be rezoned for residential development. The City Council recently approved the change, which will allow for the development of about 70 houses on La Palma Avenue near Gypsum Canyon Bridge. The single-family homes will range from 1,700 to 2,400 square feet and will sell for more than $200,000.

The City Council this week repealed its approval of a proposed increase in the number of homes in a housing development planned for the city's east side. The council's unanimous vote Tuesday will limit Irvine-based AW Associates to building 60 homes on nearly 1,300 acres just north of the Via Lomas de Yorba loop. A citizens' group based in nearby Hidden Hills said that the development firm's proposal to build 115 homes at the site would have created a traffic hazard and overcrowded schools.