It's the latest edition of the Yorba Linda Connection!

Latest News from the City of Yorba Linda

CITY HALL

COMMUNITY

SERVICES

A Message from the City Manager

Dear Community Member,

With spring fully underway and warm sunny weather in the forecast, this is truly one of the best times of the year to live, work, and play in Yorba Linda. While this City is exceptionally beautiful in every season, springtime is when this remarkable place truly shines. While longer evening hours and milder temperatures (this week's blistering forecast excluded) make it possible to enjoy our backyards, parks, and trails all day long, our community has the unique privilege of experiencing the great outdoors in the most picturesque settings. To make sure this City stays beautiful for years to come, I encourage everyone to celebrate Love Yorba Linda on Saturday, April 30, by volunteering for a service project. Learn more about the service opportunities at www.loveyorbalinda.org.

Speaking of reasons to love Yorba Linda: by now you have probably heard the major news that Target is coming to town. While more details are included in an article below, the City could not be more thrilled to land a major national retail store. Since sales taxes are an important revenue source in the City's financial mix, adding a popular store like Target will bolster the City's commitment to providing the best and most exceptional services and facilities to the community. Be on the lookout for Target to open in the first quarter of 2023.

With many other exciting developments around town, Yorba Linda is clearly a community worthy of optimism and pride. As always, thank you for staying informed and engaged with your community by enjoying this e-newsletter.

Best Regards,

Mark Pulone

City Manager

City Council Meeting Recap

Want to learn more about the decisions and actions of the Yorba Linda City Council? The latest City Council meeting recap is now available online. These recaps briefly summarize the City Council's activities until the official minutes are adopted (generally at the next meeting). In addition, City Council Meeting agendas and minutes from previous meetings are available on the Agendas and Minutes page on the City's website.

Target Coming to Yorba Linda

The City is pleased to announce that Target is officially coming to Yorba Linda! While this development has been in the works since last year, Target Corporation has now signed a lease agreement to move into the former OSH building in the Valley View Shopping Center. While this space has been vacant since 2018, it’s been worth the wait to land a quality national retailer that will make shopping in Yorba Linda even more convenient. Before moving in, Target will make some necessary improvements to the building and add additional new parking stalls on the west end. The City will continue to work closely with Target Corporation to help them reach their goal of opening the store in the first quarter of 2023.

Recycle Your E-Waste This Weekend

The Yorba Linda Chamber of Commerce is hosting an e-waste recycling and document shredding event at Yorba Linda City Hall this weekend, April 9-10, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Shredding will be available only on April 9 from 9 a.m. to noon. This event is free to all Yorba Linda businesses and residents. For more information about the kinds of e-waste items that can be accepted, please visit Yorba Linda Chamber of Commerce's website.

Yorba Linda... Egg-ceptional!

With Easter coming up soon, we’re excited to host the always-popular 38th Annual Egg-Citement Egg Hunt at Hurless Barton Park on Saturday, April 16. You will not want to miss the crafts, games, face painting, petting zoo, egg hunt, and photos with the bunny! There will be plenty of plastic eggs stuffed with candy and prizes to be found, so bring a basket to collect all your goodies. This event is free and geared towards children ages 2-9 years old. Registration is not required for the event, but please arrive early because the festivities start at 10:00 a.m. sharp! For more information, call the Yorba Linda Community Center at 714-961-7181.

Get Ready for Summer Recreation

While many great spring events are still ahead, such as the 38th Annual Egg-Citement Hunt and Family Trivia Night, registration for our ever-popular summer programs and classes will be opening soon. For the best chance of getting into your favorite programs, check out the digital Summer Guide now, set up an account at YLRecOnline.com, and mark your calendar for the following dates:

Summer 2022 Registration Opens

Residents: April 20 at 10 a.m.

Non-Residents: May 4 at 10 a.m.

To learn more about upcoming family fun and special events, visit the City's website.

Love Yorba Linda Day Returns

Join volunteers and leaders from around the City for the annual return of Love Yorba Linda on Saturday, April 30. This exciting event is a community-wide service day where residents, businesses, local agencies, faith groups, service teams, schools, and sports organizations unite to make Yorba Linda a better place. There are many ways to participate:

Volunteer for a project or lead your very own;
Encourage others to participate with you; and
Donate or become a sponsor.

For more information, please visit the Love Yorba Linda website.

