Cypress weighs next steps on major Los Alamitos Race Course redevelopment plan
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A planned overhaul of the Los Alamitos Race Course is looking to take a major step forward with the Cypress City Council’s support.
The historic race course, which held its first pari-mutuel horse race in 1951, would be demolished sometime in the future as part of a plan to turn more than 130 buildable acres into park space, housing and potential mixed-use developments.
With land totaling 151 acres, it stands as the biggest proposed development in Cypress.
Majority property owner Edward Allred M.D. and race course executives did not seek a green light from councilmembers during their July 14 meeting for any specific residential or commercial projects.
Newport Beach City Council denied an appeal of a plan to replace the Big Newport movie theater with two high-rise condominium towers.
But the council did consider approving an environmental review, tract map and development agreement that would allow Allred and others to begin selling 14 parcels off to prospective developers.
“This is an incredible economic opportunity for Cypress,” Mayor Pro Tem Kyle Chang said during the meeting. “I just want to make sure that our residents are getting the most out of it.”
Cypress residents have already weighed in through successive land-use ballot measures.
Voters rejected development plans a decade ago by a narrow margin.
In 2018, a measure to rezone the property overwhelmingly passed and allows for a town center district, public parks and 1,250 residential and senior housing units. Two years ago, residents approved a specific plan on the ballot to add 676 more housing units on-site to help meet state planning requirements.
Since the measures passed, the race course has donated 9 acres of land for Lexington Park in Cypress while allowing for the construction of 135 townhomes that counted toward the original housing cap.
Frank Sherren, facilities manager and track superintendent, reiterated that races would continue for the foreseeable future.
“There’s no plan for the race course to close,” he said. “We’re going to run as long as we possibly can. It’s Dr. Allred’s passion, his hobby, the love of his life, and we’re going to run quarter horses as long as we can.”
The U.S. horse racing industry finds itself in a steady decline.
Last month, Los Alamitos Race Course canceled two Saturday night cards. The venue came under scrutiny from state regulators last year after a rash of horse deaths. Two more horses died in June despite updated safety measures.
In ushering out decades of horse racing, city staff outlined a 15-year time frame for phased development of individual parcels after the race course closes and is demolished.
The specific plan that governs the property allows for up to 880,000 square feet of commercial development but race course officials asked the city to evaluate the impact of a footprint half the size.
Councilmembers also had questions about the development agreement before them that would lock-in plans for an additional 11 acres of park space.
A privately owned but publicly accessible 8-acre park, a 2-acre floating park with no fixed location yet and a 1-acre park adjacent to Lexington Park would round out the allotment.
“I do have … concerns about the [eight-acre] park doubling as a detention basin,” said Councilmember David Burke. “We’re being told there’s an 8-acre park on the map, but what portion of those acres are going to be publicly accessible and usable?”
Burke cited Nature Park in Cypress, which is rarely accessible to the public due to its storm water detention infrastructure.
Planning Director Alicia Velasco anticipated the issue and drafted a clause that race course executives support. The developers would have to add park space to compensate for any grounds made inaccessible by a storm water detention basin.
Councilmember Bonnie Peat strongly supported the phased development plan.
“It’s very thoughtful,” she said. “It is a great time to build in [and] have community parks as well as private parks for the community. You’ve done everything that I could ever ask for.”
The Garden Grove City Council this week unanimously approved plans for the construction of 26 townhomes on Russell Avenue. Model homes could be open for tours by next year.
Chang asked about local workforce requirements for future housing construction.
“Those questions have a place, and they would have a place when those public hearings occur for those future development items,” Velasco said.
As the public hearing to set the land sales in motion carried on for more than three hours, Burke signaled an interest in continuing the discussion on Aug. 25.
“I think we’ve had plenty of time in the last two years to talk to the community,” Peat said before voting against continuing the hearing.
Councilmembers voted 3-1, with Mayor Leo Medrano having recused himself as he lives across the street from the racecourse.
“I feel like the best opportunity for residents to really understand what this is and what’s going on has been this meeting and the presentation they saw,” Burke said. “I certainly don’t think it would hurt to allow residents an opportunity to go back and watch the video, review the information, reach out to us if they have additional feedback.”
