2019 in review: Top stories of the year in Fountain Valley
Investment in public resources and revamping public spaces were recurring topics this year for officials in Fountain Valley.
Here are some of the city’s top stories of 2019:
F.V. resident charged after man is shot and dumped in the ocean
Authorities last week arrested a Fountain Valley man on suspicion of luring a man who owed him money to a boat Oct. 14 under the guise of a fishing trip, shooting him and weighting his body before dumping him in the ocean.
The victim’s body was found several miles northwest of Oceanside two days later, authorities said.
Hoang Xuan Le, 38, who federal prosecutors said was selling drugs from his home, was charged with first-degree murder and if convicted could face life in prison without parole or the death penalty.
One of the boat’s owners — Sheila Marie Ritze, 40, of San Juan Capistrano — is charged with being an accessory after the fact, prosecutors said.
Le, who did not enter a plea last week, is scheduled to appear in federal court in Santa Ana on Jan. 2.
Bus shelters and benches to get a face-lift
Citing an effort to enhance the experience of travelers, Fountain Valley is seeking proposals to replace and maintain its bus stops.
The city is home to 142 Orange County Transportation Authority stops — including covered locations and benches — that are showing their age.
Clear Channel Outdoor, which installed the covered bus shelters in 1996 and maintains the current facilities, said its recurring six-month contracts with the city don’t provide opportunities for capital investment in the shelters.
On Oct. 1, the City Council gave the green light for staff to issue a request for proposals for the bus stop face-lift.
According to a staff report, the chosen company will receive a 10-year contract with rights to construct, install and maintain new bus shelters and benches and provide advertising.
Mile Square Park golf course is focus of debate
Orange County is considering replacing one of Mile Square Regional Park’s three golf courses and in the process recouping more than $3 million in back rent, to the dismay of some in the local golf community.
The county has negotiated to take back the Players Course, which occupies 93 acres, and is exploring options to redesignate the space for general use.
The deal would cancel $3.6 million in unpaid rent the county is owed by Mile Square Golf Course LP, operator of the 18-hole Players Course and 18-hole Classic Course.
The Players Course is still open, and the operator has until January 2021 to return the land. A final design for the space is expected next year.
The county organized community forums where county officials presented conceptual plans for the park’s use.
A county survey showed that golf, open pathways and a nature center are among community members’ top priorities for the space.
Golfers say demand for public greens is already greater than the supply and that one less available course might result in an increase in greens fees at other area courses.
City instates flag policy for public property
When faced with the chance to fly a rainbow flag, Fountain Valley in June instated a policy that limits flag displays on public property to governmental symbols.
Only flags adorned with U.S., state or city symbols will wave above City Hall.
However, some residents wanted the council to allow display of the rainbow flag, a symbol of the LGBTQ community.
The City Council instead wanted to create a policy that would ensure consistency in the approval process for outside requests.
City agrees to issue $6.4-million loan to build affordable housing
Fountain Valley agreed in January to loan a developer $6.4 million interest-free to build a 50-unit affordable-housing complex along Harbor Boulevard.
The City Council voted unanimously to loan Related Cos. of California the sum to buy a 2-acre site at 16790 Harbor.
The city will act as a “silent partner” in the project, which is expected to begin construction in late 2020 or early 2021, said City Manager Rob Houston.
Related Cos. has 60 years to pay back the loan. If it defaults or its plans fail, the city will take over the property deed.
All of the project’s housing units will be accessible to residents in the “extremely low” or “low” income range (with “extremely low” being 30% of the area median income).
Eight of the units will be supportive housing intended to keep people who were recently homeless from going back to the streets.
The development will help the city move toward fulfilling its allocation of 4,756 new housing units in the state Regional Housing Needs Assessment.
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