YORBA LINDA : Area Rezoned for High-Density Housing

The City Council this week approved a request from a developer to build houses on a lot currently zoned for commercial and church use, altering its zoning to designate it high-density residential.

The switch will allow the developer to build a maximum of 10 units per acre, a higher density than allowed under the commercial zoning. The eight-acre lot is on the southeast corner of Yorba Linda Boulevard and Village Center Drive. Although it has been zoned for commercial and church use since the East Lake Village planned community was developed more than 10 years ago, there has never been any interest from businesses in building there.

Though nearby residents did not object to rezoning the property from commercial to residential, several complained about the change from medium density to high density. They contend that building houses on 5,000- to 6,000-square-foot lots next to their 10,000-square-foot lots will negatively affect their home values.

“I am very concerned about density,” said David Crumley, whose house on Via Ventosa backs up to a lot in the proposed development. “I purchased (my house) seeing low-density everywhere and didn’t anticipate high-density housing there.”

Crumley’s house is in a neighborhood that has about 2.9 houses per acre. S and S Construction is planning to build 43 houses on the eight-acre lot, creating a density of 5.2 houses per acre.