Public tours scheduled for Yorba Linda California Temple; Townhomes to be built on a portion of Messiah Lutheran Church property; new Yorba Linda church, building in planning stages

 

Some notes on church-related construction in Yorba Linda:

--The public is invited to tour the recently completed Yorba Linda California Temple, serving some 21,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the intersection of Bastanchury Road and Osmond Street (17130 Bastanchury Road).

The all-age tours are scheduled Thursday, April 30, through Saturday, May 23, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. through 8 p.m. Saturdays, except before 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 2.

The 30,000-square-foot temple on 5.4 acres with 172 parking spaces replaces a meeting house and baseball diamond at the site and is the ninth in California, fifth in Southern California and second in Orange County after Newport Beach, dedicated in 2005.

The city Planning Commission approved construction on a 4-1 vote in May 2022, with a condition that reduced the height of the steeple. Groundbreaking was held in June 2022.

The walking tours are free and last about 30 minutes. Reservations are recommended because of limited parking. Temple dedication is scheduled for June 7, after which only members are allowed inside the facility. Temple telephone is 714-798-2606.

--At Messiah Lutheran Church on the northwest corner of Yorba Linda Boulevard and Liverpool Street, Olson Urban Housing will build 40 three-story condominium units on 1.9 acres on the south parking lot of the church’s 6.2-acre property.

The project is in residential urban and congregational land overlay zones. The 40 units include 22 detached units and 18 attached units and include four each one- and two-bedroom units, 18 three-bedroom units and 14 four-bedroom units, ranging from 976 to 2,010-square-feet.

Eight units will be set aside for moderate income-restricted households, making the project eligible for waivers or reductions of development standards that would otherwise prevent the project from being built at the permitted density.

The project proposed waivers for building setbacks, building separation, landscaping and open space requirements. Planning Commission approval was 5-0 with conditions.

Other recent Olson projects: Vista Walk and Portola Walk in La Habra and Jasmine Walk in Buena Park and, in 2006, the Presidential Walk homes south of the post office in Yorba Linda.

The 20-foot-high, stainless steel “Love God, Love One Another” cross fronting Yorba Linda Boulevard will be moved to a central campus location in a new Plaza of the Cross. The cross, created by artist David Price, was dedicated 15 years ago.

--Two churches have projects in planning stages: The Church in Yorba Linda for a two-story, 14,800-square-foot sanctuary, dining hall and classrooms at the northeast corner of Imperial Highway and Los Angeles Street, and the Yorba Linda Friends Church for a two-story, 30,000-square-foot building with seven classrooms and multi-purpose room at 5091 Mountain View Ave.

E-bikes, development committee, academic review, superintendent-trustee agreement highlight Yorba Linda City Council, Placentia-Yorba Linda school district actions

 Short notes on current concerns and matters affecting Yorba Linda:

--E-bike safety is a concern of Yorba Linda city and Placentia-Yorba Linda school district officials, with Chief of Police Services De Anne Wigginton stating at a recent council meeting that sheriff’s deputies work with schools to raise awareness and host community meetings.

Wigginton also stated deputies are continuing enforcement efforts, but they do not pursue riders due to safety considerations, and she noted instances in which young riders flee from deputies. She said parents are welcome to view body camera footage of such instances.

Deputies receive daily complaints from pedestrians and equestrians about e-bikes, Wigginton said. She noted the district attorney filed child endangerment charges against a Yorba Linda parent who modified a 12-year-old child’s e-bike that resulted in critical injuries to the child.

An e-bike safety meeting is scheduled June 15 at 6 p.m. at the Yorba Linda library.

--Yorba Linda City Council has created an ad hoc economic development committee to “foster long-term prosperity through economic growth and support its vibrant business community.” Mayor Carlos Rodriguez appointed himself and Mayor Pro Tem Peggy Huang as members.

The committee will support the city’s economic development through business outreach and support; economic development strategies and initiatives; policies and regulations to support business retention, attraction and expansion; and long-term economic vitality strategies.

--Future actions regarding instructional programs for students are likely to be guided by a consultant’s report entitled Review of Academic Functions presented at a recent meeting of Placentia-Yorba Linda school district trustees.

The report noted that high leadership turnover, including employing six superintendents in seven years, has “greatly impacted the health of the (district’s) ecosystem….” The turnover in assistant superintendent positions is now complete with the hiring of Candace Perez as deputy superintendent of academic leadership team.

Eight district strengths, 10 challenges and eight recommendations form the basis of the report. Future columns will focus on how the district will meet the challenges and implement the recommendations.

--A 406-word “working agreement” between the Placentia-Yorba Linda school district’s elected trustees and Kym LeBlanc-Esparza, hired on a 5-0 vote as the district’s superintendent Oct. 6 has been approved on a 5-0 vote.

The long-needed agreement notes the board’s responsibility to establish policy and the superintendent’s responsibility to manage the district and outlines professional practices and specific communication policies between the board and superintendent.

Two key provisions: Trustee requests for information from staff go through the superintendent and information from the superintendent to one trustee will be disseminated to all trustees.