High school, housing numbers raise questions
Readers lately have asked about Friends Christian High School and for clarification on the number of low-cost housing units mandated for the city under state law. Here’s the latest, as gleaned from recent City Council documents, discussions and actions:
First, council voted in closed-door session to reject a Friends Christian request to amend the lease between the school and city for the 32-acre campus located on city-owned land on the north side of Bastanchury Road, between Eureka and Casa Loma avenues.
The request, from school official Dan Duffy prior to the closed-door meeting, was for council to “consider allowing FCHS to purchase the land or add an amendment to the current lease to allow an option to purchase,” according to Aug. 16 meeting minutes.
During a later public portion of the meeting, Councilman John Anderson said the request was due to three reasons, including “the cash flow drain of $210,000 per quarter with a 3 percent increase per year,” after a resident sought information on the closed-door item.
Other reasons: “FCHS has met with high net worth people who desire ownership of the property before they commit to multi-million dollar grants, gifts, loans” and “numerous discussions with underwriters who…indicated that without any collateral to secure the loan, an extended...lease would not be adequate during the difficult economic downturn.”
Anderson added, “FCHS indicated they intend to live up to the lease even if the city does not agree to their request,” which the city didn’t in a 4-0 closed-door vote (Jim Winder absent).
During public comment at the Sept. 20 meeting, Duffy said that more than $14 million has been invested in the project to date, including $3.2 million in lease payments to the city. (The lease was signed March 2003 and payments began July 2007.)
The school’s website lists a scheduled opening in September 2013 for an ultimate 1,200 students. “Parents and students need not be Christian to attend FCHS, but parents must agree to support the school’s Christian philosophy of education and allow their children to personally accept the Christian faith,” the website states.
Second, housing numbers can be confusing, especially when individuals quoting the figures don’t accurately state the number of units mandated in the various categories.
Under state law, the Southern California Association of Governments is responsible for determining a “fair share” of housing allotments in this area, according to a June report from Community Development Director Steve Harris and Housing and Redevelopment Manager Pam Stoker.
“SCAG allocated the region’s 699,398 housing unit growth needs to each city and county through a process called the Regional Housing Needs Assessment,” they noted. The total for Yorba Linda in 2008-2014 is 2,039 new units.
The 2,039 units are divided into four categories: 460 for very low income, 371 for low income, 412 for moderate income and 796 for above moderate income.
A key statement in the Harris-Stoker report: “As the RHNA represents a planning target and not a building quota, so long as the city provides sufficient sites and does not impose constraints to development, the city is not required to construct the 2,039 units and is not penalized for falling short of its RHNA goals.”
First, council voted in closed-door session to reject a Friends Christian request to amend the lease between the school and city for the 32-acre campus located on city-owned land on the north side of Bastanchury Road, between Eureka and Casa Loma avenues.
The request, from school official Dan Duffy prior to the closed-door meeting, was for council to “consider allowing FCHS to purchase the land or add an amendment to the current lease to allow an option to purchase,” according to Aug. 16 meeting minutes.
During a later public portion of the meeting, Councilman John Anderson said the request was due to three reasons, including “the cash flow drain of $210,000 per quarter with a 3 percent increase per year,” after a resident sought information on the closed-door item.
Other reasons: “FCHS has met with high net worth people who desire ownership of the property before they commit to multi-million dollar grants, gifts, loans” and “numerous discussions with underwriters who…indicated that without any collateral to secure the loan, an extended...lease would not be adequate during the difficult economic downturn.”
Anderson added, “FCHS indicated they intend to live up to the lease even if the city does not agree to their request,” which the city didn’t in a 4-0 closed-door vote (Jim Winder absent).
During public comment at the Sept. 20 meeting, Duffy said that more than $14 million has been invested in the project to date, including $3.2 million in lease payments to the city. (The lease was signed March 2003 and payments began July 2007.)
The school’s website lists a scheduled opening in September 2013 for an ultimate 1,200 students. “Parents and students need not be Christian to attend FCHS, but parents must agree to support the school’s Christian philosophy of education and allow their children to personally accept the Christian faith,” the website states.
Second, housing numbers can be confusing, especially when individuals quoting the figures don’t accurately state the number of units mandated in the various categories.
Under state law, the Southern California Association of Governments is responsible for determining a “fair share” of housing allotments in this area, according to a June report from Community Development Director Steve Harris and Housing and Redevelopment Manager Pam Stoker.
“SCAG allocated the region’s 699,398 housing unit growth needs to each city and county through a process called the Regional Housing Needs Assessment,” they noted. The total for Yorba Linda in 2008-2014 is 2,039 new units.
The 2,039 units are divided into four categories: 460 for very low income, 371 for low income, 412 for moderate income and 796 for above moderate income.
A key statement in the Harris-Stoker report: “As the RHNA represents a planning target and not a building quota, so long as the city provides sufficient sites and does not impose constraints to development, the city is not required to construct the 2,039 units and is not penalized for falling short of its RHNA goals.”
posted by Jim Drummond at 12:00 PM
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