Anaheim approves OC Flood Control lease for Dad Miller flood basin

Anaheim City Council approved a long-term lease with the Orange County Flood Control District for a 44.18-acre flood basin parcel located inside Dad Miller Golf Course at 430 N. Gilbert Street.

City Council acted on the item on its July 14, 2026 consent calendar. The county’s Flood Control District materials frame the leased area as part of the Gilbert Retarding Basin, which is used for seasonal water storage as part of the District’s flood control mission. Those materials also say the Basin cannot be sold and that the proposed lease does not impact the District’s ability to fulfill its primary flood-control function.

Quick facts: the lease Anaheim approved

• City action date: July 14, 2026 (consent calendar)
• Parties: City of Anaheim + Orange County Flood Control District
• Property: 44.18 acres within Dad Miller Golf Course, 430 N. Gilbert Street
• Initial term: 25 years
• Renewals: five optional 5-year renewals
• Rent: $215,000 per year (not including CPI)
• CPI timing/cap: beginning July 1, 2031, rent adjusts by CPI, capped at 2.5%
• Annexation trigger: rent would be reduced to $1 per year if the City is successful in annexing County islands AN-6, AN-7, and AN-8

What it means that the flood basin is inside a golf course

From the District’s perspective, this isn’t “just land under a park.” The staff report explains that the District-owned portion of the golf course is located within the Gilbert Retarding Basin and is required for maintaining and operating the Basin, which the District describes as integral to its primary mission of flood control and water storage capacity.

At the same time, the county materials describe the lease as the mechanism that keeps the golf course operating on District-owned land—while reserving District access and use rights tied to ongoing flood-control needs.

Money terms residents may see discussed: $215,000, CPI, and $1 after annexations

Before this approval, the staff report says the lease was in holdover status, with the City paying $1.00 per year and the agreement continuing on a month-to-month basis. The county materials say delaying the item would delay the new rent structure as well.

Under the new lease approved through the City and the District, the rent is set at $215,000 annually (not including CPI) for the initial period, with the rent adjustment mechanics arriving later: the report says rent begins to be adjusted by CPI starting July 1, 2031, and that CPI adjustments are not to exceed 2.5%.

The staff report also spells out a conditional “annexation pathway” that affects rent: it says the rent would be reduced to $1 per year if the City is successful annexing the remaining County islands AN-6, AN-7, and AN-8 located within the City’s sphere of influence.

Where lease payments go, and the accountability trail

The Flood Control District staff report lays out the funding-source and crediting framework: it says rent and other payments would be credited to OC Flood Fund 400 and Real Estate Development Fund 135, split with 35% going to the Flood Control District (Fund 400) and 65% going to the County (Fund 135).

On the county side, Orange County Board of Supervisors summary action minutes show the lease approval in Item S22A on May 5, 2026. Those minutes also note related findings under the Surplus Land Act and CEQA exemption findings under CEQA Guidelines Section 15301.

The District’s resolution attachment similarly describes lease terms designed so that using the property will not unreasonably interfere with flood control uses and purposes.

What to watch next

For residents, the practical “watch points” are the later rent adjustment starting July 1, 2031 and the annexation-linked possibility that rent could drop to $1 per year if AN-6, AN-7, and AN-8 are successfully annexed. Wet-weather operations are also where day-to-day recreation and flood storage management have to coexist—so the key question is whether the lease’s flood-control access and use rights remain workable during the Basin’s seasonal function.

Sources

• Anaheim City Council agenda (July 14, 2026)
• OC Flood Control District staff report (Dad Miller lease)