Furlough free

Angelique Flores

FOUNTAIN VALLEY-- Residents such as Veronica Sanchez will no longer have

to move out of their apartments to make way for a work-furlough facility.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted 4 to 1 to uphold the city of

Fountain Valley’s appeal to prevent the apartment complex at 12192

Edinger Ave. from being converted into a halfway house.

The facility would have housed 50 inmates convicted of lesser crimes,

such as drunk driving, writing bad checks or failing to pay child

support.

The project has had residents, as well as city officials, in an uproar

since the county’s Planning Commission approved plans in February. At

least 227 residents signed a petition to stop the project. The city

appealed the commission’s plans last month because of potential zoning,

safety and traffic problems that a halfway house would pose.

“That’s good that this was the final decision,” said Sanchez, who lives

at the complex with her husband and two children. She said she didn’t

know where her family would go if they had to move out.

Besides the 13 families living in the building, other nearby residents

are also relieved.

“It’s super,” said Louise Richardson, a resident who has five children

and runs a day-care program out of her home. “[The Board of Supervisors]

heard each one of us and the fears we had for our safety.”

Though there’s a need for this type of facility, the county agreed with

the city that this was not the right location.

“Whether it’s real or perceived, the fear is there. And we have no right

to do this to these people,” Supervisor Chuck Smith said.

Neighbors were concerned about the safety of their children and the value

of their property. They supported the city with the appeal filed last

month.

Though the building sits on an unincorporated county island, it borders

Fountain Valley and the Santa Ana River. The city opposed the project

because of a possible increase in traffic on the cul-de-sac and zoning

inconsistency with the surrounding area if the city annexed the island --

which the county hopes they will.

“We don’t want to make annexation difficult,” Smith said. “We’re trying

to encourage it not discourage it.”

The county has not had a work-furlough facility since 1995. The Orange County Probation Department has been working for two years to establish

one in a central location of the county.

“It’s important for the community, and we’d like to see it go into the

community,” said Rod Speer, a spokesman for the Probation Department.

“Now we’re back to the drawing board.”

Still, Sanchez, her neighbors and the city are glad the facility will go

elsewhere.

“They did a wonderful thing for the community, and we appreciate it,”

Mayor Guy Carrozzo said.