The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 238

B2 THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 1991 LOS ANGELES TIMES Orange County Focus COSTA COSTA IRVINE Costa Mesa Newport Beach Irvine Corona del Mar Northwood Village Project Hearings Set The Irvine proposal to build 2,885 homes that would extend the current Northwood Village on the northern outskirts of the city will have its first major public hearing tonight before the Planning Commission. Another Irvine Co. subdivision, the Westpark II approved by the City Council last December, is stalled by a referendum that will let voters decide the fate of the project in November. The slow -growth group that led that opposition, Irvine Tomorrow, will also be keeping an eye on the proposed Northwood project, chairman Christopher B. Mears said Wednesday.

"We have enormous concern with that development," Mears said, since it will destroy an orange grove and replace it with thousands of homes. The proposal before the Planning Commission's 6 p.m. meeting calls for a 416-acre community with a mixture of single-family homes, townhouses and apartments. Areas would be set aside for a school, parks, church, a child -care center, park-and-ride site and a commercial center. The current proposal is a compromise between the project submitted by the Irvine Co.

and modifications recommended by city planners after a threeyear review process that is typical for a project of this size. Initially, the Irvine Co. opposed adding a commercial center. But the company changed its mind after residents of the existing Northwood Village and city planners requested one, according to Keith Greer, president of the Irvine residential building division. The center is now planned for the southeast corner of the future intersection of Culver Drive and Portola Parkway.

As part of the project, the Irvine Co. would build the proposed Portola Parkway to link Jamboree and Jeffrey roads. Portola would run along the northern boundary of the project. The proposed village, which has been dubbed Northwood 5 because it is inside the city's planning area No. 5, is just outside of Irvine's city limits but within the area destined to become a part of the city.

The land likely would be annexed once plans for the village are approved, As proposed, three-fourths of Northwood 5 would contain houses and townhouses ranging in price from about $500,000 for the houses with larger lots to about $250,000 for the townhouses, Greer said. Although the Irvine Co. and city planners have worked out most differences concerning Northwood 5, some such as affordable housing requirements are still being studied, said Stephanie Keys, an Irvine senior planner. The city's planning goals propose that of the homes in each new village should be affordable to families earning or less of the county's median income, which is $56,380 for 1991 as predicted by the Chapman College Center for Economic Research. But to what extent those goals are translated into ORANGE Shelter for Women, Children Approved After months of negotiations and emotional public hearings, the Orange County Rescue Mission won approval from the City Council this week to build a shelter for homeless women and children in Old Towne.

Despite strong opposition from some neighbors and preservationists, council members voted unanimously to approve House of Hope, a transitional home that will provide shelter, job training and other services for up to 20 women. "It's a dream come true," said John Lands, president of the rescue mission. "We've been working on this since 1985. We're very excited and ready to proceed. I think we're going to be very good neighbors, and will find that out." The project will be the fourth and largest group home run by the mission in the county.

The site, at 357-373 S. Lemon will replace Potter's Church and two homes. said he expects to break ground in September, with construction scheduled to be completed in early 1993. During a public hearing, most project opponents said they did not object to having a shelter in their neighborhood, but argued that the two-story, square-foot structure would aggravate the parking, traffic and overcrowding problems that plague the southwest quadrant of the historic Old Towne district. He left bank without -Police Savings Loan in Costa Mesa after gunman handed a teller at the American money but left the building without it.

Street branch, police searched the NORTHWOOD 5 LEMON Aron HEIGHTS detailed ORANGE COUNTY PROPOSED EASTERN TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR PROPOSED SUBDIVISION SITE Rattlesnake Reservolr IRVINE IRVINE 8LVD PROPOSED PORTOLA PKWY BRYAN AVE Los Angeles Times requirements is expected to be a major point of discussion during the hearings. point of discussion during the hearings. Affordable requirements were a point of contention Planning Commission and City Council hearings on Westpark Il last year. There will be three or so public hearings for Northwood 5 conducted by the Planning Commission, including two next month. The commission's recommended changes for the village will then go to the City Council for consideration.

