A renewed effort is underway in Yorba Linda to determine a public use for 27 acres of city-owned land purchased from the Shell Oil Company in 1996 and 2005.
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The undeveloped property is located south of Lakeview Avenue between Casa Loma and Eureka avenues. A provision in each of the sale documents prevents the land from being used to build housing, and any use of the land must be for a public purpose.
A recent “community conversation” was held at Lakeview Elementary School “to connect with the neighborhood surrounding the site and the community at-large,” according to a report to the City Council from City Manager Peter Grant.
“The goal of this transparent and collaborative process is to engage the community to help define and shape what might become of the site,” Grant told council members.
He also said the council “will consider a plan for additional community engagement at an upcoming meeting. The next steps … are expected in early 2027, after the year-end holiday season,” depending on state approval of a council-passed resolution, he said.
The resolution declares the property to be “exempt surplus land” because of the deed provision that prohibits housing on the property. Without the exempt status, the acreage would be subject to the state’s Surplus Land Act.
The act mandates that cities must offer surplus properties for affordable housing opportunities unless an exemption applies.
The law allows an exemption when legally binding restrictions prohibit housing, as in the case of the land the city identifies as the West Bastanchury Site.
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The resolution, part of a 5-0 consent calendar vote by the council, “does not authorize sale, lease, development or any specific future use. It ensures compliance with state law and preserves flexibility for future community engagement and decision-making,” Grant reported.
Among public uses permitted for the property: city hall, fire, police, recreational or athletic facilities; child or adult day care facility; civic center buildings; city vehicle and equipment storage; community center or garden; library; museum; post office; private or public high school.
Most of the property was once part of a larger 32-acre parcel proposed for a Friends Christian High School for 1,200 students. The city leased the land to school organizers for a 10-year period from 2003 through 2012, with payments beginning in 2007.
The campus, expected to cost $53 million, was slated for a 2013 opening. Before the plan was dropped, organizers spent $14 million, $3 million on lease payments and $9 million on entitlements and improvements.
Organizers asked council to allow purchase of the land or an option to purchase in the lease; otherwise, they said, large donors would not continue their contributions. They said the lease terms were “onerous,” and they couldn’t obtain a $39 million bank loan.
After several missed lease payments, the council terminated the lease on a 4-0 vote in 2012.
Jim Drummond is a longtime Yorba Linda resident. He regularly gives his take on local issues. Send e-mail to [email protected].
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