Jalapenos and Other New Businesses Coming Soon

The shopping and dining scene in Yorba Linda is always getting better and better, so we’re excited that Jalapeno’s Mexican Food is coming to the Stater Bros. Center. This tasty fast-casual Mexican food eatery plans to open in the space formerly occupied by Honey & Lavender at 18539 Yorba Linda Boulevard. Jalapenos Mexican Food joins a great list of businesses getting ready to call Yorba Linda home, including:

Crumbl – coming to Town Center;
Clydes Hot Chicken – new construction on Arroyo & School Street;
Denny’s – opening a second location (Richfield Road & Yorba Linda Boulevard);
Lone Wolf Brewing – opening late spring (Packing House Square);
OneZo Boba – opening next to Furai Chicken in the Packing House Square; and
Target – opening in former OSH building at Valley View Center.

The City presents exciting updates and announcements about new businesses as information firmly develops. For more information about opening a business in the land of gracious living, contact our Economic Development Manager at 714-961-7105.

Cultural Arts Center Wins Design Award

Yorba Linda's new Public Library and Cultural Arts Center continues to win awards for exceptional design. Last month, the Cultural Arts Center was recognized at the California Parks & Recreation Society Conference with an award in the Excellence in Design – Facility Design category. The new award plaque is now on display in the Cultural Arts Center's lobby.

The Cultural Arts Center is a premier destination in North OC to host all kinds of cultural and performing arts events. With a uniquely flexible black-box theater space and an impressive AV system, the Cultural Arts Center is ready to make your next event exceptional! To learn more about reserving this facility, visit the City's website.

Star Wars Day at the Library

Calling all Jedi across the galaxy! Join us at the Library on Saturday, May 14, from 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. as we celebrate everything Star Wars. Enjoy crafts, games, a puppet show, and take pictures with some of your favorite Star Wars characters. Don't forget to dress up; Star Wars costumes are encouraged! To learn more, please visit the Library's website.

Remember: May the fourteenth be with you!

Phillip S. Paxton Equestrian Center Improvements Complete!

Yeehaw! The City of Yorba Linda recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of our improvement project at the Phillip S. Paxton Equestrian Center. The major achievement of this project is the near-doubling of the size of the small arena, making this facility a more versatile space for everyday use, special events, and horse shows. After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, attendees were treated to demonstrations of different equestrian skills, including a dressage performance. This project is another example of the City's commitment to providing the best and most exceptional facilities for our community.

Help Us Highlight Hometown Heroes!

Yorba Linda is full of amazing people who make a difference in the community through their acts of kindness, generosity, and selflessness. These hometown heroes don't always get the recognition they deserve, but we would like your help to fix that. If you know someone who embodies our community's highest ideals of citizenship and service, recommend them to us by emailing communications@yorbalindaca.gov. We'll highlight them in our social media channels, website, and this e-newsletter. We hope their example will inspire others to serve the community too.

Annual Weed Abatement Program Kicks Off

Yorba Linda is a beautiful city with wonderful open spaces, but our proximity to natural areas makes us susceptible to the spread of dangerous wildfires. To combat the ever-present danger, our annual weed abatement program sends notices to property owners who may have fire-safety hazards present on their property, such as combustible vegetation, weeds, excess trash, etc. The goal of the program is to make sure owners maintain fire-safe conditions on their properties.

Keeping Yorba Linda safe from wildfires is everyone's responsibility -- we are all in this together! Even if you did not receive an abatement notice, it is important to check your property for hazardous conditions, especially any dry weeds and brush, and fix them. Thank you for doing your part to keep Yorba Linda fire-safe.

To learn more about the City's Weed Abatement Program, please visit our website or contact the Community Preservation Division at 714-961-7138.

Join OCFA for Girls Empowerment Camp 2022

Girls can do anything! At the Orange County Fire Authority's two-day Girls Empowerment Camp, teens ages 14-18 are introduced firsthand to all aspects of a fire service career. The program will empower campers with life skills and professional guidance that encourages them to pursue a career in public safety. The camp is being held at the OCFA Training Center from May 14-15. For more information, please visit OCFA's website or register for the event online.

Bastanchury Road Construction Updates

As we previously reported last month, Southern California Edison has been working hard to install new utility poles to support the future widening of Bastanchury Road between Casa Loma Boulevard and Eureka Boulevard. While the installation of the new poles is complete, the distribution lines and communication lines are scheduled to be relocated to the new poles next week. The old poles will remain in place until the end of April as there will be additional coordination efforts with the telecommunication companies before the old poles are ready to be removed. In the meantime, please be cautious of traffic control measures, construction crews, and other motorists when driving this stretch of Bastanchury Road.