-TOM McQUEENEY IRVINE Kaiser Weighs Sites for a New Hospital Irvine is among several South County areas being considered for a major new Kaiser Permanente hospital, officials Tustin Orange Santa Ana Garden Grove Westminster Fountain Valley Villa Park Midway City Robert Boice, president of the Old Towne Preservation said the project symbolized overdevelopment and the need to reduce density in Old Towne, "It's not easy to speak out against project like this," Boice said. "But impacts a quadrant that heavily impacted already. It's time to say, -MARY HELEN BERG FOUNTAIN VALLEY 400 Play Softball in Special Olympics More than 400 county athletes competed Wednesday for top honors in the sixth annual Special Olympics softball competition at Mile Square Park. Eighteen teams squared off, with the top scorers scheduled to attend the state finals in June at UCLA. Starting in the morning, the athletesteamed by age and -filled the Fountain Valley Recreation Center's baseball fields at the park.

Madeline Evans, director of the Orange County Special Olympics, said the event KEN HIVELY Los Angeles Times an employee, left, of Downey attempted robbery Wednesday. A Express counter a note demanding the 9:30 a.m. Incident at the Bristol but were unable to find the man. said Wednesday. Kaiser officials said they are looking South County sites to service a growing clientele that numbers more than 6,000 in Irvine alone.

Kaiser's only Orange County hospital in Anaheim and serves 180,000 subscribers countywide. "It is a big growth area and part of our -term plan is to have two hospitals Orange County," said Kaiser spokeswoman Amy Baker. But Baker said plans are in the preliminary stages, and she could provide few details on other locations being studied. In addition, because of planning and building requirements, any new hospital at least 10 to 15 years away from completion, she said. Irvine City Manager Paul O.

Brady Jr. confirmed that three vacant parcels at Alton Parkway and Sand Canyon Avenue have been discussed as possible sites for a new hospital. The land is owned by the Irvine Co. and is located across the street from the new Irvine Medical Center. "We have told Kaiser and the Irvine Co, that we would look favorably upon continuing discussions, and that to have Kaiser in town would be a plus to the city." Brady said.

"But until look at particular plans, I can't give any indication of whether it is something we would recommend." Brady noted that the parcels are not zoned but have been identified as suitasites for a hospital. Kaiser is now constructing a square-foot, 12-office outpatient complex at Barranca Parkway and East Yale Loop in Irvine that will offer family practice, pediatric, dermatology and radiology services. The complex will eventually be expanded to include 24 providers, Baker said. Kaiser also has outpatient clinics in Tustin, Mission Viejo and Santa Ana and mental health facility in Laguna Hills. -CARLA RIVERA CENTRAL A Specie Olymp A Placentia Unified School District team From left: Matt Houghton, Lance is more than just fun for participants, it also boosts their confidence.

"The self-esteem is fantastic," she said. "They now have something of their own, a ribbon or trophy to talk about at the dinner table." The event was co-sponsored by the Fountain Valley Community Services BEACH Mission Viejo El Toro a Laguna Hills Laguna Niguel Rancho Santa Margarita San Juan Capistrano San Clemente Dana Point Laguna Beach Capistrano Beach LAGUNA NIGUEL Campaign to Recall Councilman Dies A recall campaign aimed at unseating City Councilman Paul M. Christiansen was thwarted Wednesday when its supporters failed to file the required petition by the 5 p.m. deadline. The failure marks the end of a recall effort that at one time targeted all five members of the City Council.

The effort was sparked by a controversial ridgeline protection ordinance endorsed by GARY AMBROSE Los Angeles Times 4,000 city voters last fall. Accused officer--San Clemente PoThe four other council members were lice Officer David Wayne Bryan, now targeted as a group when they refused on suspension, stands during Municito approve or place the ordinance on the pal Court arraignment in ballot. The recall effort against them Laguna died in March, also because of a lack of Niguel on rape and assault charges. signatures. Arraignment was postponed until Christiansen, who never openly de- April for Bryan, who faces 13 clared support for the ordinance, was counts.

