Anaheim Hills : Residents’ Group Fights Golf Course Development

A group of Anaheim Hills residents has begun a letter-writing campaign and community awareness program in their battle against a development plan being considered for the city’s Anaheim Hills Golf Course.

The group is fighting a Golf Commission suggestion to build up to 185 condominiums and single-family homes and a commercial area on a portion of the city-owned golf course.

“A golf course planner prepared a revised master plan that improved the play of the course,” said Don Marshall, golf operations manager. “Redesigning the course resulted in excess property which could be sold to finance the design improvements. Without the money, the improvements would take an inordinate amount of time to accomplish.”

Sheri Erlewine, public information officer for the city, said, “Right now (the proposal) is in the hands of a private firm, which is conducting an environmental impact report. Nothing can be decided until that report is filed, so it is really up in the air at this moment.”

Sydney Minich, who is leader of the group opposing the idea, said the group feels very strongly that the land should be left for recreational use.

“It’s the last major block of recreational property available in the northeast county, Minich said. “Once the land is gone, it’s gone forever.”

“We won’t be able to buy it back later. The golf course is making money for the city and many people are saying, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ ”

The group, about 40 of whom met Monday to discuss strategy, plans to circulate 2,000 flyers to tell community members about the proposal and is asking residents to write letters to the city Planning Commission and City Council opposing it. A committee is being formed to monitor the city’s action on the issue and a biologist working for the group is voluntarily researching possible environmental effects.

About 150 people showed up for an informational meeting sponsored by the city last Wednesday at the golf course clubhouse. At that meeting, four city representatives and representatives from Elfend and Associates Inc., the company preparing the environmental impact report, fielded questions from the audience.