City shifts into 1980s suburban lifestyle
(Part 3 of a five-part series)
While City Council members supporting Yorba Linda’s low-density, semi-rural lifestyle held sway during the entire 1970s, the booming 1980s brought a different mindset, with newly elected representatives much more amenable to making adjustments to the city’s rigid General Plan.
Many of the city’s new residents, who accounted for a near-doubling of the population in the ’80s-era, wanted more services, including an increased emphasis on park development to accompany the growth of youth sports programs, adult leagues and recreational activities.
And some newcomers – refugees from more urban areas – looked askance at many of the city’s long-term residents, who still kept livestock – including chickens, goats and sheep – in their yards.
The change was gradual, according to Irwin Fried, whose 16-year council tenure is the second-longest in city history. Fried says the city’s shift from its rural roots began in the mid-’80s and eventually resulted in today’s suburban setting “with remnants of the rural heritage left.”
“Semi-rural was a mantra. Candidates for City Council couldn’t get elected without pledging allegiance to that concept,” Fried notes. “As time went on, loyalty to that concept in some instances wavered. Some councilmen were loyal, but others didn’t feel that strongly.”
Blunt-spoken Hank Wedaa, who racked up a record 28 years as a council member, agrees with Fried. Some councilmen “talked the talk, but didn’t walk the walk,” Wedaa says, adding that Mike Beverage, Todd Murphy and Gene Wisner cast many density-busting votes.
Wedaa was elected in 1970 as part of the city’s first low-density candidate slate, with Fried arriving in 1976 after four years on the Planning Commission. Murphy began two terms in 1980 and Beverage, one term in 1982. Wisner was appointed in 1983 and re-elected three times.
One major accomplishment of the 1980s councils, according to Fried, was challenging Anaheim for the Savi Ranch territory, which was in Anaheim’s sphere of influence. Yorba Linda ended up with half the land and an important tax base for future city and Redevelopment Agency revenues.
Another achievement was pushing Yorba Linda Boulevard over the railroad tracks to Esperanza Road, which brought a significant increase in traffic through the city. “It couldn’t be prevented by a local jurisdiction,” Fried says, and it allowed customer access to new Savi Ranch businesses.
Fried notes the biggest change from the ’70s to the ’80s was that in the 1970s “everybody knew everybody.” He says he walked the entire city 'during the ’76 and ’80 elections, “but after that it became too large.” And he only walked portions in ’84, ’88 and his final losing campaign in 1992.
Interestingly, a combination of fortuitous circumstances and long-range planning led to Yorba Linda’s current fame as home to the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace. A large portion of the credit goes to Roland Bigonger, the city’s first mayor, who returned to the council in the 1980s.
The luck – for Yorba Linda, if not for Nixon – involved two key events. One was the Yorba Linda School District’s acquisition in 1926 of land surrounding the birthplace as a school site, and the other was Nixon’s Watergate misfortunes, which resulted in his 1974 resignation.
Absent school district ownership, the home wouldn’t have lasted until the ’80s; and without Watergate, the library would have gone to a more prestigious location, or even San Clemente.
The long-range planning involved work by Bigonger and a spirited cast of 1960s-era residents, who created a birthplace foundation in 1968. The group collected furnishings, kept the house and grounds in repair and finally purchased the home and an approximate one-acre lot in 1977.
A library foundation was formed in 1983, but Bigonger couldn’t convince the council to buy the remaining six acres from the school district.
Bigonger won a council seat in 1986. After delays in the San Clemente negotiations, he worked with Nixon and was able to convince his council colleagues to purchase the land and give it to the foundation.
A FINAL NOTE
Today, City Council incumbents and contenders still parrot the phrases “low-density living” and “semi-rural lifestyle.” Sadly, many of the winners still “talk the talk” without “walking the walk,” as they cast votes for higher density inside the city’s original boundaries.
Certainly, the council’s definitions of “low density” and “semi-rural” have changed over the last three decades. And definitions even are modified from pre-election promises to post-election actions.
