Official Seal of the City of Yorba Linda CITY of YORBA LINDA West Bastanchury Site

West Bastanchury Site

The West Bastanchury Site is a 27-acre undeveloped City-owned property near Lakeview Elementary School and Vista Del Verde Park. It has remained vacant for decades, despite previous planning efforts.

Residents are invited to help define and shape what might become of the Site through a transparent and collaborative process.

Join us for a Community Conversation Get project updates

The Site's Story

The last undeveloped part of the Vista Del Verde neighborhood

Vacant ~30 years
City-owned 27 acres
1 Community Vision
what should this land become?

The City acquired 13 acres at the West Bastanchury Site in 1977 and another 27 acres (subject to deed restrictions) in 1995. In August 2021, the City sold the southerly 13 acres (from 1977) to Shea Homes. That left approximately 27 acres under City ownership.

The deed restrictions, which were part of the Vista Del Verde development, limit how the Site can be used and, as a result, the Site has remained vacant despite previous planning efforts and interest from third parties.

Tap the outlines for details. Map is for general orientation only — not a survey.

How We Got Here

  • 1977

    The City purchases the southerly 13 acres with no restrictions; for years it is leased for vegetable and Christmas tree farming.

  • 1993

    A General Plan update creates the comprehensive, master-planned development that becomes the Vista Del Verde neighborhood.

  • 1995

    City purchases the northerly 27 acres subject to deed restrictions.

  • 1999

    The Bridlewood Estates tract is approved just east of the Site; homebuyers sign disclosures about a school planned for the Site.

  • 2003

    The City leases the Site to Yorba Linda Friends' Church which intends to develop a private high school.

  • 2005

    Yorba Linda Friends' Church's school project begins with rough grading, utilities, and abandonment of the old oil wells.

  • 2013

    The Church is unable to finance its school and the Site reverts to the City. The Site has remained vacant since.

  • 2014

    An Urban Land Institute study identifies 38 possible uses reflecting more than 180 resident suggestions.

  • 2021

    Shea Homes purchases the southerly 13 acres of the Site and builds 23 single-family homes.

  • Today

    The Site remains vacant awaiting its next chapter.

An opportunity to shape the Site's future

The City is excited to engage with residents on options for activating the West Bastanchury Site. As a first step in that process, the City is required to seek the State's permission to potentially sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of the Site before the City can consider new uses. No uses are being considered or decided at this stage. That conversation comes next, and that conversation will start with the City engaging the community.

A Community Centered Process

If the State gives the City permission to consider new uses, the City will lead a transparent and collaborative process working with the community to explore what the Site could become.

There is no predetermined answer, but any viable proposal will need to meet several basic conditions.

It must integrate appropriately into the surrounding community.
It must have a realistic source of financing and be able to support its continuing operations.
It should also contribute to the public services for Yorba Linda residents.
It must also comply with the 1995 deed restrictions.

You're invited to be part of the process as the City works through the bureaucratic steps required to consider the Site's future. The City is committed to a transparent and collaborative process with an end goal that is feasible, compatible with the surrounding neighborhood, and beneficial to the broader Yorba Linda community.

Join the Community Conversation!Thursday, September 10, 2026, 6–7 p.m. at Lakeview Elementary School
An open house will share information on the West Bastanchury Site, its history and the City's community engagement process. This meeting is the start of a conversation that will continue over the coming months. See more event details here.
Stay InvolvedIf the City receives the State's permission to consider new uses, public engagement will begin in early 2027. The City and the community will explore the Site's future together. The details of that process will be approved by the City Council at a public meeting and shared publicly before it begins.
Stay ConnectedPlease sign up for updates so that you stay informed when additional engagement opportunities are announced, and when the proposal process begins.

The Process

Fall 2026: a required first step under state law

Before the City can consider any new use on any vacant site, the City must first secure the State's permission. This is a procedural step, and it does not decide what gets built.

On September 15, 2026, the City Council will vote on a Resolution requesting State permission to potentially sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of the Site.

“On September 15, the City Council is only asking the State to confirm that the Site is exempt from the Surplus Land Act and to authorize the City to potentially sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of the Site. This is just the first step in the process that the City and residents will use to explore the Site's future. It does not approve any land use or development.”

If the State approves the City's request — a response is anticipated in late October 2026 — the City will launch a full public engagement process in early 2027.

1
We're here → Sept 15

The City Council asks the State to confirm that the Site is exempt from the Surplus Land Act and to authorize the City to potentially sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of the Site.

2
Late October

Anticipated response from the State.

3
After that

The City Council and the community begin the process of exploring the Site's future.

4
Later

The details of that process, including how ideas are submitted and reviewed, are defined and shared.

Your Role

What's Set and What's Open for Public Feedback

Some parts of the process are set by law. Others are open, and that's where your voice matters most. The City wants community voices to help drive the process.

