Yorba Linda, California
Yorba Linda is an affluent suburban city in northeastern Orange County, California, approximately 13 miles (21 km) northeast of Downtown Santa Ana, and 40 miles (64 km) southeast of Downtown Los Angeles.As of the 2000 census, it had a total population of 58,918. However, more recent development in eastern outskirts and northern hills of Yorba Linda has increased the population to nearly 71,000. Its most famous resident was Richard Nixon, who was born there; however, his father moved the family away before Yorba Linda became a city. The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum is therefore probably the most well-known and visited site in the city.Yorba Linda is known for having large residential lots as well as 30 horse trails, which are 100 miles in aggregate length.In 2005 CNN ranked Yorba Linda 21st among the best places in the U.S. to live. Similarly, in an article by CNN Money, Yorba Linda was one of the richest U.S. cities and the highest in Orange County as reported by the Census data, showing median household income of over $120K: 'Among towns of between 65,000 and 250,000 in population, Yorba Linda, California, where six-figure incomes are the rule, had the highest median income at $121,075'
Pre-colonization
This area was the home of the Luiseno, Tongva, and Juaneño Indians at one time.
Early years
In 1834 Bernardo Yorba, son of Jose Antonio Yorba, was granted the 13,328-acre (53.94 km2) Rancho Cañón de Santa Ana by Mexican governor José Figueroa. Most of this original land was retained after the Mexican American war in 1848, by descendants of the original Yorba family. A portion of the city's land is still owned and developed by descendants of Samuel Kraemer, who acquired it through his marriage to Angelina Yorba, the great granddaughter of Bernardo Yorba. The Yorba family still owns portions of Yorba Linda, and there is still the Yorba Ranch on the side of a major freeway.[which?] The site of the Bernardo Yorba Hacienda, referred to as the Don Bernardo Yorba Ranch House Site, is listed as a California Historical Landmark.Near that same site sits the second oldest private cemetery in the county, the Historic Yorba Cemetery. The land was given to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles by Bernardo in the year of his death, 1858, since Orange County was not established out of Los Angeles County as a separate county until 1889. The cemetery closed in 1939 and was subsequently vandalized; however, in the 1960s, the Orange County Board of Supervisors took possession of the property in order to begin to undo the damage, and tours are now available one day per month.
Agricultural era
A section of the land was sold in 1907 to the Janss Investment Company, which first called the area Yorba Linda, and proceeded to subdivide the land and sell it for agriculture and manufacturing. In 1910, the agricultural aspect of that endeavor materialized, and the first of many lemon and orange groves were planted: at the time, the population was still less than 50. A year later, The Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Company began serving Yorba Linda, and the first school was constructed.In 1912 several things happened in Yorba Linda: it received its first post office; the Yorba Linda Citrus Association was founded; the Southern California Edison Company began providing electricity; and the first church was constructed. The area that would later become downtown was also connected to Los Angeles by the Pacific Electric Railway in 1912, primarily for citrus transport.In 1913, Richard Nixon was born in Yorba Linda, the chamber of commerce was set up, a library opened as part of the school, and avocado trees were first planted. A year later a separate district was established for the library system.In 1915, the Susanna Bixby Bryant Ranch house was constructed. It is now a museum and can be toured by the public.In 1917, the Yorba Linda Star began publication. It has since become an online section of the OC Register. However, a printed version of just the Star still exists and is available at various city buildings free of charge and is delivered to every household in Yorba Linda each Thursday. Moreover, its past articles are available for viewing on microfilm at the Yorba Linda Public Library. In that same year, the first street was paved, Yorba Linda Boulevard.The population exceeded 300 for the first time prior to 1920. In 1929, the citrus association's packing house burned down, as it was made of wood. It reopened the next year.
