Help save open space on Santiago creek
For years sand and gravel companies mined Santiago Creek for sand and gravel and when that was exhausted, filled the pits with concrete, asphalt, wood, metal or used them for silt ponds. And then they walked away! Most of these former pits are now zoned for open space (OS)—to be used for recreation (sport fields) and park use (trails, picnic areas, etc.).
As developers have built out most residentially-zoned properties along the creek, there are attempts to change these OS areas to residential and commercial zones.
Surrounding neighborhoods are currently opposing two such proposed projects:
- The Chapman-Yorba Senior Housing Project—consisting of five 3-story buildings right on the creek, wrapping around the existing neighborhood on the north and west sides very close to the adjoining single-family properties
- The Kornerstone (green burial) Cemetery project located on an old household methane-generating dumpsite located immediately south of the Yorba Dog Park. UPDATE: This project has been pulled.
The neighborhoods most affected by these two projects are opposed to these non-compatible uses which drastically affect their quality of life and the whole city loses a lot of designated open space which benefits the entire community.
Any support you can give us in the form of letters to the City Council, speaking (or just appearing) at public hearings—before the City Planning Commission and City Council—would be very helpful and greatly appreciated.
THe Chapman Yorba VIII Project
The Chapman-Yorba Senior Housing Project consisting of five 3-story
apartment buildings which loom over the single-family homes in the adjacent neighborhood, is located
on Santiago Creek north of the intersection of Yorba St. and Chapman Avenue.
This former gravel pit site which became an unpermitted dumpsite is now zoned Open Space and provides only one dedicated access, which may impact access to the hospital’s emergency facility to say nothing about adding to already congested Chapman Avenue. The developer
is also asking to be granted a portion of Grijalva Park to be used as a permanent “emergency access” road.
The neighborhood and other concerned citizens oppose this project because:
- It is much too massive for the small size and unusual shape of this property and locates the buildings very close to residential homes.
- It would require changing the zoning from Open Space (which the city has too little of) to Commercial in order to construct buildings as high as 3-stories.
- The public would forever lose a portion of Grijalva Park which constitutes an illegal gift of public funds.
- Such a large project with its attendant safety requirements may impact the integrity of Santiago Creek.
The Kornerstone Cemetery
UPDATE: This project has been pulled.
