City plans for more housing

Garden Grove is planning for growth as the city planning commission considers changes that would end up creating zoning for 19,168 new dwelling units for all income levels.

The panel will meet on Thursday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. in the Community Meeting Center.

A public hearing will be held on several actions, including general plan amendments that would allow Garden Grove to meet the requirements of its state-mandated Regional Housing Needs Assessment. While the RHNA calls for a change in zoning which could potentially bring tens of thousands of new residents to the city, that doesn’t mean such housing – most of it in higher densities than are typical in suburban communities – will actually be built.

The areas generally affected are:

• along Garden Grove Boulevard at the Beach Boulevard and Harbor Boulevard intersections
• along Harbor between Trask Avenue and Westminster Avenue.
• along Westminster Avenue at the Taft Street and Euclid Street intersections
• Brookhurst Street south of 15th Street and
• the southeast corner of Katella Avenue and Magnolia Street.

The areas designated would be converted from a land use designation of commercial or industrial nature to mixed use (housing and retail, typically) or residential uses.

Planners will be asked to recommend the changes to the city council.

Also at the meeting is a continued public hearing on a proposal to expand the shopping center at the northwest corner of Westminster Avenue and Brookhurst Street by adding four new buildings. The biggest store currently is a Target department store.