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Buena Park council approves $1.5M budget amendment to facilitate Auto Center Drive development
Summary
Council approved an amendment to a purchase and sale agreement and a $1,500,000 budget amendment to pay the city’s portion of power‑line relocation needed for a Cadillac dealership at 6245 Auto Center Drive. Staff said the developer will pay frontage relocation; the city share (over I‑5 ramps) remains an estimate pending SCE final costs.
The Buena Park City Council on Sept. 9 unanimously approved an amendment to a purchase and sale agreement for city‑owned property at 6245 Auto Center Drive and authorized a $1.5 million budget amendment to cover the city’s estimated share of required power‑line relocation.
Director Matt Folkes told the council the site is slated for a two‑story Cadillac dealership; since the city’s initial sale approval in 2024, utility providers Southern California Edison (SCE) and Caltrans have required relocation of power lines along the property’s southern frontage and across freeway ramps. Folkes said the developer will pay relocation costs that affect the dealership frontage, while the city would pay for relocation where lines run over and reconnect across the I‑5 ramps. Staff called the city’s portion “projected to be about $1,500,000” but said SCE had not finalized the final number.
A resident, Don Hammonds, urged the council to reject the proposal, calling it a missed chance to prioritize truly affordable housing over luxury development. Hammonds told the council, “This project, as it stands, is a missed opportunity and a step in the wrong direction for our city” and urged the council to require a significant portion of dedicated affordable units instead.
Folkes said the auto mall contributes substantially to sales tax revenue and that the city has roughly 3,000 housing units in varied stages of planning or construction, including projects identified as affordable. The council voted to approve the amendment and budget amendment; the motion passed unanimously.
Next steps: staff and the city attorney will finalize the agreement amendment and execute the documents so the developer can proceed toward construction, which Folkes estimated could begin in 18–24 months after groundbreaking.
