Early results showed support for passing three different housing ballot measures in the cities of Cypress, Huntington Beach, Yorba Linda, though Yorba Linda’s Measure KK was losing by a wide margin in early voting results Tuesday night.
Voters in three Orange County cities decided on ballot measures related to the development of housing. In Cypress and Yorba Linda, their choice could help set zoning for where more housing might go, and in Huntington Beach, their decision could make residents more involved in future decisions on new plans.
LIVE ELECTION RESULTS: See a chart of the latest vote counts
City officials in Cypress asked voters to approve Measure S, with zoning changes to allow for an additional 676 homes to one day be built at the Los Alamitos Race Course – for a total of up to 1,791.
Cypress needs voter approval to update the city’s housing element for the race course since it’s a part of 2018’s Measure A town center plan. The city needs to zone for more homes to comply with state housing law.
There are no immediate plans to close the race course and any development there would have to come from the owners wanting to redevelop the property.
If Measure S fails to pass the city will pursue a different plan to zone for more homes on Lincoln Avenue, officials have said.
If the Measure U charter amendment passes in Huntington Beach, future housing plans the state requires every city to approve would need a public vote before anything could be implemented.
Measure U creates a law that any city-initiated zoning changes with a “significant and unavoidable” environmental impact must be approved by voters. This would squarely affect housing elements, the blueprint that lays out where new residential development can occur.
Huntington Beach has been in a long legal battle with the state over its refusal to zone for at least 13,368 housing units. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office has called Measure U “another ridiculous stunt by Huntington Beach that will unfortunately be a waste of time and taxpayers’ money, as it will likely be swatted down in court if the voters ultimately approve this.”
Yorba Linda voters decided on measures JJ and KK. Early results showed Measure JJ winning approval and Measure KK being rejected.
Measure JJ would zone the city to accommodate the development of an additional 1,900 homes. Voters in 2022 rejected previous housing plans and the city went back to the drawing board and worked with residents to make a new proposal that was more palatable.
If Measure JJ does not pass, city officials have warned of consequences such as the loss of local zoning control and housing developers getting easy approval for dense projects anywhere in the city.
Yorba Linda is one of the few cities that require voters to approve major changes to the city’s zoning plans.
Measure KK is a separate housing measure to allow homes to be built at the struggling Bryant Ranch Shopping Center.
A simple majority of voters in favor of the cities’ measures is needed for them to pass.
The Registrar of Voters said after election night, results will be updated daily at 5 p.m., except weekends, until the counting is complete.
