ORANGE : Greenway Backers Host Nature Walk

The Santiago Creek Greenway Alliance will host a nature walk Saturday to tour part of a 12-mile stretch along Santiago Creek that the group hopes to preserve.

The SCGA wants to create a greenway, a corridor of open space, that will connect several parks between Irvine Lake and the Santa Ana River.

The nature walk has been arranged to encourage the city’s voters to pass Measure Y, a $25-million bond issue slated for the June 2 ballot. If approved, it would finance the purchase of a 37-acre plot of open space in central Orange that includes the site of the former Santiago Golf Course, said Kathy King, spokeswoman for the group.

“The walk is an opportunity for people that feel negatively impacted by the growth and crushing conditions to have a say in their density destiny,” King said. “Our goal is to educate people about the potential and the benefits of having a greenway, as opposed to having low-to-medium-density housing there.”

If the bond issue fails, the William Lyon Co., owner of the property, has prepared plans to construct 240 condominiums on the site, said Jack McGee, the city’s director of community development.

The $25-million price tag for the land is “a worst-case estimate” of what will be needed to finance a bond for acquiring and improving the property, McGee said.

“We expect it will be a lot cheaper,” he said.

The property recently was appraised at $8 million, but the city has not yet negotiated a price with the property owner. A cost analysis of the project may be available to residents within about a month, McGee said.

Saturday’s greenway tour, titled Celebrate Santiago Creek, will also feature a free barbecue, prizes and activities for children.

The walk will begin at Santiago Park near Owens Drive and Main Street, just south of MainPlace Mall, and continue through the site of the old Santiago Golf Course to Tustin Avenue. Transportation back to the starting location will be provided.

For information on the creek walk, call (714) 532-4171.