Success of petition drive will have wide ramifications

In just 21 days a grassroots group of political neophytes changed this community’s civic landscape for the better by gathering nearly 10,000 signatures on petitions seeking to overturn the City Council’s developer-pleasing Town Center zoning regulations.

The petitioners included both longtime residents and relative newcomers working to preserve Yorba Linda’s rich rural heritage and low-density lifestyle. Their devotion to this city’s historical essence will have the following short- and long-range impacts:

--Current council members are vulnerable if they seek re-election this November and in 2008, despite their proven ability to attract significant campaign cash from deep-pocket developers and other individuals and businesses whose profits depend on council votes.

The costly anti-referendum campaign backfired, as the developer-funded council and Chamber of Commerce letters and phone calls actually drew residents to the petitions.

In future elections Yorba Lindans will look carefully at who is paying for the signs and colorful mailers purchased by candidates. Funding from developers and their political action committees will be a liability rather than an asset in the coming council contests.

--Mayor Mike Duvall’s campaign for a state Assembly seat has taken a bit of a hit in his own backyard. Although he can’t vote on Town Center issues because of his Old Town property, he’s made clear his support for the current developers and their proposals.

A few residents jokingly say they’ll vote for Duvall to get him off the council, but his manipulative rules changes during the council’s public comment periods angered many.

And some Main Street merchants were not impressed with Duvall’s “damage control” visits the day after the high number of petition signatures caught City Hall by surprise.

--The folksy-named Old Town Yorba Linda Partners face bigger problems, even if they present less-dense residential and commercial plans and withdraw their silly proposal to “reposition” historic buildings to make room for more condominiums and businesses.

Countless petition circulators and signers can testify that the developers violated their original mission statement (which is strangely absent from their redesigned Web site): “We shall always have and show kindness toward Yorba Linda residents, will be affable, be compassionate, and always act in a refined manner.”

Council members need to show respect for their constituents and rescind the exclusive negotiating agreement with the Partners and look elsewhere for development proposals. Certainly, the developers’ recent actions have spoken louder than their pretty words.

--Chamber of Commerce leaders have lost the good will of many citizens and some of their own members. Of course, chamber officials represent the city’s business interests, but businesses need support from residents who treasure the city’s low-density identity.

A Final Note--Council members who first took office in 2000 are still claiming credit for the CNN/Money magazine listing of Yorba Linda as the country’s 21^st best place to live.

They should gather surviving members of the 1970s councils, who were really responsible for establishing the policies that led to the nationwide honor, for long-belated recognition.

And happy Groundhog Day: let’s hope the council sees more sunshine than darkness.