Army Corps' Santa Ana Riverbed Project Update

Progress continues in the Santa Ana Riverbed Project (operated by the Army Corps of Engineers). One upcoming impact of the project is the need to construct a permanent trail and bikeway in the same area as the temporary bike route running along the top of the levee between Via Lomas De Yorba East to Gypsum Canyon. The City, County, and the Army Corps of Engineers are evaluating the options to best address the impacts to the temporary bike route over the next six weeks.

The City will continue working with the Army Corps and their contractor, Silverstrand Construction, to help mitigate impacts on residents and motorists in the project vicinity. In addition, we will continue to monitor the progress of the work, update the community on the progress, and help address complaints as they arise.

Know the ABC's of Water Safety

With the weather warming up this weekend, it’s important to remember the key elements of water safety. Keeping yourself and others safe in and around the water is as easy as ABC. Follow the safety tips below to ensure you know how to be water safe!

A is for ACTIVE ADULT SUPERVISION

Keep infants and toddlers within an arm’s reach;
No one should ever swim alone, including adults;
Never rely on water wings, rafts, or other swimming aids in place of U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets;
Assign an adult to be a Water Watcher, actively keeping their eyes on the water without ANY distractions; and
If a child or adult is missing, every second counts! Check the water FIRST!

B is for BARRIERS

Install and maintain proper fencing around the pool and spa to isolate swimming areas;
Use multiple layers of protection, such as fences, gates, doors, alarms, and safety covers;
Use self-closing, self-latching gates that open outward and away from the pool; and
Remove items such as chairs or tables that a child could use to climb over a fence.

C is for CLASSES

Learn to swim by taking lessons;
Learn first aid and CPR. Always keep a phone nearby to call 9-1-1; and
Teach children that running, jumping, and pushing others on pool decks is dangerous and can cause injuries. Always enter the pool feet first to know how deep the water is in that area.

Drain Safety

Keep children away from pool and spa drains to avoid entrapment and entanglement;
Keep long hair tied back and remove dangling items like jewelry or bathing suit tie;
Install compliant safety drain covers and automatic shut-off pump systems; and
Know where the pool and spa pump switch is and how to turn it off and on.

For more safety tips, visit OCFA’s website.

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month

In recognition of April’s designation as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, Yorba Linda Police Services encourages residents to always practice safe driving habits. Distracted driving is dangerous and claims thousands of lives each year. The more you do while driving, the less you can focus on the road. Glancing down at your phone to read a text for a quick second may seem harmless, but it takes the brain up to 13 seconds to completely refocus on your surroundings. So please, put down your phone while driving and keep your eyes up!

Is Your BBQ Safety Knowledge Up to Date?

While it's common sense to not BBQ inside or close to items that can burn, these often neglected safety tips can help you avoid accidental burns or fires:

Grilling Safety Tips

Place grills a safe distance from the home, deck railings, tables, overhanging branches, and areas where people gather outside;
Keep children and pets at least three feet away from the grill area;
Keep your grill clean by removing grease and fat buildup from grates and trays below the grill; and
Never leave a heated grill, lighter, or matches unattended.

Charcoal Grills

If you use a starter fluid, use only charcoal starter fluid. Never add charcoal fluid or any other flammable liquids to the fire while cooking; and
When finished grilling, let the coals completely cool (for about 48 hours) before disposing in a metal container.

Propane Grills

Check the gas tank hose for leaks before grilling;
If your grill has a gas leak, get it serviced by a professional before using it again. If a leak occurs while grilling, call the fire department; and
Turn the grill and gas off if the flame goes out, and wait at least 5 minutes before re-lighting it.

For more fire prevention tips, visit OCFA's website.

Remember to Safely Dispose of Hazardous Household Waste During Spring Cleaning

It’s spring cleaning time again, so get ready to clean out old items from your closets, sheds, and garages. As you tidy up, you’ll likely come across household hazardous waste items – like old paints, cleaners, oil, batteries, and pesticides – but you may not know how to dispose of them properly.

Hazardous household wastes are leftover household products that contain corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive ingredients. These items require special care when being disposed of, so resist the urge to put them in your trash or pour them down the drain. When improperly dumped, these products can eventually enter the storm drain, which leads them to flow untreated into our creeks, rivers, bays, beaches, and ocean!

Free hazardous household waste disposal is available through OC Waste and Recycling. The nearest location is 1071 N. Blue Gum Street, Anaheim, CA, 92806. Visit their website for more information, including locations, hours, and a list of accepted items.