Q & A

* Former Fountain Valley Planning Services Manager Don Contraman

Don Contraman was a Fountain Valley city planner for more than two decades. During that time the area grew to a city with 19,000 single-family homes and 2,800 apartments. When Contraman joined the Planning Department in 1969, the city had a population of 24,000. The number has now more than doubled to about 56,000 residents. Contraman, 52, who retired last week as planning services manager, spoke with Times correspondent Debra Cano about the city’s growth. Q: What was Fountain Valley like 26 years ago when you joined the Planning Department?

A: It was a bedroom community, with most people commuting to Los Angeles County. We didn’t have a strong employment base in Orange County. It was a nice place to live and no place to work. One of the city’s goals was to plan a rounded-out community where you could shop, work, play and live without having to drive long distances.

Q: How did the city plan for its growth?

A: When the city was incorporated in 1957, it had a population slightly under 600 people. Because it was predominantly farmland, the city fathers decided they didn’t like the urban growth and adopted the first General Plan in 1961. The farmers . . . understood their time had come and gone here. They wanted to leave a legacy they could be proud of in the future: a city with an overall good appearance and a city people are happy with.

Q: How has that growth been managed?

A: The original General Plan envisioned a population of 80,000. The City Council took a look at the growth and changed the densities for more of a single-family community, rather than an apartment community. By doing that, they’ve protected the property values. The city is also finally getting industrial and retail areas. . . . Now we have the Price Club, Fry’s Electronics, Hyundai--major employers who provide jobs so people don’t have to make that long commute. Retail is spread across the city, in close proximity to homes, and industry is along the Santa Ana River.

Q: What are the challenges ahead?

A: The city was built in the mid-1960s to mid-1970s, which means the housing stock is going age at the same time. One of the biggest challenges is to try to maintain housing so it doesn’t deteriorate. Fountain Valley has a program that provides for housing rehabilitation. . . . The only thing we may see changing is the ethnic mix, mainly because Westminster to the north has a large Southeast Asian community that is moving into Fountain Valley. . . . They’re not forming a separate ethnic community; they’re part of the community.