Update : Follow-up on the news : Planners Say Cut in Park Acreage Won’t Hurt Promenade

County planners say a request by Santa Margarita Co. to reduce park space in its Town Center development won’t affect the project’s centerpiece--a small-town-style Main Street promenade.

The developer recently asked the county to be allowed to cut park acreage from 25 acres to 13 acres because the company has also scaled down the number of houses in the development, from 4,853 to 2,631.

“I think the concept of Town Center will be successful,” said John Buzas, county land-use manager. “In fact, ending up with lower density may make it nicer because it will have half as many users.”

Company spokeswoman Diane Gaynor said that after the project area was graded, the developer found it had less buildable land than previously believed.

“We reduced the park acreage rather than build parks for homes that are no longer there,” Gaynor said.

The company reduced park acreage by combining two park sites in the project area into one park.

Gaynor added that the lingering decline in the housing market or the company’s recent financial woes did not figure in the decision to scale back the Town Center project.

The first houses in Town Center already have been built and retail centers on each end of the site are well underway.

Construction will begin in September on the first major segment of the promenade, an Edwards Cinema complex.