BREA

The City Council will meet tonight to discuss an option for the city to buy land in the hillsides north of the city and around the Carbon Canyon area to control development in those areas.

Council members will discuss whether to issue general obligation bonds financed by a value-based tax assessment on residential and commercial property within the city. Another option would be to create a special parcel tax on those properties to pay for the land.

If the council agrees to investigate the options, it will direct city staff members to look into the matter more in depth.

The discussion will begin at 5 p.m. in the executive conference room on the third level of City Hall, 1 Civic Center Circle.