CERRITOS : Panel OKs Tentative Tract Map for Project

The ABC Unified School District and an Orange County developer last week cleared the first of several hurdles required to begin construction on a gated residential community on 13 acres of district land next to Whitney High School.

The planning commission recently approved a tentative tract map to create 61 residential lots on the land.

The school district last year entered into a partnership with Costa Mesa-based Warmington Homes to develop the land to raise money for repairs and construction of classrooms. District officials have said they hope to receive $7.7 million from the deal, which includes payment for the land and a percentage of the profits from the homes once they are sold.

Those profits could be somewhat diminished, however, since the developer was asked by the city recently to increase the size of the lots and include more space between homes. The original proposal consisted of 66 lots.

Preliminary plans for the residential community include four floor plans, each encompassing 2,500 to 2,700 square feet. The developers said they hope to sell the homes for $350,000 to $375,000.

The tract map must be approved by the city council, which will take up the issue at its Aug. 18 meeting. The planning commission and council also must approve specific design plans for the homes.

City officials said the first homes could be completed by the end of 1995.