FULLERTON : Meetings to Focus on City’s Future

Rail transportation, affordable housing, downtown development and a host of other issues facing Fullerton as the city prepares to chart its future in the next century will be the topics of a series of public workshops.

Their purpose is to help city officials in updating Fullerton’s general plan, a guide to growth and development.

The question, said Senior City Planner Joel Rosen, is: “How are we going to shape the future?” He said he hopes that people will bring their answers.

The series of nine meetings, to be held this month and next, will give residents a chance to say what things they would like to change in Fullerton, and what things they want to preserve, said Ken Bane, an associate city planner.

“We’re going to have more of a roll-up-your-sleeves format,” Bane said. Residents will break into small groups to discuss issues, he said.

Among the issues to be explored are traffic flow and the impact of the county transportation agency’s new Metrolink rail service between Los Angeles and San Clemente, and whether the city should consider encouraging more housing downtown, near public transportation facilities and the Fullerton Amtrak station.

More homes and businesses downtown might “breath some evening life into the town,” Bane said.

The general plan also deals with zoning ordinances, lighting requirements and building densities, which can significantly affect the safety of Fullerton residents, Rosen noted. For example, desolate stretches of the city where few people congregate could be zoned for higher housing density.

The first two meetings will cover general matters on Sept. 16 and 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Fullerton Senior Multi-Service Center, 340 W. Commonwealth Ave.

Other meetings will deal with specific city agencies. On Oct. 12 at 6:30 p.m., the focus will be the city’s Community Services Commission. That meeting will be at City Hall, 303 W. Commonwealth Ave.

The last meeting will be held before the City Council on Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Main Library.