He is free on $50,000 ball. targeted for recall because he allegedly endorsed it "behind the scenes," said sewer service. Susan Penney, leader of the recall effort. She accused him of "malfea- But sewer lines leading to the property are owned by Laguna Beach, which sance." She added that while has refused to let the water district use her move to unseat Christiansen died the pipes to service Smithcliffs. The it officially killed council's Wednesday, was actually sev- unanimous vote Tuesday was a eral weeks ago.

stinging rejection of agreements drawn "It was a very -key effort," Pen- up between the county and several local ney, a 12-year Laguna Niguel resident water agencies that would have allowed and manager of a travel agency, said of the Irvine district to use the city's sewer the recall drive. "We had actually lines. stopped soliciting signatures quite some After the vote, Peer Swan, president time ago. I had come to the conclusion of the Irvine Ranch Water District, said that the community and the city did not the council's action was a "blatant need any more negative publicity circu- misuse of public funds" because the city lated, regardless of my feelings about may now have to defend its decision in Paul." court. Christiansen said he is happy that the "This city doesn't believe in property recall campaign is over.

rights," Swan said. "They've just can now move to more positive tered away a little bit more and productive community money." he said after hearing of the recall's In February, the city filed suit against failure Wednesday. -LEN HALL the county seeking to overturn a string of decisions by the Board of SuperviLAGUNA BEACH sors, the Local Agency Formation Commission and the Irvine Ranch Water Sewer Service to District that paved the way for the project. Smithcliffs Blocked City Manager Kenneth C. Frank said Laguna Beach filed suit because the city would have been forced to provide the Continuing a battle among Laguna development with police, fire and emerBeach, the Irvine Ranch Water District medical services while and a land developer, the City Council gency being blocked denied property tax revenues, which this week plans for a controversial bluff -top development by refus- Frank said more should be than ing to clear the for sewer service to $100,000 a year.

way the project. "That's what the city should get The council's action Tuesday was the because we're going to be stuck providlatest in a series of attempts by the city ing the services," he said. "There's no to thwart plans to build 26 homes at reason for the Irvine Ranch Water Smithcliffs, a 10.4-acre bluff-top parcel District to be involved in this project next to Laguna Beach. whatsoever." The council has long maintained that A spokesman for the project developthe land should be annexed by Laguna er said earlier this week that a veto of Beach because the city would have to the agreements by the City Council provide a variety of services for the new would not be a surprise and would not community. But the project's developer, stop the project.

Brinderson Real Estate Group, rejected "The easiest way to proceed is to use the city's pleas and instead allowed the the city's sewer line," Steven Fink said. Irvine Ranch Water District to annex "But it's not the only way." the land so it can provide the necessary -LESLIE EARNEST "A lot of cities do not offer programs for the disabled, so this is our contribution," Gibson said. "'The participants love it." The softball tournament was one of 22 Special Olympics events scheduled this year in the county. -LYNDA NATALI SANTA ANA Pay Increase for City Manager OKd The City Council this week approved a pay raise for City Manager David N. Ream -his third raise in just over a year.

The 5-2 vote in favor of the raise increases Ream's annual salary to $135,996. The pay raise, the third for Ream since Jan. 1, 1990, was the first he has requested since taking over the city's top administrative post almost five years ago. The other raises were automatic -ofliving increases, Ream said. With the new pay hike, Ream said, his salary ranks third in the county behind those of the city managers of Anaheim and Irvine, even though Santa Ana is the county's largest city.

Two of the seven council members, John Acosta and Richards L. Norton, voted against the pay raise, claiming that Ream refuses to work with them. "The city manager only serves the that he wants to serve, and they want to perpetuate him and I understand that," Norton said. But "I can't get him to return my phone calls." -GEBE MARTINEZ HENRY DIROCCO For The Times shows off its division first-place trophy. Marnie Hasty and Brian Wessell.

Department and the Rotary Club. Carol Gibson of the Community Services Department said the softball tournament has grown into a communitywide event. Several local groups donate money to sponsor the tournament, including a business that provides umpires and city officials who help with coordination..