Santa Ana : Judge Denies Citizens’ Request to Halt Condos

After city officials testified that no further demolition is scheduled before a Nov. 26 hearing, a Superior Court judge denied a request by a citizens’ group for a temporary restraining order barring further development of 194 luxury downtown condominiums.

The Alliance for Fair Redevelopment in Santa Ana, a coalition of businessmen and residents, sued the city and the developer, Urban Ventures Inc., in August in an attempt to stop the condo project from being built on a site bounded by 3rd, 4th, French and Minter streets. The suit asks that the city rewrite its general plan to include more low-income housing and prepare an environmental impact report for the development.

Alliance attorney Salvador Sarmiento said that another group, Orange County Heritage, has joined the suit in an attempt to prevent demolition of the Pacific Electric Building, citing its historical significance. Superior Court Commissioner Thomas Keenan denied the restraining order when city officials testified before the hearing that no demolition is scheduled.