EIR for Fountain Valley Crossings redevelopment project gets commission’s green light

Fountain Valley’s Planning Commission opened the gate Wednesday night for a rezoning plan for the Fountain Valley Crossings redevelopment project that would bring a diverse blend of retail and entertainment venues and homes.

The commission voted unanimously to certify the environmental impact report for the project.

The decision came with some caveats, particularly on limiting the intensity of the housing component in the “activity core” portion of the 162-acre area bordered by Ward Street, Talbert and Ellis avenues and the Santa Ana River.

Land would need to be rezoned to allow for more business and residential units.

The City Council will take up the plan in June.

Residents packed the commission meeting to share their thoughts. Supporters of the plan praised the city for being forward-thinking and thoughtful in giving Fountain Valley a “city center.” Opponents largely criticized anticipated traffic snarls and the effects of high-density housing.

Commenters referred, both approvingly and with disdain, to mixed-use developments in neighboring Huntington Beach, such as Bella Terra and a development at Beach Boulevard and Ellis Avenue.

Commissioner Patrick Harper moved to approve the EIR with suggested amendments to development in the activity core:

• Limit residential building length to 200 feet.
• Require at least two parking spaces per residential unit, including studios.
• Limit residential building height to four stories.
• Don’t allow electric signs.

The commission also agreed to suggest capping the project’s residential units at 491.

“The [surrounding] residents are afraid of seeing a Beach and Ellis in Fountain Valley, and I don’t think anybody wants that,” he said to applause. “I think with a few tweaks we can make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Speaker Cheryl Nguyen said younger adults want higher-end shopping and dining. She said one of her sons lived in Bella Terra and loved it.

“I think what we have to do is look beyond ourselves,” she said. “We have to make room for the next generation. They are an innovative, thinking generation that (is) completely different from their parents.”

Wallace Rodecker owns and operates Los Caballeros Sports Village, which he said is almost a prototype for the Crossings. He said mixed-use zoning needs careful planning.

“The areas that you’re planning on rezoning are perfectly suited for it,” he said. “Without some type of master plan, those areas can ultimately turn into contained areas. We can see that by looking at our neighboring cities Anaheim and Santa Ana and what’s happened to their industrial areas.”

Matt Taylor said the local sales tax increase that residents approved last year gives the city 20 years to get its economic house in order and that the only way to avoid another tax increase is to redevelop.

“What we love about this city is how strong of a community we are in, but I don’t think we serve ourselves well to say that we are going stick in the 1950s, ’60s or even 2017,” he said. “The times are changing. We see it all around us.”

Jo Sharp said she moved to Fountain Valley from Newport Beach to get away from noise and traffic. She said she won’t live to see the Crossings’ projected build-out in 2035.

“You’re dooming me for the rest of my life to live with dirt and noise,” she said. “That’s not fair. I came here for a peaceful life. I came here for a bedroom community. That’s what I’ve had and that’s what I love. Please don’t take it away from me.”

Commissioner Bill Cameron said development isn’t imminent and that market forces will impose phasing for any development.

“There’s no bulldozer sitting … to charge across the street there and start leveling buildings and building things,” he said. “This is a project that will allow the market to dictate what will happen.”

hillary.davis@latimes.com

Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD