Yorba Linda Zoned for Density in 2024. The First New Homes Are Coming In Smaller.
October 22, 2026
October 22, 2026
What happens when a city zones a lot for 35 homes per acre and the builder asks for about half that?
Look at 4742 Plumosa Drive, the lot just north of the In-N-Out on Lemon Drive. Measure JJ let this 1.62-acre parcel hold up to 35 units per acre in buildings up to three stories. Olson Urban Housing's plan, which the Planning Commission approved unanimously in late August, puts 30 condominiums there. Twenty-eight of them are detached three-story homes, each 1,808 square feet with three bedrooms, a flex room, 2.5 baths and a two-car garage. That works out to roughly 18.5 homes per acre on a site zoned for 35. On October 6, the City Council approved the demolition permit for the 1912 Craftsman house on the lot.
Most of the other early Measure JJ projects follow a similar pattern. Voters approved zoning that allows dense, apartment-style buildings. What builders are actually filing is for-sale housing, mostly detached or close to it. Because of how Yorba Linda handles zoning, these few projects are much of the new supply the city has planned for this housing cycle. That changes what a buyer looking at new construction here should expect.
In most California cities, the city council changes zoning. In Yorba Linda, Measure B, passed in 2006, sends major changes to the voters. Under the city's municipal code, a "major amendment" needs a citywide vote if it does any of the following:
A major amendment has no effect unless a majority of city voters approve it, and the full text and a readable map of the affected areas must appear in the ballot materials.
That rule runs straight into the state housing mandate. Yorba Linda's Regional Housing Needs Allocation for 2021 to 2029 is 2,415 units. The city's job is to zone enough land for that many homes. It doesn't have to build them. In November 2022, voters rejected the first rezoning attempt, Measure Z, with about 75% voting no.
After Measure Z failed, city staff facilitated a resident working group, and its recommendations reshaped the plan. The revised version dropped Bryant Ranch Center, two South Ohio sites, Kellogg/Grandview, and several properties owned by churches, schools and stables. It cut the Fairmont site from 230 units to 30. It also added an 8-acre Savi Ranch parcel and raised the Savi Ranch density from 35 to 60 units per acre. The Orange County Register described the change as shifting units away from dense clusters next to single-family homes and toward Savi Ranch.
On November 5, 2024, Measure JJ passed with 34,718 yes votes, or 90.40%, according to Ballotpedia. The ballot materials list 18 sites. The limits range from 3 units per acre near Fairmont and Quarter Horse to 60 units per acre on the three Savi Ranch-area sites. Most of the sites in the middle of town were set at 35 units per acre with a three-story limit. The measure lets owners build housing on these sites. It doesn't require them to.
That last point matters most here. The vote set maximums, and the owners and builders of each lot decide how much of that maximum to use.
| Project | Address / JJ site | Builder | Homes | Allowed on site | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bastanchury project | North of Bastanchury, west of Plumosa / S3-203 | Shea Homes | 82 detached and cluster detached | About 5 per acre | Planning Commission approval, late Aug. 2026; demolition approved Oct. 6 |
| Plumosa condos | 4742 Plumosa Dr. / S4-075 | Olson Urban Housing | 30 | 35 per acre | Planning Commission approval, late Aug. 2026; demolition approved Oct. 6 |
| Townhomes | 19081 Yorba Linda Blvd. / S4-204B | City Ventures | 62 for-sale townhomes | 20 per acre | Approved March 3, 2026, after an appeal |
| Solana Walk | 4861 Liverpool St. / S2-013 | Olson | 40 single-family homes and duplexes | 35 per acre | Approved Jan. 14, 2026; grand opening early 2027 |
Solana Walk sits on a parcel of nearly two acres at Yorba Linda Boulevard and Liverpool Street, the former parking lot of Messiah Lutheran Church. Forty homes there comes to about 20 per acre, well under the 35 the zoning allows. City Ventures is the exception on density. Its filing describes 62 attached townhomes on a 2.65-acre flag lot zoned R-M-20, using a 20% density bonus under state law, which works out to roughly 23 homes per acre. Even so, it is for-sale townhomes, and none of the four projects is an apartment building.
