ridgeline | history
Ridgeline Country Club has served the City of Orange and surrounding areas for over 40 years. The Club included 14 championship tennis courts (all with lights), a nine-hole executive golf course, driving range (with lights), golf and tennis pro shops, locker rooms, lounge area, exercise gymnasium (with full universal weight system), Jr. Olympic-size pool, and much more. The Club was proud to be home of the Orange County Tennis Academy and the Orange County Golf Academy – one of the largest and most successful junior golf programs in the country.
Several attempts to build homes on Ridgeline have been met with strong opposition. In 2006, the Club was sold to an investor group and over time it was closed. In 2011 the City approved a general plan amendment to allow homes. Citizens qualified a referendum for the 2012 election. The developer sued the City and Orange Citizens, trying to force the referendum off the ballot. The court ordered the measure back on the ballot. The voters soundly rejected the City Council approval. Unfortunately the developer continued litigation against Orange Citizens instead of accepting the election results. Orange Citizens lost at the lower and trial courts. The State Supreme Court decided to take up the Orange Citizen case on October 30, 2013. Briefs were filed and 3 years later oral arguments were scheduled for September 29, 2016. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 — 10:45 A.M. Opening Remarks: Historic Special Session before the Cal. Supreme Court Orange Citizens For Parks and Recreation et al. v. Superior Court of Orange County (Milan REI IV LLC et al., Real Parties in Interest), S212800 The Legislature requires that each city and county adopt a long-term general plan for its development. The general plan controls over subsidiary land use plans. During the process of drafting and implementing these general plans, localities must balance numerous competing environmental, social and economic interests while facilitating public participation in the plan’s development. This case concerns the City of Orange’s general plan, as it relates to a residential development proposed by real party in interest Milan REI IV LLC. In 2011, the City approved the development even though the City’s 2010 General Plan appears to designate the property as “Open Space.” At first, the City advanced the development by amending its general plan to expressly permit residential development on the property. But in response, the Orange Parks Association and a political action committee called Orange Citizens for Parks and Recreation (together “Orange Citizens”) challenged the City’s amendment by referendum. The City then concluded that approving the general plan amendment was unnecessary, because a 1973 resolution permitted the development, and as a result, the referendum, whatever its outcome, would have no effect. In November 2012, the voters rejected the general plan amendment. The City contends that the 2010 General Plan’s “Open Space” designation and the referendum do not render the development inconsistent with the general plan because the 2010 General Plan incorporates another plan, the Orange Park Acres Plan, as a specific plan. Although this plan also describes the property as “Open Space,” it was amended by resolution in 1973 to permit residential development on the property. Since that time, the City of Orange’s general plan has twice undergone significant revisions — once in 1989 and again in 2010. Because cities are owed the utmost deference in how they organize and interpret their general plans, the City argues, the supreme court must defer to the City’s determination that the 1973 resolution permitting residential development is part of the city’s general plan. This case first requires the court to decide whether the residential designation from 1973 has been incorporated into the city’s general plan, and then whether the development is consistent with that plan. Court hearing can be viewed on You Tube: https://youtu.be/lkbXEtb3Bt4 ### 2012 "NO ON FF" ELECTION RESULTS![]() |