Fountain Valley to appeal furlough plan

Angelique Flores

FOUNTAIN VALLEY -- The city is working to block a work furlough program

from moving into an apartment building on its border.

Last week, the Orange County Planning Commission voted 3-2 to bring the

halfway house, which would be administrated by Orange County Youth and

Family Services, into the neighborhood.Plans for the 13-unit apartment

complex at 12192 Edinger Ave. have city officials and residents upset.

“We can’t believe the [Orange County] Planning Commission passed this,”

City Manager Ray Kromer said.

The city’s Planning Commission will ask council members at Tuesday’s

council meeting to file an appeal with the county. Appeals to the Board

of Supervisors must be submitted by March 8, Planning Manager Andy Perea

said.

Residents are also taking action, gathering more than 280 signatures on a

petition asking the county to reconsider. However, the proposed

facility’s neighbors do not yet have the $750 needed to file the appeal,

said Veronica Ka, who has helped to lead the effort.

“I hope they’ll consider community resistance,” Ka said.

The Board of Supervisors still needs to review the contract between

the County Probation Department and Orange County Youth and Family

Services. Only if the appeals go through will the board also need to

approve the project.

If approved, the apartment complex would be converted into a facility

housing 50 inmates convicted of lesser crimes, such as drunk driving,

writing bad checks or failing to pay child support. Participants would be

screened before entering the program, and no one with a record of

violence would be admitted.

The criminals would also have 24-hour supervision and an escort when

walking to or by bus stops, said Doug Godbe, the complex’s new owner.

Because those enrolled in the program must pay to be involved, the

program is less expensive than county jail.

“This will benefit citizens because we’ll be able to keep the more

serious offenders off the streets by giving the jails more room,” Godbe

said.

But neighbors are concerned about the safety of their children and the

value of their property.

“I’d have to make prisoners of my kids to protect them,” said Louise

Richardson, a nearby resident who has five children and runs a day-care

program out of her home.

But Godbe disagrees.

Because of an increased police presence, Godbe said crime in the area may

go down. Also, most inmates won’t be allowed to have a car, alleviating

the current parking problems, he said.

Then there are the improvements Godbe said he plans to make. The

apartment complex is now rundown, but Godbe said he will clean up the

property, add a wrought-iron fence and possibly a sidewalk if the work

furlough project is approved.

With the increased supervision and the improvements, Godbe, an attorney

who practices real estate and tax law, said property values should

increase, not decrease.

“No one wants a jail in their city, but what do you do?” Godbe asked.

The city is mostly concerned about the possible increase in traffic on

the cul-de-sac and zoning consistency with the surrounding area. The

area, part of an unincorporated county island, borders Fountain Valley

and the Santa Ana River.

The city’s master plan includes eventually annexing the land where the

building sits. If the county’s plan prevails and the city still annexes

the land, the jail will not be compatible with the area zoned for

residents, Perea said.

Zoning and safety aside, residents who live in the Edinger apartment

complex are more concerned with looking for new places to live.

“I hope they don’t change it. Where will we go?” said Jose Canales, a

three-year resident of the complex.

All 13 units are now occupied. Godbe’s tenant relocation plans, submitted

Friday for approval by the county’s Planning Department, include giving

each tenant back their security deposit and an additional $3,000 to help

with first and last month’s rent on a new place.

However, apartment manager Nguyan Long said he has talked with many of

the tenants, and they don’t want to move.

“Their lives are here,” Long said.

Antonia Cruz, 28, has lived in the complex for five years. She said she

likes the quiet neighborhood and doesn’t want to move her son to another

school.

“There are no gangs, no drugs, no drunkards here,” Cruz said.

Residents of a neighboring gated apartment complex said they may move if

the appeals fail.

“When the project starts, I plan to start looking for a new place,” said

Leticia Islas, manager of the adjacent complex.

Neighbor Bernardo Gomez, concerned about the safety of his wife and five

children, said he’ll do the same.

“If it goes through, I don’t think I’ll stay here,” he said.