Text + -

Exploring a new opportunity for the Core Area Vision Plan

""

As part of the City’s Core Area Vision Plan, the City is exploring the potential purchase of the Stein Mart site as one small step toward implementing the vision for a walkable village, a paseo, and an entry that connects to the Oso Creek Trail. The property’s proximity to Oso Creek provides an incredibly unique opportunity to set in motion one of the Vision Plan’s core principles, “Connect to the Creek” and also moves the City closer to creating a vibrant community central core.

The City Council in March 2017 approved the Core Area Vision Plan, designed to enhance the heart of Mission Viejo. Based on extensive resident and property owner input, the vision provides a framework for open space; connecting to Oso Creek; creating a central gathering place and walkable village; enhancing community aesthetics; and linking the civic and retail core to more restaurants, shops and cultural arts activities. The current Vision Plan for the Village Center component of the core area does not include housing. To refresh your memory, check out the concept video.

If you have any questions or comments, call the information hotline at 949-207-5331 and your call will be returned within 24 to 48 hours or email hello@envisionmissionviejo.com or use the online form at https://envisionmissionviejo.com.

Comments

Submitted by jeff cullen on Fri, 02/19/2021 - 6:13 pm

Permalink

excellent leadership for our city...in fact make an offer to all of the ownerships of these properties involved to build the project to purchase the entire project...

the entire property is looking very dilapidated... eminent domain is a realistic option...

Submitted by Roberta Carlson on Fri, 02/19/2021 - 6:22 pm

Permalink

Playing fast and loose with my money, aren't you? Been here since 1985. What has happened to my beautiful, happy town? The pandemic fits right into your plans to make a big, unsafe city. How convenient! Obviously the citizen's desire to have a peaceful town with conservative values and happy families is no longer attractive. Power really does corrupt, doesn't it?

Submitted by Philippe on Fri, 02/19/2021 - 6:25 pm

Permalink

The big flaw in this plan is the proximity of the sewage treatment plant. Anyone who has walked the Oso creek trail knows how distasteful the smell can be. No one is going want to sit and eat or drink near that.

Submitted by Ann Owens on Fri, 02/19/2021 - 6:32 pm

Permalink

This would be a great area for multi zoning whereby you could include some low cost affordable housing. Built out areas need to be creative in finding areas that can serve more than one purpose. Be supportive of people who want to both work and live in Mission Viejo.

Submitted by Amy martinez on Fri, 02/19/2021 - 7:43 pm

Permalink

This is very exciting! I can’t wait to see a more modern and welcoming center that truly embodies our wonderful
City. I hope this moves forward. Is there ability to purchase the old Michael’s too?

Submitted by Wally on Fri, 02/19/2021 - 8:19 pm

Permalink

This is incredible MV political team! I am so happy that we have a group of representatives that care more bout the community and its' residents than they do about $ and units. Please keep us safe from the nightmare transformations that Laguna Niguel, Aliso, Lake Forest are going through! High density housing with current infrastructure DOES NOT WORK!

Submitted by Cheryl Voelker on Sat, 02/20/2021 - 8:38 am

Permalink

Love the concept of outdoor cafes connected to the Oso trail. Open space with benches along the path is a great idea.

Submitted by Elizabeth Wing on Sat, 02/20/2021 - 8:58 am

Permalink

WOW!!!! We've only lived here a couple of years, and have often wondered why there wasn't something like this (i.e., "nice") in beautiful Mission Viejo. THIS would be a game changer, and really bring the community together. We're all for it... that's such an underutilized, huge, outdated complex. We'd even be happy to put up with the construction mess and traffic tangles! How do we "follow" the progress on this project?

Submitted by Jim Grissom on Sat, 02/20/2021 - 10:01 am

Permalink

I would love to see the proposed solution to the problem created by having only one road along this whole core area project. Almost any event near the area creates gridlock from La Paz to Oso along Marguerite, with people running the lights, making illegal U turns, and driving through nearby neighborhoods.

