By Tim Keenan
Community Member, Cypress Business Owner, and Former Mayor of Cypress
Over the 43 years I’ve lived in Cypress, I’ve seen our community transform and change. From the growth of our business parks that are home to international companies, to new locally owned businesses, Cypress continues to be a great place to raise a family and take advantage of all that Southern California has to offer.
One positive change on the horizon is the plan by Shea Properties to transform the currently vacant 13-acre parcel on Katella Avenue in front of Los Alamitos Race Track into a new destination ‘city center’ with new retail, entertainment, and dining options.
The Cypress City Council recently approved a development agreement with Shea, which is the first step in a six-month process that will include public input to help shape the site into one that all residents can be proud of.
There are a number of reasons why the proposed project is good for the City and for the wider Cypress community:
- Additional local dining and entertainment options. Shea Properties’ proposal includes a high-end movie theater with food and a bar as well as new dining options. Other potential tenants include a fitness studio and small retailers.
- Dog park and gathering spaces. An open space located behind the housing portion of the property is planned for a dog park accessible to both the residents and the public. The entire project currently proposes features like gathering spaces around fire pits or water features, and landscaped walkways around the project perimeter.
- High-end housing. Cypress is lucky to be home to so many large corporations such as Mitsubishi Electric, Yamaha, United Health, and Rolls Royce. These companies employ professionals who by and large commute to their jobs due to a lack of local housing options. Included on the northwest portion of the site are market-rate, 1- to 3-bedroom apartments that will have resort-like amenities and a private parking garage. This is not low-income or affordable housing, but housing for entry level teachers, accountants, engineers and the like.
- Additional city revenue to maintain city services. The Cypress City Center project is estimated to bring in $800,000 annually in new sales-tax revenue to the city, and generate an estimated $5.9 million in fees to the city that can be spent on improving and maintaining our city’s parks.
Despite these benefits, I know some folks are concerned about the planned ‘density’ of homes, which consists of a four-story, 251-unit apartment complex and private parking garage. Some say this will not only generate too much traffic, but will set bad precedent for density in the area.
However, a closer look reveals the proposed density is consistent with nearby housing developments and the city’s specific plan. Using industry-standard calculations, this project is proposing 19 dwelling units per acre, which is the same allowable density as the nearby Ovation senior housing project under the council-approved Cypress Business & Professional Center Specific Plan.
The overall plan is also consistent with the adjacent Town Center Specific Plan which was “intended to be …a vibrant mix of entertainment, retail, restaurant, commercial and residential uses… [to] enable future residents to live within walking distance of stores, restaurants, and recreational areas, while visitors will be able to walk and shop.”
The city anticipates it will take at least six months for the project reviews to be complete, so it won’t go before the City Council again until summer of 2020. When it does, I’ll be there to support it. My wife and I are looking forward to seeing new restaurants and shops there so we can shop locally and support this city we love. And we hope others will do the same!
Folks can find out more about the project, provide input or ask questions, at CypressCityCenter.com or call the project hotline at (714) 786-3880.