TUSTIN : Group to Protest General Plan Terms

North Tustin residents said Friday that they will express opposition to the inclusion of their community in the proposed Tustin general plan, which will go before the City Council on Monday.

“We won’t be waving placards or have an unmanageable crowd, but yes, we will protest,” said Don Kragenbrink, president of the Foothill Communities Assn., which wants its 3,831-acre area left out of Tustin’s planning document.

The city completed its proposal for the general plan after three years of work. The document addresses issues such as land use, housing, conservation and growth.

North Tustin, which is unincorporated, falls within the so-called sphere of influence of Tustin, and the city may annex it in the next 20 years. There are about 23,000 residents in the area, which is affluent.

There are no immediate plans to annex all or part of the area, but city officials said that it is included in the proposed general plan simply for planning purposes.

North Tustin residents say they worry that being included in the general plan would be an invitation for builders to propose developments that would change the semi-rural character of the community.

Resident Neil Harkleroad said the proposed general plan could lead to zoning changes that would allow higher density. He said the average density now is 2.3 houses per acre. Houses there are predominantly single-story, single-family structures of 1,800 to 3,500 square feet.

Under the city plan, density could reach seven houses per acre in some areas and allow as many as 25 houses per acre in the area bounded by 17th and Hope streets and Irvine and Newport boulevards, he said.

But Rita Westfield, the city’s assistant community development director, said the general plan will maintain the “basic character” of the area through zoning ordinances that will require lower densities.