Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board adopts upzoning tied to housing element despite residents' warnings about water, parking and displacement risks
Summary
The Board of Supervisors approved zoning amendments and a minimum-density standard intended to satisfy state housing-element requirements; residents from La Colonia Independencia and other neighborhoods warned the upzoning would be difficult to implement, cited infrastructure problems and asked the board to revisit maps but staff said the rezonings are required by HCD to demonstrate capacity.
The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted to adopt zoning code amendments and related general-plan changes aimed at meeting the county's regional housing needs allocation (RHNA) obligations, approving minimum-density changes (30 units per acre) and rezoning multiple unincorporated sites.
Residents from La Colonia Independencia and nearby communities urged caution. "These streets are very small...we have low water pressure and we have to get bigger piping," one resident said, urging staff to consider local water, parking and access constraints. Speakers described the neighborhood as a long-established community with a local water company and small lots; several warned that rezoning without infrastructure solutions would be ineffective and distressing for current homeowners.
Staff and county counsel told supervisors the rezoning path is intended to satisfy Housing and Community Development (HCD) requirements that the county demonstrate realistic capacity for lower-income units. Senior assistant county counsel Nicole Walsh said the rezoning is one of the remaining viable tools to meet RHNA because the county lacks sufficient vacant land; excluding the La Colonia area could reduce the county's assumed capacity and jeopardize the housing element.
Supervisors acknowledged the tension between meeting state requirements and protecting community character. Some members expressed sympathy for residents' concerns and noted many additional steps (lot consolidation, environmental review, will-serve letters for utilities) would be required before any redevelopment could occur. Staff estimated that the rezoned La Colonia parcel set could account for roughly 300 units at the minimum density, but noted that actual development would require owner willingess, lot consolidation and environmental and discretionary review.
The board approved the ordinance and related actions; supervisors recorded an abstention on the item from a member who said the path felt "contorted" but recognized the need to get the housing element approved. Staff said exclusion of specific small areas remains possible but cautioned that doing so could make meeting lower-income RHNA targets more difficult.
Next steps: the county will proceed with finalizing amendments necessary to submit an updated housing element to HCD and implement subsequent environmental review and project-level processes if and when development proposals arise.
