City Council signs off on Fountain Valley Crossings plan

Fountain Valley leaders’ long-term vision to create a “main street-”style hub for residents to shop and dine in the southwest portion of the city took a step forward Tuesday night.

The City Council voted unanimously to approve the Fountain Valley Crossings Specific Plan, a package of zoning changes that could eventually allow redevelopment of 162 acres of a mostly industrial area bordered by Ward Street, Talbert and Ellis avenues and the Santa Ana River.

The specific plan will allow development of a mix of uses including retail, office, industrial and up to 491 homes in an area that has been zoned for manufacturing, according to a city staff report.

Mayor Pro Tem Steve Nagel said he’s looking forward to new opportunities for landowners to improve their properties and further the city’s goal of financial stability.

“I believe this is something we need for the future,” he said. “This is a good step to revitalize an area that’s underutilized.”

The Crossings plan is a framework to guide future development in the area, much of which was developed in the 1970s and hasn’t seen many changes since, according to city staff.

City Planning and Building Director Matt Mogensen said the plan would give property owners incentive to invest in their properties, which could increase property tax revenue and allow more sales-tax-generating uses over the next two decades.

Council members and staff emphasized that Tuesday’s vote won’t bring changes overnight. The plan does not identify specific development projects.

“This plan is all private ownership-driven,” Mogensen said.

The Planning Commission unanimously approved the Crossings plan in May. The council took up the issue in June but postponed a vote on an environmental report to allow more public comment. The city recently released a revised report that made some changes, mostly to the traffic component.

The council’s vote Tuesday, which included certification of the environmental report, followed about an hour of public comment in which some residents spoke in favor of the plan, saying it would “move the city forward,” while others said the change would make already frustrating parking and traffic problems worse.

Some residents in previous public meetings raised concerns about potential stress on infrastructure and local schools.

“This is very, very defective,” resident Kim Constantine said Tuesday. “It’s not a good thing. This is going to change our city for the worst.”

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @HannahFryTCN