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East Orange  Orange Park Acres  Villa Park  Anaheim Hills  Cowan Heights Crawford Canyon  Silverado/Modjeska Canyon Areas  North Tustin


A Monthly Community Newspaper Est. 1969 Tuesday, March 11, 2014


Max Wilford, a                           


Orange Planning Commissioners say "no" to East Orange project


By Tina Richards


By unanimous vote, the Orange Planning Commission rejected the proposed Rio Santiago devel- opment slated for a 110-acre par- cel in East Orange. The March 3 vote capped a 12-hour-plus review process consisting of developer presen- tations, city staff reports, public comments and detailed delibera- tions that took place over three separate commission meetings commencing in February. -


sion was reduced to three as Bill Cathcart and Bill Steiner recused themselves from the proceedings. Commissioners Pat Buttress, Adrienne Gladson and Daniel Correa made up for their reduced numbers with an in-depth analy- sis of the development’s land-use,


compatibility, safety and feasibil- ity issues, unheard of in hearings conducted by previous planning commissions.


 The landowner, Milan Capital/


JMI Properties, was asking the city to amend its general plan to allow for a senior living facil- ity, 130 houses and a privately held sports facility. The land is currently zoned for a sand and gravel, operation and is governed by the city’s general plan, the  and four additional community- based “vision plans” that call for open space zoning, a greenbelt and parkland. Twelve acres are, however, currently zoned for low-residential housing. Open space/recreation has long been the preferred designation


FCA meeting features issue updates; Spitzer speaks


By Kim Haman A near-capacity crowd attended


the FCA annual meeting, March 3, to hear updates on the issues fac- ing the North Tustin community – increased crime, the Newport Av- enue zone change and the Golden State Water rate increases. The meeting opened with a greeting from FCA President Richard Nelson, followed by a presentation by Rancho Palos Verdes Mayor Jerry Duhovic. Duhovic was asked by FCA mem- ber Ron King to address the New- port Avenue zone change. Though Duhovic is not a North Tustin resident, as a standing mayor who understands the intricacies of zon-  explained the issue, and why the


FCA’s continued involvement is so important. The zone change has been a contentious issue in North Tustin for several years. In March 2011, the County of Orange approved a rezoning to allow a 153-unit senior living facility on Newport Avenue. Following the decision, North Tustin citizens rallied to      - ing, which is single-family resi- dential. In the last two years, the case has been in the courts—and on Feb. 24, three appellate judges upheld the zone change.  said. Now, FCA needs to raise


See"FCA meeting" continued on page 3


for the property, which itself is fraught with roadblocks to devel- opment. It houses Santiago Creek – part of the federal watershed and home to protected wildlife; it is downstream of two earthen dams and is therefore considered an inundation zone; it is subject      -       methane gas. The property is also situated


in “rural” East Orange, where equestrians, large lots, minimal street lighting and few commer- cial enterprises are the norm. Area residents, accustomed to past planning commissions that routinely rubberstamped devel- opment proposals with little re- gard for the public, were stunned when Correa remarked that “we cannot ignore the 86-year history of Orange Park Acres. Genera-


tions going back have preserved the community.


To arbitrarily


dismiss it now isn’t right. We need to consider the residents’ well-being, safety and comfort.” “East Orange is semi-rural,” Gladson added. knows that.”


“Everybody


 While the commissioners con-


ceded that the project’s interior design was attractive and – lo- cated somewhere else – would be a welcome addition to the city, they found it lacking in ev- ery other way. They rejected the Environmen-


tal Impact Report (EIR), noting it raised more questions than it an-


See"Orange Planning" continued on page 5


Alvarez says Orange not fully reimbursed by street fair


 


has operated the annual Orange International Street Fair since 1985 is asking the city to extend its lease for the downtown area for four years. Councilman Mike Alvarez


opened the discussion at the Feb. 11 council meeting with the reve- lation that the city has been subsi- dizing the cost of electricity used by the operation since its incep- tion. Orange International Street Fair, Inc. reimburses the city for costs associated with police pa-  response teams. In a review of the operation, Alvarez discovered that the substantial cost of elec- tricity used to operate the booths


and other venues has somehow fallen through the cracks, and the city has never been reim- bursed for the expense. Alvarez also noted that the city has never  of the primarily all-cash business conducted by the street fair orga- nization. For its part, Orange Interna-


tional Street Fair, Inc. has asked the city for several contractual changes that include transform- ing the 100 block of Olive Street       booths and a music stage.


The


organization also proposes mov- ing the 200-some vendor and food booths from the circle to al-


See"Alvarez" continued on page 9


NEWS INSIDE


School dazed and bemused


Public shocked at OUSD board behavior. See Riverdale sale, page 3 and Fireworks, page 4


A fundraising foot in the door


Villa Park residences open up for annual home tour. See “Mi Casa” page 6


Torches and pitchforks


Readers react to court and commission, board and bonds. See Letters, page 7 and 8


He pops and she bops at the hop


A Valentine’s dance delights dads and daughters. See Loma Vista, page 11


Great balls of fire


High school athletes face finals and the future on their chosen fields. See Community Sports, page 18


INSIDE


Letters To The Editor Page 7-8 Obituaries


Page 8


Commentary Canyon Beat Soup's On


Services Directory Sports


Real Estate


Page 13 Page 14 Page 14


Professional Directory Page 14 Classifieds


Page 14


Page 16-17 Page 18-19 Page 19


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