Yorba Linda : City Budgets Money for Challenge to Jail Site

The City Council has budgeted $15,000 for initial legal expenses to challenge the county’s selection of two nearby canyons for a massive jail complex to hold more than 6,000 inmates.

The council voted Tuesday night to “certainly consider” spending more if need be.

The panel directed its mayor, city manager and city attorney to meet with Anaheim city officials to discuss whether Anaheim would initiate a lawsuit, “recognizing that the Gypsum Canyon site is essentially within the city of Anaheim.”

The Board of Supervisors on July 15 picked Gypsum-Coal canyons, across the Riverside Freeway from Yorba Linda, as the site for a jail that may wind up costing more than $600 million to build.

Yorba Linda officials complained bitterly that the jail will be close to their city but that the county’s environmental report did not consider the impact on Yorba Linda residents. But county officials said the city will be screened from the jail by the freeway, the Santa Ana River and hills.

The council noted that Anaheim Councilman Fred Hunter said that Anaheim would sue the county if it picked Coal-Gypsum canyons from the four sites considered for the jail.

“In this regard, we are earmarking $15,000 for initial legal expenses in this suit, and if more is needed, we will certainly consider it,” the council said.

It also said the city will talk with the cities of Chino and Corona and the supervisors in Riverside and San Bernardino counties to coordinate opposition to the jail site.