CLIPBOARD

Today, Northeast Anaheim is a pleasant combination of middle-class homes and sprawling Yorba Regional Park, but 20 years ago the entire neighborhood--all 386 acres of then-undeveloped land--nearly became parkland.

In 1969, county planners visualized the area as the Santa Ana River Greenbelt, stretching from Imperial Highway eastward to the boundaries of Featherly Regional Park in Santa Ana Canyon.

But there were problems from the start. First, the county had no money to buy the land. And, three landowners filed tract maps for housing development.

Then, the city of Anaheim, always aggressive in its approach to annexation, acquired 330 of the 386 acres in October, 1970, and changed the zoning of some tracts from agricultural to residential.

The Board of Supervisors subsequently reinstated the plan for a park and won a matching grant from the federal government for the purchase. But because the grant had been based on agricultural zoning assessments, it was considerably short and the county was able to acquire only about 200 acres.

One major problem contributing to conflicting land appraisals was that the Army Corps of Engineers considered the low-lying area a flood hazard. The County Flood Control District even suggested filling the property to two feet above the theoretical highest point covered by a major flood.

But the peril did not hinder construction after the city of Anaheim changed the zoning code. All that was generally required was a flood letter requiring residents or developers to “hold harmless” the city (meaning they would not sue the city in case of a flood).

And Anaheim had made some changes to cope with that problem. The city was planning to expand La Palma Avenue, which bisects the neighborhood, on an elevated grade. The street, serving as a de facto dam, would mitigate the flood threat.

After several more years of wrangling, including a Grand Jury investigation into charges against two Anaheim officials (they were absolved), Yorba Regional Park--composed of 166 acres of developed land and 13.6 acres of water in the form of four lakes--finally opened in December of 1976.

The neighborhood today is “very quiet and a highly desirable area,” said Lauren Yolda, Anaheim Police Department community services representative.

The Anaheim Police Department takes reports of crime in the park, although one patrol officer doesn’t recall ever being summoned there when it was part of his beat.

Not all the activities are recreational. Last week, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) came to the park to plant more than 200 sycamore trees, in memory of homicide and drunk-driving victims.

But the park is a Mecca for the neighborhood. Every Sunday is “World Series day,” said Al Macias, senior park ranger, with fishing, volleyball and picnicking. Several nearby fast-food establishments also help make the park a lunchtime favorite.

Population Total: (1990 est.) 3,293 1980-90 change: +6.1% Median Age: 30

Racial/ethnic mix: White (non-Latino): 77% Latino: 12% Black: 1% Other: 10%

By sex and age: MALES Median age: 30.1 years FEMALES Median age: 29.8 years

Income Per capita: $17,644 Median household: $42,214 Average household: $42,412

Income Distribution: Less than $25,000: 27% $25,000-49,999: 47% $50,000-74,999: 19% $75,000-$99,999: 6% $100,000 and more: 1%