City OKs ‘Lakeside’ Community

A struggle between a developer with a lake and airplane pilots with a fear of birds ended this week with the builder on top.

Catellus Residential Group Inc. of Irvine cleared its final hurdle to build the 350-home “Lakeside” community, complete with 8-acre lake, with unanimous City Council approval of its plans.

Catellus accepted some conditions, including a contractual obligation to give “bird education” to home buyers. Contracts will note that encouraging fowl to lounge about would be hazardous to planes using Fullerton Airport next door.

Whinney Houston of the Airport Advisory Committee analogized the impact of a bird hitting a plane: “You can imagine what the cost of repairs would be if an elephant stomped on your car.”

Nearby homeowners submitted their own petitions in favor of the Lakeside development, and Catellus officials said the amount of birds attracted to the lake could be controlled.