Town Center Development is a PRIORITY

By Jan M. (McKane) Horton

Town Center Development is priority. The community has waited 20 years for restaurants, a public amenity and additional shopping opportunities.

Town Center Development is priority. The community has waited 20 years for restaurants, a public amenity and additional shopping opportunities.

My positions:

• Redevelopment agency funds should be used to promote development of the Town Center to provide affordable retail space, public amenities and parking opportunities
• The majority of the older homes on Lakeview and in the Town center area are not historic. They are poorly situated in the Town Center area. I support saving these homes if they are moved to another location and they are rehabilitated with private funding.
• I do not support a Town Center plan that ignores existing homeowners or business owners located on Arroyo, School or Main streets. I will not use eminent domain to cause these individuals to lose their property.
• The Town Center development should reflect our community. One community goal of the area is to keep tax dollars in Yorba Linda. However, we should not over-develop the area and lose the hometown feel of our community.

• I live within 500 feet of the Town Center Redevelopment Agency.
• Due to my proximity, I have worked with the Fair Political Practices Commission, outlining what I can vote on in the Town Center Project area.
• This is an on-going process as new portions of the plan come before the Council.

• I am and have been able to vote on projects outside 500 feet of my residence. From my home, that distance does not reach Lakeview, stopping about 75% through the Strawberry Field, AKA Site 13, and a smaller portion of the Altrudy property.
• I have been able to propose and implement programs that upgrade Main Street such as the facade improvement program and the soon to be installed Main Street arch.
• I supported and voted on the Habitat for Humanity project on Park and YLB
• I have participated in giving staff direction in the continued development of the Town Center plan.
• I have been allowed to participate in the public meeting discussions with our consultants to develop the general Town Center plan, excluding the sites mentioned above.
• I am not allowed to ratify the Environmental Impact Report or the Specific Town Center Plan.
• Once plans are determined for Site 13 and the Altrudy site, I will have easier opportunities to participate in the Town Center project.

• I have used the City Attorney as my personal attorney throughout this process.

• I retained my own attorney to assist me throughout this process.
• I have personally spent over $5000 to obtain the needed FPPC permissions to participate in Town Center discussions.
• The City staff did ask for legal interpretations of the FPPC letters I obtained resulting in legal fees.
• The staff additionally asked the FPPC for conflict determinations on a few projects that did generate legal costs. This was not at my direction.
• The cost to the community was about $8000 in total.