ORANGE : Council to Consider Open Space Initiative

A $20-million bond measure to acquire the former Santiago Golf Course, one of the last blocks of open space in central Orange, will be considered for the June 2 ballot by the City Council tonight.

The measure is a response to a survey commissioned last month by the Santiago Greenway Alliance, a local environmental group. The poll showed that 86% of 483 voters want the issue placed on the ballot.

To pass, the initiative would need approval by two-thirds of the voters, City Clerk Marilyn Jensen said. Approval would entitle the city to borrow about $20 million to buy the 33-acre site. Property owners in the city then would help repay the debt with a small increase in their annual property taxes, Jensen said.

According to the survey, 61% of those polled said they would pay an additional $30 in property taxes to acquire the land at Tustin and La Veta avenues. The land is owned by Santiago Creek Associates, a partnership of the William Lyon and Burnett-Ehline development companies.

About 15% of those surveyed said they would not support any increase in taxes for the project.

If approved, the initiative would be a major victory for the Santiago Greenway Alliance and citizens who have worked to stop several residential and commercial developments proposed for the property.

Alliance members hope to preserve the old golf course as a park with trails for bikes and walkers. They envision the land as an important link in a 12-mile greenbelt running from the Santa Ana River to Irvine Lake.

The City Council must approve placing the measure on the ballot this week if the city is to comply with deadlines for the June election. The council is expected to approve the action at the 7 o’clock meeting tonight.