With the need for housing in California becoming a monster, gobbling up a spacious way of life, Rossmoor Directors told Orange County officials this week that they don’t want to become a casualty of the county’s need for space.
Orange County planning officials Cindy Salazar and consultant Ashley Broadkin appeared before the Rossmoor Board of Directors at their July meeting on Tuesday to update RCSD on the county’s overall General Plan.
Directors listened to Salazar and Brodkin, but then quizzed them on how the new rules for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s) might affect Rossmoor and they expressed concern that multi-story housing units might replace businesses on the property located at the intersection of Los Al Boulevard and Katella Ave.
When it came to the update on the County’s Housing Element, Salazar said the county must plan to develop 10,406 residences in the next eight years, prompting fears already expressed by the Directors to resurface.
“We understand it’s a policy,” said First Vice President Tony Demarco, referring to the housing element. “But it’s out of our hands almost,” he suggested.
Nevertheless, Demarco used an example of a single-story restaurant, worth $3 million, but given the opportunity to build six-story condos “like they’re building on Beach Boulevard and all over Orange County.”
“A developer is going to come in and just give these people money,” he said.
Demarco asked the officials to confirm that, if the corner at Los Al Blvd. and Katella were converted to housing, condos could indeed be built six stories tall.
“If they stay under the 65-foot limit, then yes,” said Brodkin.
In addition, Demarco said they are also worried about the conversion of local churches into housing.
“I can tell you that’s what our community is concerned very concerned about, is the conversion of our churches, the conversion of our commercial property.
We do not want to lose our single-family areas,” he said, asking the OC Planning officials to explain new laws that allow duplex and ADU’s.
Brodkin said lot owners who split their properties are still allowed only four total units, not four units and four units on each part of the newly split lot.
“That (four-unit) limitation of the four units still applies,” Brodkin said. “If they split it, they would be getting to a single family and an ADU and the same for the other lot. It is a maximum of four,” she said.
Nevertheless, Rossmoor, a stand-alone community of more than 3,000 single-family homes, has long prided itself on its quality of life. With a full-time arborist, the community is also extremely proud of its well-known urban forest.
New state laws that allow duplexes where single-family homes now sit and the unending quest for new units associated with various Housing Elements have created urgency while the state has taken much of the housing authority from local communities.
Both Salazar and Brodkin answered Demarco’s detailed questions about zoning, construction, and what impact the county’s Housing Element might have on Rossmoor.
Facing future threats to Rossmoor’s serenity, Board President Michael Maynard put the fate of Rossmoor in the county’s hands.
“As you can tell by the tone of this Board, we’re obviously concerned about our neighborhood, mainly maintaining what has been here since the mid-50s,” Maynard told the OC officials.
“And when we think about threats to the lifestyle that we’ve all become accustomed to and moved to the support community, we moved to this beautiful community, he said.
“I know you have jobs to do, you have to identify, you have to designate, but it becomes a slippery slope,” said Maynard, suggesting it will become a “temptation” for business owners to cash in.
“It becomes a temptation for a business owner who runs a restaurant to say you know what, I’m done with this. I’m retiring,” said Maynard. He said with these rules in place, developers will be scouring neighborhoods looking for properties on which to build.
“it is a threat. It does become a slippery slope for things to happen,” Maynard. “Especially at the fast pace that we’ve seen other neighboring cities having to deal with,” he said.
“We shake our heads and we can’t believe Sacramento is not only allowing for it, it is mandating this and actually threatening cities and communities with lawsuits and penalties,” the board president said.
Maynard said the company is “frightened” and asked for Orange County’s help.
Whatever you can do to mitigate…a frightened community, I’ll call it out,” said Maynard.
“We’re concerned about the threat. And we thank you for coming here and putting up with our questioning. We want to encourage you to protect us and find out a way to protect us we need your help.”