I'm tired of the development!

[Morphous01]

Originally Posted by sheri257

What's kind of funny about this thread is ... if the California economy is collapsing like everybody says ...

Why are they building anything? We wouldn't even be having this debate.

They can build new buildings because the developers are (were) using lines of credit.

[tew]

Hey NewportBorn

I know what you mean. I lived in Irvine for 4 years and in that time new apartments and schools were built. Also houses that were in open land and now buildings. It was a short time and lots of new things came up.

[DezertGirl]

Originally Posted by sheri257

What's kind of funny about this thread is ... if the California economy is collapsing like everybody says ...

Why are they building anything? We wouldn't even be having this debate.

Frankly, the "collapsing economy" hasn't hit us here in my general area as hard as it has in other locations and I consider that to be fortunate. But home sales are down, home prices have dropped at least 20% - 30%, many good people have lost jobs, the forclosure rate in the Inland Empire is the worst in the nation (according to one statistic that I saw) and things are in the process of grinding to a halt. Construction of new commercial rental/office/industrial units is mostly contracts being fullfilled, according to my clients that are in the construction business. If certain projects could be paused, they have been. Every single one of my sign clients is reporting slowing sales figures. Some are worried, others are not. That list includes auto repair, auto accessories, auto sales, online jewelry sales, real estate companies, dental implant manufacturing, postal services, trucking, equipment rentals, restaurants, construction, recycling, horse breeding/sales and a painting contractor, to name a few pertinent examples. Many are located in Temecula/Murrieta and many have days that are numbered. I'm in the business of growing business through advertising and signage and it's hard to see these troubles.
Construction in most forms is slowing dramatically. Hopefully, this will cause a catch-up situation and stay further sprawl in the general area. It's at the point that there are more rentals than tenants, and it will have to equalize.
Regarding the sprawl...Riverside County has been buying up land that can only be described as "habitat" and designating these large parcels as preservation areas. No hunting, no off-road vehicles, no hiking, no fishing (where applicable), etc. Just barbless wire fenced acreage. This will help put development on the back burner in many beautiful areas. Does OC have a similar project?
A developer tried to gain approval for tract housing in the tiny town of Anza and the local populace rose up in rebellion. The project was scrapped.

[NewportBorn]

Parts of O.C. are reserved, I think the Irvine company or whatever its called has a fair amount of preserved space.

Then there is like O'neill park and stuff

[Morphous01]

This goes on the line of the topic but I always thought it was interesting when I would listen to some of the story's of some of my customers. I had a window cleaning business that catered from Long Beach, Downey all the way to Ontario, Ca.


Many of my customers were older women in there 60's and they were some of the first people in the neighborhoods. They would ALL tell me story's of how when they first moved into the neighborhood it was NOTHING but orange grove fields. Downey was like this and same with Whitter, Ca.


Sometimes, for me, it was kind of sad when I would analyze the hole change of things. Here is this older lady on her last years, her husband who use to work for some closed up plant has long been deceased, her kids are all grown up and gone, and all around this women is a new generation of people who have grown up in nothing but crime and concrete and no nothing about the simple farm life that once inhabited the area.

[Coldjensens]

I lived in OC for 18 years and watched the endless uncontrolled development. It is amazing to see how much Orange County changed in just that short period of time. Many cities (Coto De Caza, Santa Margarita, and others) did not even exist when we moved to OC. South County was mostly rural. Rancho Santiago college did not exist. Irvine Spectrum was a field of strawberries and/or orange trees.

One thing that OC does right is that they require developers to reserve a certain portion of any development for schools, parks and trails. As a result, south OC has a fabulous park and trail system. Northern OC was developed earlier and did not get the benfit of this wisdom. Much of the land preserved by the Irvine company is difficult or impossible to build on. Much of it is in inland areas where development has not yet expanded. We once thought that the area around Rancho Santiago College would never be developed. Silverado Canyon was out in the middle of nowhere, miles and miles from the nearest grocery store. Now it is only a few miles from the closest subdivision/strip mall.

Restricting development takes a huge effort and a load of money. Developers are very good at suing to get their way, and if they extend the litigation long enough, most public agencies will give up and make a deal. The community where I live now, is anti-development. When a landowner sues them for refusing to change the zoning, the government simply buys the property and preserves it as "green space". This has worked well, but it is very expensive. Zoning is not much protection, becuase it gets changed regularly. If the developers do not succeed in court, then they put a lot of money behind favored politicians who will get them what they want in trade for campaign funds.

of course, In Orange County, the Irvine Company gets to do pretty much whatever they want. If development is controlled, it is because they control it.

[Dean Trails]

Originally Posted by Mtnbkrdr98

What else to say but "Amen" on what you said. Even more so for me, a mountain biker and road cyclist. Also even more spoiled after living in a mountain state. For all who stay and live here in S. Cal/OC, let's hope they do preserve remaining open space. Example: what the Irvine Company did what a few years ago, by donating all the open space Laguna Coast Wilderness Park along Laguna Canyon Road was a noble thing for everybody who enjoys the open space - also Irvine open space reserve areas around Shady Canyon - although access is still artificially limited in many of these areas, unlike more open mountain states.

I am curious. Who pays for the maintenance and upkeep of the open space?

We have a problem paying for all the fountains, trails, bike paths,water features landscaping in our town that the developer put in place as required by the local City Council.

It was so beautiful and wonderful until the City ran out of money to keep the amenties in tip-top shape. Now, the lights go out at night, the fountains are dry, the landscaping died, the bike paths have potholes and the walking paths are reverting back to mud.

Even if open space stays just grasses and trees it still needs weed abatement to prevent wild fires and repairs to landslides when it rains.

A better way is to build out the whole area and have manageable small parks that the residents can take care of. I love open space and trails but not will ing pay the equivalent of my monthly mortgage payment to take care of it.

Just my 2 centavos.

[Coldjensens]

Orange Couty trails maintains the trials. They have been cut to the bare bones and beyond. Now on person is doing the job of two or three. It is amazing that they are able to maintain the trails and mange the construction of new ones at all. However smoehow they are getting by for now.