Tearing Down the Barriers (but Not Walls) to Cityhood

Imagine a city where no new residents are ever born, yet the population manages to stay the same.

In this city there are no schools. The crime problem rarely rises above petty thefts. You might see a murder every millennium or so. Gangs? Maybe in the bridge clubs.

It’s a city of walls where you don’t get past the front gate guard without a special pass. But then, most of us are content to drive on by and let its people be.

Orange County’s 32nd city might be seniors only. A place where someone 55 risks being called “Junior.” It could happen. Unincorporated Leisure World in Laguna Hills this month received petition signatures from 25% of its 14,438 registered voters, the minimum needed to apply for cityhood. Unless someone holds up things at the Local Agency Formation Commission, the agency that approves such proposals, cityhood supporters in Leisure World expect to have the issue on the ballot in November 1998.

The idea of it fascinates me. People with a common bond taking that next step toward a bit more control over their lives. I’ve always thought of Leisure World as a nice clean neighborhood. But a city? Get out your Guinness. Cleanest, safest, most flowers, fewest taverns, highest median age . . .

It would be small in government, for sure. Most of the residents’ needs are already served by its four homeowners associations. The new city probably would have just three employees: a city manager, a clerk and a treasurer, says Matt Magidson. One of the leaders of the cityhood movement, Magidson is president of the Golden Rain Foundation, the largest of Leisure World’s homeowners groups. (All four are on record supporting a cityhood petition drive.) The rest of the services could be handled by contracts, he said.

It might have the smallest city staff in Orange County, but it wouldn’t be the smallest city. Its 20,000-plus residents would make it larger than La Palma, Los Alamitos and Villa Park.

But gathering signatures does not mean cityhood is a done deal. After seeing five new cities established here between 1988 and 1991, the county Board of Supervisors was instrumental in getting a 1992 state law passed that requires new cities to kick back a share of their revenue to the county. There’s been only one new city formed in all of California since then.

Magidson claims that the county does so little at Leisure World right now that the city’s payment to the county would amount to less than $100,000. And a consultant’s figures show the Leisure World city could generate $2 million in annual revenue for its budget, which would be overseen by a city council, just like in other cities.

The biggest obstacle to Leisure World’s cityhood may be that the Local Agency Formation Commission could decide it would be better off if annexed by neighboring Laguna Hills. The other Leisure World in Orange County, for example, is a part of the city of Seal Beach. There’s also a chance the commission would want to include some neighborhoods outside Leisure World’s walls. And even if the commission does approve cityhood, there is always the chance that voters will balk when it’s placed on the ballot.

When I ask Magidson if he believes cityhood would be approved by the voters there, the best he would say in response was: “I sure hope so.” Magidson, who has lived in Leisure World 14 years, says he always tells its residents when he pitches the idea at meetings: “Would you like to be your own boss?”

His second point: “Look at how many cities already exist in Orange County. There is a reason for that.”

Foothill Ranch, also in South County, wants to be a city too. But it is faced with being placed with some of its neighbors into a larger city. Rancho Santa Margarita and Aliso Viejo have their city supporters too. It will be interesting to see which new city plan reaches the finish line first.

Tree Doctor: I love to read Charlie Everett of Fullerton, who writes a semimonthly newsletter for the Tree Society of Orange County. He really cares about trees. In the latest issue, he tells us that Seal Beach now has a tree advisory committee and that Anaheim is planning 3,000 new parkway trees. You can almost feel his pain when he writes about a 90-year-old ficus that was recently moved in Orange to clear an area for a parking lot.

You don’t have to wonder which side Everett is on when cities such as Laguna Beach battle over shade trees versus blocked views. Writes Everett: “In view (no pun) of the many benefits from whole trees, a reduced view seems rather trivial.”

Bright Path in Santa Ana: When the Santa Ana Unified School District breaks ground Wednesday for its new James Francis Thorpe Elementary School, it will have a special guest speaker. She is Grace Thorpe, daughter of the great Native American runner who won gold medals in both the decathlon and pentathlon at the 1912 Olympic Games. Jim Thorpe’s name was among the suggestions from the public when the school board was seeking a name for the school. By the way, Jim Thorpe’s Native American name, school officials tell me, was Wa Tho Tuk, which means “Bright Path.”

The school, scheduled to be completed in 1999, will sit on 6.6 acres at Alton Avenue and Greenville Street in Sana Ana.

Need Any Money? Here’s an offer you don’t see every day: The Strawberry Festival Committee in Garden Grove, which raised about $190,000, is looking for worthy groups to give its money to. A few criteria: The groups must have sound records of fiscal responsibility, good causes (such as youth, the arts or seniors) in need of money, and a track record of success. And, of course, these organizations must primarily serve the Garden Grove area.

Wrap-Up: I’m always intrigued by the name a new city chooses. I assumed that unincorporated Leisure World would wind up just good ol’ Leisure World, the city. Not at all, Magidson said. Voters would choose a new name independent of Leisure World. But what?

“Probably Laguna something,” he said.

That doesn’t sound too original. But then, Leisurely Laguna does have a nice ring.

Jerry Hicks’ column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Readers may reach Hicks by call-ing the Times Orange County Edition at (714) 966-7823 or by fax to (714) 966-7711, or e-mail tojerry.hicks@latimes.com