Stanton's Planning Commission is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a mixed-use project that would put 159 townhomes and nearly 16,000 square feet of retail and commercial space on land that includes the longtime ORCO Block & Hardscape manufacturing site at Beach Boulevard and Katella Avenue.

The March 18 public hearing is the first formal step toward a land use shift for a stretch of Stanton that has been industrial for decades. The project, known as SPDR-823, covers two parcels: 8042 Katella Avenue and 11100 Beach Boulevard. That second address is the Stanton plant of ORCO Block, a family-owned concrete manufacturer that has operated in the city since 1952.

The commission is being asked to approve a site plan, a planned development permit, and a tentative tract map. A development agreement between the city and four entities — Stanton Land LLC, StantonCareer LLC, LITA4 LLC, and Stanton Corner LLC — would also go before the commission for a recommendation to the full City Council. Staff is recommending approval.

The properties sit in an Industrial General zone with a General Mixed-Use Overlay, which opened the door to the residential component. Under AB 130, a budget trailer bill Governor Newsom signed last June, qualifying infill housing projects on previously developed urban sites can skip environmental review under CEQA. Staff cites Public Resources Code section 21080.66 as the basis for the exemption, meaning the project would not require an environmental impact report.

ORCO Block has been a Stanton fixture for more than 70 years. The company was founded in 1946 by Pete Muth and family members in Santa Ana, then moved to a 14-acre plant in Stanton in 1952 to handle demand from Orange County's postwar building boom. Its concrete blocks went into schools, shopping centers, and large developments like Leisure World. Now in its third generation of family ownership, ORCO still runs seven facilities across Southern California.

Whether the Stanton plant is closing as part of this deal or whether only a portion of the land is being redeveloped is not specified in the public agenda. What the agenda does make clear is that both parcels are being proposed for development together, and the commission is being asked to act this week.

The 159 townhomes would be arranged in a horizontal mixed-use layout, with residential and commercial uses spread across the site rather than stacked. The commercial component totals 15,949 square feet. Details on unit sizes, affordability requirements, and design were expected to be in the full staff report, which was not publicly available before the meeting.

Stanton, a city of about 40,000 residents bordered by Cypress, Anaheim, and Garden Grove, has been under pressure to add housing like every other Orange County city. Its housing element identifies corridors along Beach Boulevard and Katella Avenue as suitable for higher-density development. This project sits at that exact intersection.

The commission meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at Stanton City Hall, 7800 Katella Avenue.