None of the builders has announced prices yet. Olson's Solana Walk page lists plans from about 900 to 1,998 square feet with one to three bedrooms.
Shea Homes' project is the largest of the four, and it has the most site preparation ahead of it. The 19.6-acre property next to the Shinnyo-En temple grounds currently holds two homes, accessory buildings, open space and, in the city planner's words reported by the Orange County Register, a "multitude of abandoned oil wells." The 22 old wells will be abandoned or re-abandoned to current code standards, and any contaminated soil will be cleaned to residential standards before building permits are issued.
The homes are large but sit on compact lots. The 55 detached homes range from 3,346 to 3,900 square feet with four or five bedrooms, on lots 48 by 100 feet. The 27 cluster homes range from 2,385 to 2,777 square feet on lots 45 by 62 feet. In practice, this means a newer four- or five-bedroom house with most of its space inside and a smaller yard. On October 6, the council approved demolition permits for 18101, 18141, 18203 and 18231 Bastanchury Road, all within the address range listed for this Measure JJ site. When this community reaches the sales stage, a buyer can reasonably ask the builder for the well-abandonment and soil-cleanup records.
Eight of Solana Walk's 40 homes will sell below market rate to moderate-income households. Four are one-bedroom, 1.5-bath units of 972 square feet, and four are two-bedroom, 2.5-bath units of 1,208 square feet. They carry 45-year affordability covenants and require a 5% down payment, according to the Orange County Register. Buyers will be chosen by lottery from an interest list split into two groups: the general public, and people who live or work in Yorba Linda. The Yorba Linda group gets the first offers.
The resale rule affects the owner the most. When one of these homes is resold, the next buyer must also qualify by income, and the city verifies this for the full 45 years. Community Development Director Nate Farnsworth explained this to the council. For reference, Voice of OC, citing the state's 2026 income limits, reported a moderate-income limit of $166,300 for a family of four in Orange County. This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Anyone considering a covenant-restricted home should confirm eligibility and resale terms with the city, the builder and their own attorney or lender.
On July 21, 2026, the council adopted the last four of the 23 programs in its 2021 to 2029 housing plan. Voice of OC reported that the goal was to keep the plan's state certification after the Attorney General sued Costa Mesa and other cities. "By not adopting certain ordinances and only relying on state law, the city opens itself up for losing local control," Farnsworth said at the meeting. Keeping that certification protects the city from builder's remedy, the state rule that lets a developer build without city approval when a city lacks a compliant housing plan.
Together, Measure B and the certified housing plan keep new housing on the 18 sites voters approved. Adding a new site would most likely mean another citywide vote. For a buyer, the four projects in the table above are a large share of the new for-sale housing coming to Yorba Linda in the next few years. The densest remaining sites are around Savi Ranch, where the city is now acquiring property interests at 22401 Old Canal Road for the Savi Ranch Parkway Improvement Project.
Can I buy a home on a Measure JJ site today? Not yet. None of the four builders has announced prices. Olson lists Solana Walk's grand opening for early 2027 and takes sign-ups through an interest list on the community's page.
Does Measure JJ mean apartment buildings are coming near my street? The measure allows that density on its 18 sites but doesn't require it. So far, every approved project is for-sale housing. Three are below their sites' limits, and the City Ventures townhomes reach about 23 per acre with a state density bonus.
What's the right address for the City Ventures project? The Measure JJ ballot materials and the developer's filing both give 19081 Yorba Linda Boulevard.
If you're deciding between an existing Yorba Linda home and one of these new communities, I'd be glad to go through the floor plans, the lot sizes and the covenant terms with you so you can compare them properly. Schedule your free consultation with Mary Meza Hayes, and we'll look at which of these projects fits your timing.
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