BUENA PARK : Hearing Slated for Redevelopment Plan

Plans for a 30-year, $229-million redevelopment project will go before the City Council next month for a public hearing.

Six city parcels have been set aside and may be included as part of the project, said May Hui, acting director of developmental services. The parcels, which total 200 acres, include the Buena Park Mall/Handyman site on La Palma Avenue; the Orange County flood control area near Malvern Avenue and Dale Street; the Builder’s Square site near Beach Boulevard and Malvern Avenue; the Buena Park Drive-In and strawberry fields near Holder Street and Lincoln Avenue; the southeast corner of Valley View Street and Orangethorpe Avenue; and the northwest corner of Crescent and Western avenues. The hearing will give property owners in the project area the chance to express their concerns, Hui said. After that, the council will decide whether to go forward with the redevelopment.

“From a staff standpoint, we are going to recommend adopting all areas,” Hui said. However, she added, the council may decide to include only a portion of the project area in the redevelopment. According to staff reports, the main goal of the 30-year plan is to eliminate “blight” in the six areas. This could include expanding established commercial properties such as the Buena Park Mall and building homes in vacant areas.

The public hearing has been scheduled for June 18.