While City Council members supporting Yorba Linda’s low-density, semi-rural lifestyle held sway during the entire 1970s, the booming 1980s brought a different mindset, with newly elected representatives much more amenable to making adjustments to the city’s rigid General Plan.
Many of the city’s new residents, who accounted for a near-doubling of the population in the ’80s-era, wanted more services, including an increased emphasis on park development to accompany the growth of youth sports programs, adult leagues and recreational activities.
And some newcomers – refugees from more urban areas – looked askance at many of the city’s long-term residents, who still kept livestock – including chickens, goats and sheep – in their yards.
The change was gradual, according to Irwin Fried, whose 16-year council tenure is the second-longest in city history. Fried says the city’s shift from its rural roots began in the mid-’80s and eventually resulted in today’s suburban setting “with remnants of the rural heritage left.”
“Semi-rural was a mantra. Candidates for City Council couldn’t get elected without pledging allegiance to that concept,” Fried notes. “As time went on, loyalty to that concept in some instances wavered. Some councilmen were loyal, but others didn’t feel that strongly.”
Blunt-spoken Hank Wedaa, who racked up a record 28 years as a council member, agrees with Fried. Some councilmen “talked the talk, but didn’t walk the walk,” Wedaa says, adding that Mike Beverage, Todd Murphy and Gene Wisner cast many density-busting votes.
Wedaa was elected in 1970 as part of the city’s first low-density candidate slate, with Fried arriving in 1976 after four years on the Planning Commission. Murphy began two terms in 1980 and Beverage, one term in 1982. Wisner was appointed in 1983 and re-elected three times.
One major accomplishment of the 1980s councils, according to Fried, was challenging Anaheim for the Savi Ranch territory, which was in Anaheim’s sphere of influence. Yorba Linda ended up with half the land and an important tax base for future city and Redevelopment Agency revenues.
Another achievement was pushing Yorba Linda Boulevard over the railroad tracks to Esperanza Road, which brought a significant increase in traffic through the city. “It couldn’t be prevented by a local jurisdiction,” Fried says, and it allowed customer access to new Savi Ranch businesses.
Fried notes the biggest change from the ’70s to the ’80s was that in the 1970s “everybody knew everybody.” He says he walked the entire city 'during the ’76 and ’80 elections, “but after that it became too large.” And he only walked portions in ’84, ’88 and his final losing campaign in 1992.
Interestingly, a combination of fortuitous circumstances and long-range planning led to Yorba Linda’s current fame as home to the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace. A large portion of the credit goes to Roland Bigonger, the city’s first mayor, who returned to the council in the 1980s.
The luck – for Yorba Linda, if not for Nixon – involved two key events. One was the Yorba Linda School District’s acquisition in 1926 of land surrounding the birthplace as a school site, and the other was Nixon’s Watergate misfortunes, which resulted in his 1974 resignation.
Absent school district ownership, the home wouldn’t have lasted until the ’80s; and without Watergate, the library would have gone to a more prestigious location, or even San Clemente.
The long-range planning involved work by Bigonger and a spirited cast of 1960s-era residents, who created a birthplace foundation in 1968. The group collected furnishings, kept the house and grounds in repair and finally purchased the home and an approximate one-acre lot in 1977.
A library foundation was formed in 1983, but Bigonger couldn’t convince the council to buy the remaining six acres from the school district.
Bigonger won a council seat in 1986. After delays in the San Clemente negotiations, he worked with Nixon and was able to convince his council colleagues to purchase the land and give it to the foundation.
A FINAL NOTE
Today, City Council incumbents and contenders still parrot the phrases “low-density living” and “semi-rural lifestyle.” Sadly, many of the winners still “talk the talk” without “walking the walk,” as they cast votes for higher density inside the city’s original boundaries.
Certainly, the council’s definitions of “low density” and “semi-rural” have changed over the last three decades. And definitions even are modified from pre-election promises to post-election actions.
posted by Jim Drummond at 12:00 AM
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