COSTA MESA : Amburgey Votes for Son’s Development

Defying the objections of some residents who charged a conflict of interest, Councilman Orville Amburgey on Monday night voted in favor of a housing project being developed by his son.

“Should I refrain from voting tonight, I would be doing a disservice to the citizens I was elected to serve,” Amburgey said before voting. “If I believed in good conscience that I could not make a just decision, I would abstain.”

The council voted 3 to 2 in favor of the project. Council members Sandra Genis and Mary Hornbuckle voted against the project, saying it would add to traffic congestion.

The housing development proposed for 2109-2115 Valley Road had become controversial because of Amburgey’s family ties to the developer, his son, Ron Amburgey. Many residents were also miffed when the elder Amburgey mailed a letter to project opponents at city expense and attacked them for disseminating what he called “misinformation” about the development.

Although many of the 86 recipients called the letter heavy-handed, city officials said that Amburgey did not appear to have violated any laws.

The architect on the Valley Road project is requesting a zoning change that would allow up to 13 town homes to be built on the property. Current zoning allows for only six detached homes. However, the developers have said that they would agree to build only eight single-family, detached homes if the zoning change was allowed.

Neighbors who oppose the project, which failed to win approval of the Planning Commission, argue that Amburgey should not vote because of the appearance of impropriety. However, Amburgey said that he has no financial stake in the development and should have a right to vote.

City Atty. Thomas Kathe and state election officials agreed that no law prevented Amburgey from voting on the project as long as it would not directly benefit the councilman himself.

Several residents who spoke at Monday’s hearing castigated Amburgey.

“We feel under siege from our own city,” said Jeffrey Childs, president of the Marina Highlands Homeowners Assn. “Now we have a relative of a councilman who wants to ram a rabbit-hutch development down our throats and won’t abstain from voting. The people (who occupy the development) will have problems, we will have problems. The only people who won’t have problems are Councilman Amburgey and his son, who will smile all the way to the bank.”

The association represents homeowners near the proposed development.