Population growth
The small town had grown significantly by the 1960s, with over 1,000 residents by the 1960 Census, and survived or fought off three annexation considerations or attempts: one by Brea in 1958 and one each by Anaheim and Placentia in 1963. These experiences culminated in incorporation, which occurred in 1967.The new city drew up and implemented its municipal general plan in 1972. By the 1980 Census, the population was nearing 30,000. Within ten years it exceeded 50,000.In 1990, the Birthplace of Richard Nixon opened as a public library and museum. It would later become a federal presidential library. In 1994, the community center opened.
Recent times
In 2007, Yorba Linda High School finally broke ground after many years of planning.In November 2008, eastern Yorba Linda suffered from fires that destroyed 113 homes and damaged 50 others. The destruction was due largely to erratic winds causing embers to fly up to half a mile away. William Lockhart, captain of the Orange County Fire Authority, reported that water pressure is good when fighting a single family home fire, but during a profound firestorm, as was the case in this event, perfect pressure from every single hydrant at the same time is not possible.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 51.4 km² (19.9 mi²). 50.2 km² (19.4 mi²) of it is land and 1.3 km² (0.5 mi²) of it (2.47%) is water.It has two ZIP codes, 92886 and 92887, which approximately serve the western and eastern portions of the city, respectively. A third, 92885, also exists, exclusively for PO Boxes. The city is served by area codes 657 and 714 in a geographical overlay situation, in which 714 numbers were running out, so that 657 numbers are now also being issued in the same area. Ten-digit dialing is therefore now required for local calls.It is bordered by Anaheim on the south, Placentia on the west and southwest, Brea on the northwest, Chino Hills State Park on the north, and Corona in Riverside County on the east.The two nearest seismic faults are the Whittier Fault and the Chino Fault, both of which are part of the Elsinore Fault Zone.
Climate
The city receives 14 to 15 inches of rain per year on average. The average temperatures in January and July are 55 and 71 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively, with the overall average for the year at 63. Humidity, likewise respectively, is 52%, 60%, and 56% on average.
Economy
The two main commercially zoned areas of the city are Savi Ranch, which straddles Weir Canyon Road / Yorba Linda Boulevard and is discussed in more detail below, and a section along the north side of La Palma Avenue, which is primarily an office park.There are other, smaller shopping centers as well, however, which are primarily retail, including, among others:Eastlake Village Shopping Centeron the northeast corner of Yorba Linda Blvd. and Village Center Dr.
Mercado del Rioon the south side of La Palma Ave., one block east of Yorba Linda Blvd. / Weir Canyon Rd.
Packing House Squareat the southwest corner of Yorba Linda Blvd. andImperial Hwy.
Yorba Linda Station Plazaat the southeast corner of Yorba Linda Blvd. and Imperial Hwy.
Country Club Villageat the northwest corner of Yorba Linda Blvd. and Fairmont Ave.
There are over 1,000 commercial businesses in the city in all, with more than 1,500 additional ones based out of residents' homes. The city also owns Black Gold Golf Club.
Savi Ranch
Savi Ranch today contains retailers, auto dealers, restaurants, hotels, and office buildings. The major stores are Best Buy, Petsmart, Staples, La-Z-Boy, Denny's Diner, Chick-fil-A, McDonald's, Taco Bell, Bed Bath & Beyond, Kohl's, and Costco Wholesale. The eastern side of Savi Ranch is the Yorba Linda side and is larger than the western side, which lies within Anaheim.Originally, the city pursued construction of an auto mall on the entire Savi Ranch site. Although multiple car lots do presently exist, the original plan was rejected by residents, in favor of a combination of retail stores, restaurants, hotels, and office buildings. Moreover, as of 2010, two of the three car dealer locations sit empty, one of which only sold used cars. For a time, all three sat in disrepair, and the only dealer in operation now is a custom one that caters to high-end buyers.As a significant source of sales tax revenue to Yorba Linda and as one of the first anchor tenants (along with Best Buy), The Home Depot became a political talking point in its own right.This is due to the fact that Savi Ranch is divided into two sections, East and West. Savi Ranch East is the Yorba Linda side, while Savi Ranch West lies within Anaheim. At the inception of Savi Ranch, The Home Depot was located in Savi Ranch East. In the early 2000s, however, the Super Kmart location in Savi Ranch West went out of business, and The Home Depot moved into that location to build what was at the time the company's largest store and in the process took the sales tax across the city boundary.
