Eastland Hills lots downsized for development

February 18, 2010

The Valencia County Commission last night unanimously voted in favor of downsizing lots in the Eastland Hill subdivision located off of Meadow Lake Road.

A variance has been granted on the land owned by Charter Bank, allowing the lots sizes to be reduced by half from 6,500 square feet. The number of homes built on the lots will increase from 74 to 140.

Residents of Eastland Hills argued against the downsizing, saying the increased density of the housing would burden their streets with traffic, threaten structurally-unsound hillside land, and lower the values of their larger lots and homes.

Commissioner Georgia Otero-Kirkham, who represents the area, said she thought long and hard before voting to approve the variance.

She said many of the concerns expressed by residents weren’t the fault of the new developer, Mike Mechenbier, but rather the former developer.

“We can’t make the new developer fix old problems that were created by the old developer,” she said.

Otero-Kirkham was “offended” by residents’ arguments that the smaller lots sizes and homes would attract home buyers who won’t care for their property.

“I’ve been in the title business for 34 years, and for anybody who buys a home, it doesn’t matter what income level or what age they are, they have pride in ownership because it’s the biggest investment they’re ever going to make,” she said.

Residents can appeal the commission’s decision to the 13th Judicial District Court, an action the Eastland Hills Homeowners’ Association last week suggested they might take.

Posted in: Economy