1990s: a time divided, yet united

(Part 4 of a five-part series)

Even as Yorba Linda’s nearly three decades of explosive population growth slowed considerably during the 1990s, the City Council continued work on the community’s infrastructure, with a variety of major civic projects and recreational facilities completed at a stunningly rapid rate.

However, these impressive improvements often were overshadowed by the public airing of poisonous personal animosities among council members. The bitter feelings became readily apparent as residents began watching the council’s twice-monthly meetings on cable television.

A decade-long array of achievement included the opening of the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace in 1990, the public library expansion in 1992, the completion of the Community Center in 1994, what is now the Thomas Lasorda Jr. Field House in 1996 and the Fairmont Bridge in 1998.

The Bryant Ranch Sports Complex, the Eastside Sports Park, the new Adventure Playground and several other outdoor facilities added to the city’s growing recreational resume in the ’90s. Planning for the high-end Black Gold Golf Club also began in the latter part of the decade.

Most controversial, of course, was the Imperial Highway Improvement Project, which involved landscaping and adding lanes to the aging highway north and south of Yorba Linda Boulevard.

The council’s 3-2 split regarding the Imperial improvements, as well as the massive Vista del Verde housing development along the city’s northern rim, symbolized the divided governing body during most of the ’90s, when nearly every issue became entangled in egos, political plots and intrigue.

Soon after a spirited 1990 election, the astute John Gullixson built a solid three-vote majority on the council. Among Gullixson’s allies at various times were Barbara Kiley, Dan Welch and Gene Wisner, who were often at odds with Mark Schwing and longtime member Hank Wedaa.

Residents became aware of the fierce factional rivalry as they watched live telecasts of council deliberations on the city’s new cable channel, which began airing the meetings in the ’90s. Many citizens trooped to the microphone to add their voices to the discord and disharmony.

One evening, a camera caught Wisner using a middle finger gesture during an appointments discussion, and another night saw an example of Gullixson’s superheated rhetoric, as he told his political nemesis Wedaa, “The bottom line is I’m a better man than you. I’m stronger.”

Proponents of the Imperial widening won a 1998 referendum 12,596 to 7,337, with Gullixson leading a developer-financed battle for the hearts, minds and votes of Yorba Lindans. And a couple of years later, the Vista Del Verde homes started appearing on the northern hillsides.

Residents finally got their fill of the constant wrangling when council mismanaged the departure of 27-year City Manager Art Simonian over charges he paid secret bonuses to himself and other management employees. Voters chose four new council members in 2000 and a fifth in 2002.

Today, Wedaa blames the bitter ’90s imbroglios on Gullixson’s ego and arrogance. “Individuals who had policy differences as council members got along well personally until Gullixson came on. He just didn’t understand personal relationships between individuals,” Wedaa said recently.

But Gullixson’s many supporters say the controversial councilman always took the right course of action, even while admitting that his uncompromising attitude cost taxpayers plenty in legal fees.

A FINAL NOTE

Reader Carol Anderson e-mailed me about my Sept. 9 Generations of Change column, which mentioned the role Watergate played in the city’s acquisition of the Nixon library.

Anderson asked, “What did we really welcome into The Land of Gracious Living?” She also wondered, “What does this truly say about the people and the leadership of Yorba Linda?”

Anderson said Nixon’s legacy involves “deceit, betrayal of trust and one man’s quest for power so strong, that he would stop at nothing in order to get elected. I feel that very same energy has been prevalent in the elections and leadership that our city has endured during the last 12 to 14 years.”

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.