Politics & Government

Should Oaks Project Go Before Voters?

Twenty-nine homes are proposed at the Oaks Farm. The City Council will decide Tuesday whether the voters get to weigh in.

The City Council will decide Tuesday whether a proposed 29-home development at the Oaks Farm should be placed before the voters this November.

The city has a law that requires any change to an area designated as open space to be approved by the electorate.

Shea Homes of Walnut is proposing to shift the existing open space around at the 20.64-acre parcel along Ortega Highway. Currently home to equestrian facilities, the land would be incorporated into the gated community under the proposal.

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The city would end up with slightly more open space, but it would no longer be along a city trail. Instead, it would move to the east end of the property.

Last month, .

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Residents of the nearby Mission Springs tract complained to the Planning Commission that homes so close to their neighborhood would destroy the peace and tranquility they paid for when they bought their homes so close to a designated open space.

City staff, however, is still recommending the council approve the item and put it before the voters.

According to the staff report, the plan – which would still have to come back to the city for approval of the details – is consistent with the city’s goals for development because it would retain the equestrian facilities, complements nearby properties and increases the overall size of the open space.

If rejected, the developer could still propose a project that would build the homes on the north and east ends of the property.

In other business, the City Council is expected to:

  • Look at a request to
  • Consider a request from
  • Switch to a new law firm to provide legal services to the city.


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