Set by Legal Context and Circumstance

State approval is required firstBefore the City can consider new uses, it must secure the State's permission to potentially sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of the Site. This requirement is State law.
Deed restrictions limit what can be built hereThe deed restrictions that were part of the Vista Del Verde development can only be released by the party that holds them.
Any new use must be economically viableWhat can be built on the Site is largely dictated by the cost of development and economic benefit to the community.

Ways the Community Can Be Involved

Community BenefitsWhat the project contributes to the neighborhood.
Ideas for the SiteShare your vision as the process moves forward.
DesignHeight, setbacks, landscaping, and buffers along the edges.
Open SpaceLandscaping and possible trail connections.
Traffic & School SafetyEspecially around Lakeview Elementary and Vista Del Verde Park.
How Revenue is ReinvestedThe way any revenue serves the community.
And moreThe process is still being shaped. If something about the Site matters to you, there will be a place to raise it.

Your Questions, Answered

The questions we're hearing

This section will be updated as the process moves forward to reflect other common questions we hear from the community.

Why hasn't the Site been developed?
When the City acquired the Site in 1995, it came with deed restrictions that limit how the Site can be developed. Combined with the Site's topography and historic oil production, the deed restrictions have made it extraordinarily difficult for the City to develop the Site or find a partner who can develop the Site.
The Site has been vacant for more than 30 years. Why are you doing this now?
The City Council believes now is the right time to work with the community to develop a long-term vision for the Site. Neighbors have expressed interest in seeing the property activated, and acting now allows the City to preserve local control, address fire risk and nuisance issues on the Site, and understand the community's vision.
What happens if the State approves the City's Resolution?
The City Council will create a plan for engaging the community beginning in early 2027. The details of how ideas are gathered and reviewed will be defined and shared publicly before that process starts.
Is the City required to develop anything on the Site?
No. The City could choose to leave the Site as it is. However, the Site has been vacant for more than 30 years, and the City believes this is an opportune time to partner with the community to explore what the Site could become.
Will my input actually matter?
Yes, and we'll prove it! As the process moves forward, we'll publish a running “You Said, We Heard, Here's What's Next” update showing how resident input is shaping the process.
Isn't this moving too fast?
The opposite — it's deliberately sequenced. September's Resolution is a narrow and procedural step; the real work begins after the State's approval and starts with a focus on public engagement.
What will be built here?
Nothing has been decided, and it's not what this stage is about. The conversation about the Site's future will begin with meaningful community engagement when the City receives approval from the State.
What about traffic and safety around Lakeview Elementary?
The City is keenly interested in resident input about student safety and traffic on Lakeview Avenue. Any version of the Site's future will be coordinated with the Placentia-Yorba Linda School District and neighbors.
How is the City sharing information about this effort?
Every residence within 1,000 feet of the Site received a postcard in the mail inviting them to the September 10 community conversation. Next, the City contacted each of Yorba Linda's youth sports groups, representatives of our equestrian community, and every entity that formally inquired about the Site. Finally, our website and social media platforms promoted the September 10 community conversation. The Resolution the City Council will consider on September 15 is part of a public meeting and residents will have the opportunity to comment on it.

Resources

Key links and materials

Use the tools below to stay informed and share your input:

Sign-Up for Updates

Receive email updates at key milestones and when new opportunities to participate open up.

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Online Comment Form

Submissions go to WestBastanchury@yorbalindaca.gov.

Go to form

Fact Sheet

A two-page overview of the site, the process, and what comes next.

Coming soon

Have Your Say

Your voice shapes what's open

Join Us!
Community Conversation

Learn about the Site's history and the City's community engagement process. No uses are being proposed or decided at this meeting.

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Receive Updates

Sign up to receive email updates at key milestones and as additional opportunities for public participation become available.

Next Steps: Continue our Community Conversations (2027)
Pending State approval, the City will open a broader conversation with the community about the Site's future. Details will be shared before that begins.
Join the Community Conversation!Thursday, September 10, 2026, 6–7 p.m.
Lakeview Elementary School, 17510 Lakeview Avenue, Yorba Linda, CA 92886
An open house will share information on the West Bastanchury Site, its history and the City's community engagement process. This meeting is the start of a conversation that will continue over the coming months.

Comment Form

Use this form to connect with the City on the West Bastanchury Site.

Stay Connected

Sign-up for updates and we'll keep you posted at every milestone, and show you how residents' input is shaping the plan.

Get Project Updates — Sign Up

EmailWestBastanchury@yorbalindaca.gov
Mailing Address4845 Casa Loma Avenue, Yorba Linda, CA 92886
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City of Yorba Linda · 4845 Casa Loma Avenue, Yorba Linda, CA 92886 A transparent and collaborative process.