Top Employers
According to the City's 2008 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
Demographics
As of the 2000 Census, there were 58,918 people, 19,252 households, and 16,094 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,174.4/km² (3,042.3/mi²). There were 19,567 housing units at an average density of 390.0/km² (1,010.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.50% White, 1.17% African American, 0.37% Native American, 11.10% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 2.70% from other races, and 3.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.26% of the population.There were 19,252 households out of which 44.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.3% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.4% were non-families. 12.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.05 and the average family size was 3.35.In the city the population was spread out with 29.3% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.According to a 2007 estimate, the median household income in the city was $109,681, and the median income for a family was $122,373. Males had a median income of $66,712 versus $41,820 for females. The per capita income for the city was $36,173. About 2.5% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
Yorba Linda was one of just three California cities to pass a measure in their city council proclaiming their support for the controversial Arizona immigration law, SB1070.
Local
The city council consists of five members that are elected by residents to four-year terms, with a three-term limits. A city manager is hired by the council to run day-to-day operations of the city. The council elects its own mayor at the end of every year from within its ranks, whose duty is to 'preside over the meetings and represent the city at various functions.' The combination of these two things means that the city employs a council-manager form of government.The council members are:John Anderson, Mayor
Nancy Rikel, MayorPro Tem
Jan Horton, Councilwoman
Mark Schwing, Councilman
Jim Winder, Councilman
Management of the city and coordination of city services is provided by:
Commissions
Yorba Linda has four commissions, which meet monthly or bimonthly, to advise the city council about their respective projects.The library commission operates the Yorba Linda Public Library, which has existed in some form since 1913, and is composed of five residents whose duties include selecting new materials for the library to acquire and establishing guidelines and regulations, among other things.The planning commission is in charge of matters pertaining to land use, zoning, annexation, right-of-ways, and construction of new buildings, among other things; however, its five members are appointed by the council.The traffic commission seeks to address issues of safety, flow, public complaints, parking, and others. Members serve terms of two years.The parks and recreation commission is composed of council-appointed members as well and is tasked with a variety of responsibilities for all of the city's facilities and trails.The schedules for all of the commissions' meeting times and places can be viewed here.
Public safety
Law enforcement is currently contracted out to the Brea Police Department, which has a satellite administrative office in Yorba Linda.This arrangement began in the 1970s, marking the first time in the state's history that a municipality, as opposed to a county sheriff's department, provided police services to another municipality. Prior to this setup, but after the city's incorporation in 1967, Yorba Linda did contract with the Orange County Sheriff's Department, which was and still is typical for municipalities that are not large enough or simply choose not to maintain an in-house police department. These few years, from 1967 to the switch to Brea's force, would have therefore been natural, as any sheriff's department is tasked with serving the unincorporated areas in its county.In the past, Yorba Linda has been rated[by whom?] one of the safest cities in the United States.Fire services are provided by the Orange County Fire Authority.
Utilities
The Yorba Linda Water District, headquartered in Placentia, serves nearly all residents. Golden State Water, which also has a field office in Placentia, serves the remainder.The city contracts out waste collection to Yorba Linda Disposal.Natural gas is provided by Southern California Gas Company, and electricity is provided by Southern California Edison.
