Yorba Linda City Council supports initiative to maintain control of local zoning, land use

 Yorba Linda's City Council has taken another step in the effort to maintain local control over the city's zoning and land use authority in the face of state legislation severely curtailing the city's ability to establish and enforce standards in these areas.

The council has adopted a resolution endorsing a ballot initiative for a future statewide election that would, according to its title, “make zoning and land use community affairs, and not of state interest.”

The initiative, if adopted by state voters, also would retain local laws, such as Yorba Linda's 2006 Measure B “right to vote” ordinance, which requires a public vote on major changes to city planning documents.

The resolution says recent state bills “usurp the authority of local jurisdictions to determine for themselves the land use policies and practices that best suit each city and its residents and instead impose 'one-size-fits-all' mandates that do not take into account the unique needs and differences of local jurisdictions....”

The resolution adds, “The majority of these bills do not provide any incentives or requirements for low-income affordable or moderate-income workforce housing” but will lay out new policies that will “incentivize speculation and result in the addition of market-rate or luxury housing....”

It concludes by supporting the initiative “to ensure that zoning and land use authority rests with the local government entities that represent the communities in which the residents reside, and to allow local government to participate in solving our affordable housing crisis through solutions that effectively address the unique needs and conditions of each local community.”

The initiative, which Yorba Linda Mayor Peggy Huang helped write with other contributors, and which would require an extensive statewide signature drive in order to appear on a future state ballot, calls for land use decisions to be made by local officials.

Local officials, not the state legislature, according to the initiative, can “ensure that the specific, unique characteristics, constraints and needs” of cities “are properly analyzed and addressed.”

The initiative would add to the state constitution provisos that county and city ordinances and regulations “shall prevail over a conflicting state statue.” And no voter-approved local initiative regulating land use “shall be overturned or otherwise nullified by any legislative body.”

Previously, the council has adopted resolutions opposing individual state legislative bills, which would restrict city rules regarding housing units, lot size, parking and other development issues.

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Ninety years ago this week, eight volunteer firefighters began duties in Yorba Linda, using a 1931 Model A Ford truck. Longest serving was Fred Clodt, who retired in 1975. Through the years, volunteers were summoned by bell, whistle and horn. They won “best in state” in 1961.