Yorba Linda : Homes May Replace Richard Nixon School

The Richard Nixon Elementary School may be razed to make way for homes after a City Council decision to change the site’s zoning. City Council members Monday night approved a request by the Yorba Linda Elementary School District to revise the designation to a low-density residential area. The school, now closed, sits next to the home where the former President was born. Despite protests of Nixon Birthplace Foundation members, the council agreed to allow up to four units per acre, said Bruce Channing, assistant city manager. Had council members approved a higher-density zoning, up to 10 units could have been built per acre, he said. The school grounds encompass about six acres. The school district had sought a high-density zoning because the property would be more attractive to a developer interested in buying the site. Of the 100 attending the meeting, about half supported development of the area and half were against it, Channing said.