California Construction News staff writer
Anaheim City Council has rejected a 498-unit apartment complex in the Anaheim Hills over concerns related to wildfire evacuations in the fire-prone area.
The Hills Preserve project includes a seven-story building with 498 upscale apartments and an adjacent 40,000-sq. ft. commercial building with uses still to be determined. The proposal also included 50 acres of preserved open space.
Planned for 76 acres of private property next to Deer Canyon Park Preserve, the project, along Santa Ana Canyon next to the Riverside (91) Freeway, drew mixed reactions from residents and support from construction trade unions.
City staff recommended rejecting the Hills Preserve over concerns that adding so many homes to the area would exacerbate the time it takes to evacuate during wildfires.
SALT Development could present an alternate proposal including affordable housing under what’s known as “builder’s remedy,” a state provision that allows developers to bypass local zoning in cities without a state-approved general plan housing element by including affordable housing in their proposal.
While SALT has communicated to the city about three potential builder’s remedy proposals, there has not been a formal proposal at this time. The developer would need to formally file a plan with the city for environmental and other review.
