Pending the state's review and anticipated acceptance of Yorba Linda's revised housing plan to provide opportunities for 2,415 housing units by 2029, City Council members are expected to formally set an election date for a required public vote on the matter at a July meeting.
The planned ballot measure would be held in conjunction with the Nov. 7 general election that is expected to have a large turnout because of the potential rematch of Joe Biden and Donald Trump in the presidential contest.
A previous ballot measure seeking adoption of a different zoning plan to achieve the state-mandated 2,415 housing unit number was decisively defeated with 75% of voters opposed in November 2022.
Since then, the city “has engaged in one of the most robust, communitywide outreach programs in recent history to garner feedback from all members of the community” on zoning changes needed to meet the state mandate, notes a recent report to the council.
The report, by city Planning Manager Nate Farnsworth, says that 375 residents attended seven workshops on the topic, including 120 at a Planning Commission meeting, 75 at a Community Center meeting and 50 at East Lake Village and Travis Ranch School sessions.
Topics of discussion at the seven October and November workshops were the rezoning recommendations developed by a 17-member Housing Policy Resident Working Group duirng six May and June meetings.
As a result of the public workshop sessions, working group members made several revisions to their initial recommendations. Lengthy reports detailing the initial and revised recommendations are available on the city website.
The state review of the city housing plan is expected to be completed by April, with reviews by the city's Traffic and Planning commissions set for April and May, both in public sessions. More public outreach and informational meetings are planned before the November vote.
According Farnsworth's report, if the state determines the revised housing plan “is not in substantial conformance with state law,” the city “will need to make further revisions and resubmit” for further review.
And according to Farnsworth's report, many residents, including residents in the Bryant Ranch area, “appear to simply oppose the state housing mandates and want the city to fight the state.” Similar comments were made at workshop sessions.
But, Farnsworth reports, the Orange County Council of Governments, of which Yorba Linda is a member, sued the state over the housing numbers issued for the Southern California region.
“Unfortunately, this case lost at the trial court and appellate court levels, and the California Supreme Court refused to even take up this case,” Farnsworth's report says. Other cases, including a related matter in Huntington Beach, have been dismissed.
“Preliminary results have certainly broken in favor ot the state and housing advocates and not local governments,” Farnsworth notes.