After a month long campaign by Friends of Coyote Hills, the Fullerton City Council voted 4-0 to place a referendum on the November 2012 ballot on the Coyote Hills development plan.
The Friends of Coyote Hills, an organization dedicated to preserving the 510 acres of Chevron-owned open space in northwest Fullerton, have gathered enough signatures to trigger a hold on the project, which would construct townhomes, single-family homes and retail buildings in addition to some parkland and trails.
The Council voted 4-1 in July to allow the development to proceed, with Councilwoman Sharon Quirk-Silva dissenting. She was not present during Tuesday’s vote.
Many of those opposed to the Coyote Hills project asked the council to repeal the ordinance in question instead of triggering a referendum that would cost the city $17,000 and instead protect the land for park space.
However, supporters like Councilman Don Bankhead argued that the issue is a property rights matter as the land in question is Chevron-owned land and that it is not the decision of government to tell them what to do with their land. In addition, supporters have added that the project would add more jobs and revenue to Fullerton while maintaining some open space.