County Receives Petitions Opposing 2 Annexations

The county registrar of voters Tuesday received petitions containing about 500 signatures in opposition to proposed annexations of two North Tustin areas.

Tustin City Atty. James Rourke said the petitions represent between 49% and 51% of the registered voters in the two areas.

Under state law, a city must drop annexation attempts if 50% of the registered voters in the target area sign petitions protesting the plan, he said. If less than 50% but at least 25% of residents sign petitions, the issue is placed on the ballot.

If less than 25% sign the petition, the council may annex, he said.

The largest of the annexation areas, 160 acres that contain 451 homes, is bounded by Fairhaven Avenue on the north, Prospect Avenue on the east, Santa Clara Avenue on the south, and the city’s border on the west.

The other area, 16.5 acres, has 53 homes and is bounded by Santa Clara Avenue, Laurie Lane, Prospect Avenue and Laurinda Way.

Rourke said he expects to announce the registrar of voters findings on the validity of the petitions at the April 18 City Council meeting.

On Monday, the council voted to end public hearings on the controversial annexations, following a debate attended by several homeowners.

“We’ve got the federal government, we’ve got the county government, we’ve got the state government, what do we need with the city government?” said Elva Woodland, who lives in one of the areas under consideration.

Last August, the North Tustin Homeowners Corp. sued the city, charging that it had placed annexation measures for two other North Tustin parcels on the November ballot, even though 58% of the areas’ voters had signed petitions in opposition.

The charge was upheld by an Orange County judge last September, and the measures were taken off the ballot.