Yorba Linda Seeks to Rescind Development Vote

Yorba Linda’s new City Council majority, diving into an already furiously tangled political battle, will try to undo last-minute approvals for up to 1,000 new homes in the hills above the Riverside Freeway.

Within an hour of being sworn in Tuesday night, Councilwoman Keri Lynn Wilson joined Mark Ryan and Jim Winder in directing city attorneys and staff to devise a way to rescind the earlier council votes.

“Clearly this is one of the biggest issues that’s faced our community in the 12 years I’ve been here. My sense is it was rushed through in November,” Wilson said.

“We’re going to live with the benefits and the consequences forever, and I think it’s important that we seriously evaluate it.”

Angry residents who have spent weeks gathering thousands of signatures to overturn the approvals, by citywide ballot if necessary said they would still present their petitions at City Hall today, the deadline for requesting such a referendum.

“We can’t rely on anything that hasn’t happened yet ... so we’re still plugging away,” said Tricia Darling, a seven-year resident who along with her husband has spearheaded the door-to-door campaign.

Developer Shappell Industries of Beverly Hills won approval at 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 6 -- just hours after polls closed on election day -- to change the city’s General Plan. The amendments eliminated open space in favor of new homes, allowed a major extension to Bastanchury Road and increased density in the area from about 300 homes to about 1,000 homes, including 385 apartments or townhomes for senior citizens.

In a separate deal the day before the election, Shappell agreed to sell 40 acres to the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District for a long-sought high school and to spend $9 million to $15 million grading the steep site and bringing in water and power lines.

Representatives for the developer said they would do everything necessary to hang onto the approvals, including suing the city if necessary.

“We will resist any effort to take our entitlements away,” said consulting project manager Lyle Overby.

The battle over the North Yorba Linda Estates development is just the latest skirmish in an already bitterly divided city. In recent years there have been unsuccessful petition drives to block the widening of Imperial Highway and to recall pro-development Councilman John Gullixson.

As the current drive has gained momentum, so has opposition.

Pickets have appeared outside grocery stores next to the petition gatherers. Newspaper ads and mailers paid for by Shappell warn that the referendum would delay construction of the high school for years.

Critics charge that Shappell and a political action committee run by Overby donated thousands of dollars in campaign contributions to outgoing Councilman Gullixson and two other councilmen who voted in favor of the development.

Campaign records show that Gullixson received $4,500 from Shappell since 1998, and similar donations were made to the other two supporters, as well as opponent Ryan.

Both sides denied any quid-pro-quo arrangement.