Education
Yorba Linda is part of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District. This district is home to nearly 28,000 students[citation needed].Several schoolsTemplate:Bryant Ranch School date=April 2010 in the district have received the California Distinguished School award.The districts schools are categorized below.Elementary:Brookhaven
Bryant Ranch
Fairmont
George Key
Glenknoll
Glenview
Golden
Lakeview
Linda Vista
Mabel Paine
Melrose
Morse
Rio Vista
Rose Drive
Ruby Drive
Sierra Vista
Topaz
Travis Ranch
Tynes
Van Buren
Wagner
Woodsboro
Middle:Bernardo Yorba
Kraemer
Travis Ranch
Tuffree
Valadez
Yorba Linda
High school:El Dorado
Esperanza
Valencia
Yorba Linda
El Camino Real (continuation)
Parkview (home school)
La Entrada
St. Francis of Assisi School serves as the only Catholic school in the city. Many parents seeking a private school education for their children send their PS-8th graders to Heritage Oak Private School and high schoolers to nearby Lutheran High School of Orange County in the city of Orange, Servite High School (boys) or Rosary High School (girls) in Anaheim, or Mater Dei High School (co-ed) in Santa Ana.The brand-new Yorba Linda High School, home of the Mustangs, started instruction in Fall 2009, in addition to one private high school also planned for construction in 2009. Historically, many Yorba Linda students also attended Troy High School in nearby Fullerton, Valencia High School in neighboring Placentia, or El Dorado High School, also located in Placentia.There are two Montessori Preschools in Yorba Linda:Montessori Academy of Yorba Linda
Arborland Montessori Children's Academy, 1700 W. Valencia Drive, Fullerton,CA 92833
IvyCrest Montessori Private School.
State and Federal
In the state legislature Yorba Linda is located in the 29th Senate District, which is represented by Republican Bob Huff. From the eastern part of the city towards the west, roughly, Yorba Linda is in the 60th and 72nd Assembly Districts, which are respectively represented by Republicans Curt Hagman and Chris Norby.In the United States House of Representatives, the city is located in the 42nd District, which has a Cook PVI of R +10 and is represented by Republican Gary Miller.
Notable natives and residents
Current or former Yorba Lindans of note include:Sabrina Bryan,Singer/Actress (The Cheetah Girls)
Steven Lenhart, Major League Soccer player(Columbus Crew)
Ricky Wells, Speedway Rider, 2009 US National Champion
James E. Rogan, Former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and lead prosecutor in The Impeachment Trial of President Bill Clinton, current trial court judge with the Superior Court of California.[citation needed]
Ashley Edner, Actress/Dancer, sister of Bobby Edner
Bobby Edner, Singer/Actor/Dancer (Spy Kids 3D: Game Over), (Varsity Fanclub (Capitol Records))
Jim Edmonds, Major League Baseball Player
Danielle Fishel, Actress (Boy Meets World)
John Force, professional drag racer, owner ofJohn Force Racing, reality TV star ofDriving Force
Ashley Force Hood, professional drag racer, John Force's daughter
Bobby Knoop, Major League baseball player (California Angels)
Bengie Molina, Major League Baseball Player
Richard M. Nixon, 37th President of the United States. Richard Nixon was born in Yorba Linda in 1913 and lived there until 1922. His reconstructed home is listed as aNational Historic Landmarkand a California Historical Landmark. Adjacent to this home is theRichard Nixon Library and Museum.
Audrina Patridge, Reality TV Actress (The Hills)
Chris Pontius,Major League Soccerplayer (DC United)
Bob 'Buck' Rodgers, Major League baseball player (California Angels)
Jessamyn West, a writer who was a second cousin to Richard Nixon on her mother's side of the family.[citation needed]The Wests moved to California fromIndianain 1909 and young Jessamyn attended schools in Yorba Linda andFullerton. West later authored a number of books and collections of poems, including the 1945 novelThe Friendly Persuasion, which was turned into a film,Friendly Persuasion, in 1956, starringGary Cooper,Dorothy McGuireandAnthony Perkins. A city park named in her honor, Jessamyn West Park on Yorba Linda Boulevard at Club Terrace Drive, is situated on the West family's former farm property.
Michael D. Duvall, former Yorba Linda mayor and disgracedCalifornia State Assemblyman
Seether, Rock band
Mitzi Kapture, actress
Marcus Mumford, musician (Mumford and Sons)
