Halfway House Fought by City Gets Vote Today

County supervisors are expected to decide today whether to convert apartments near Fountain Valley into a 50-bed halfway house for low-risk jail inmates on work furlough.

The controversial proposal, approved by the county Planning Commission on a 3-2 vote Feb. 23, was appealed to the board by the city, which argues that such a facility is “inconsistent and incompatible” with the surrounding residential area.

The apartments lie in a tiny unincorporated island bordered on three sides by Fountain Valley.

Board of Supervisors Chairman Chuck Smith, whose district includes Fountain Valley, said that despite the need, he has a problem with the project because it’s in the city’s sphere of influence.

“I don’t like to see projects like this eventually getting approved because it hurts their potential for annexation,” Smith said.

Supervisor Cynthia P. Coad, who has pushed for improvements in the county’s unincorporated islands, said she has not yet decided how to vote on the halfway house.

“From what I know, the designs for the facility are an improvement for that area, which is heavily populated by renters,” Coad said. “It might be a step in the right direction for appearance and safety.”

Supervisors can expect vocal opposition at today’s meeting from Fountain Valley Mayor Guy Carrozzo, City Manager Raymond H. Kromer and nearby residents, including renters from a mobile home park and their attorney.

“We have concerns about safety issues,” said Andrew Perea, Fountain Valley planning director. “The county has said the facility will have 24-hour monitoring, yet [inmates] are free to go to and from work and also to look for work, so what kind of monitoring is that?”

In addition, there is not enough parking and the proposal will create more than twice the traffic in and out of a cul-de-sac, he said.

Opponents worry about the safety of having the facility in their neighborhood and, in particular, about inmates walking past several school bus stops to reach public buses that will take them to their jobs.

Probation officials say the inmates would be supervised on their way to the bus stops at times when children are present.

The facility is needed to free up beds in the Orange County branch jails such as Theo Lacy in Orange and James A. Musick near Lake Forest, said John Robinson, the county’s chief probation officer.

The proposal calls for converting a 13-unit apartment building. The program would be administered by the Orange County Probation Department with the nonprofit Orange County Youth and Family Services. The facility would mirror those in similar programs that were cut during the county’s bankruptcy.

“Only adults who have been heavily screened by the Probation Department will be allowed into the program,” Robinson said.

Typically, low-risk offenders include people convicted of writing bad checks, drunk driving, not paying traffic tickets and failure to pay child support, he said.

The program is an alternative to jail for nonviolent people on informal probation, Robinson said.

“Their offenses are considered minor,” he said, “but they may have a person convicted of a felony there too, though nonviolent.”

The program is voluntary, and a typical stay is 90 to 120 days. Robinson said participants’ applications are reviewed, including their employment records.

“By having these individuals in the program able to serve their mandatory jail time, they don’t lose their jobs and therefore can support themselves and their families,” Robinson said.

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Zone of Dispute

The county may allow a halfway house on unincorporated land surrounded by residential Fountain Valley.