Buena Park : Developer Withdraws Plan for Condominiums

A developer has withdrawn his proposal for a controversial 290-condominium project near Knott’s Berry Farm in the wake of residents’ opposition.

RecreAction Inc. decided to withdraw its plan after the Planning Commission denied its request for a continuance to allow the Newport Beach firm to rework its $28-million proposal. About 200 residents living near the site, north of La Palma Avenue between Stanton Avenue and Dale Street, had complained about the number of condominiums and questioned the number of affordable and low-cost housing units.

RecreAction spokesman Harold Lynch Jr. said the company will submit a new plan in December. “It seemed useless to defend a plan that we already decided to improve upon,” Lynch said of his firm’s decision to withdraw its proposal.

The developer hopes to build the project on a 10.6-acre parcel now used to grow strawberries. A remaining 8.2-acre parcel is zoned for commercial use and would be developed in a second phase, Lynch said.

Since the proposal was withdrawn and not rejected by the Planning Commission, the developer can resubmit the plan at any time, Ken Griffith, a city planning official, said.