Submitted by Harry Newman on Sat, 02/20/2021 - 11:25 am

Permalink

Wonderful idea. That whole shopping center is outdated and needs some tender loving care. How fun it would be to have a place in our own city to recreate, eat and people watch.

One of our daughters lives near the circle in Orange. It’s so much fun to hang there. MV needs a downtown too.

Go for it!

Submitted by S Ramirez on Sat, 02/20/2021 - 9:01 pm

Permalink

This is an amazing concept. I hope it makes it through to completion. I'd love to see a lot of native plants lining those pathways and plenty of trees! Re-invigorating the city center in this way will be such an asset to the community.

Submitted by Tomas B. on Sun, 02/21/2021 - 6:48 am

Permalink

I was just wondering what happened to this plan the other day. 4 years since it was approved and 0 visible progress!!! How long is it going to take to get this going and then completed?!?! Hurry up MV this is long overdue and time is wasting. That strip mall needs some rejuvenation ASAP. Looking forward to experiencing the end result just not in 2035 please.

Submitted by Ellen Vitek on Sun, 02/21/2021 - 5:38 pm

Permalink

Progress! Thank you city council members. Strip malls are boring! We need to create a beautiful city center. This is a beautiful city, but we can do better and keep improving. Thanks.

Submitted by Joe Tully on Sun, 02/21/2021 - 6:10 pm

Permalink

I have read a lot of the remarks on this project and find it amazing how uneducated some people are on property rights. Yes it would be nice to have this area improved above what exists today. Money can do many things but where it comes from has consequences and some are unintended. For those in Riolinda and parts of Mission Viejo I'll simplify; Lets look at your neighborhood and we see that some homeowners keep their property well and others do not. Whether you like it or not let's require you to upgrade remodeling extensively. Why not bring in the bulldozers? Additional high density housing will be required along with low income units. We'll add some amenities and a workout center with basketball courts and a skate park but no additional parking. Parking can be around on the streets (like a lot of MV high density areas). What will it co$t the homeowners? Oh, the city will kick in money too. Oh, - that means the resident's taxes will be used. I hope I get to vote on this!!

Submitted by Tom Moore on Mon, 02/22/2021 - 10:52 am

Permalink

In mid April of 2007 the City of Mission Viejo received a commissioned report from the Urban Land Institute identifying the potential opportunities in the “Mission Viejo Center”.
Several years ago they opened a study session to the interested residents of Mission Viejo which was well attended.
Evidently the City is now in discussion with one of what appears to be a key parcel owner (one of 20 plus parcel owners in the “Village Center”, consequently the difficulty in advancing any major re-development) that could provide access behind the wall of existing structures.
The ‘Village Center’ is not going to be a project that material appears in a year. It is a long range project with demands placed on it that will likely change over many years.
Congratulations to those within the City administration and staff for advancing this project.

Submitted by Cathy Schlicht on Mon, 02/22/2021 - 2:30 pm

Permalink

The Oso Creek and Shopping Center Revitalization Concept Video is very misleading.

Social Media and the use of consultants are one of government's tools for propagandizing its position, to get support from the public without giving specific data or any details. These outlets are used to promote or publicize a particular cause or view, in a very misleading and biased way.

At the time the City was creating this Vision Plan, that shopping center had been one of the best revenue generating strip malls in the City. It's vacancy rate was practically non-existence.

Yes, the mall looks dated, but did the City create any kind of an incentive for the property owners to improve the mall?

What plans does the City has for the Steinmart building takeover? Will the City be competing with the private market place?

The McKinney Theatre, the Library, Potocki Center and the NPM Senior Center are all cultural art facilities.

Have the residents around the Civic Core area been polled for their opinions about an amphitheater? Does Saddleback College still have plans for its amphitheatre? Or was it dropped because the City wants to build one on Oso Creek?

What is the status of the SMWD relocating the treatment plant, that gives off that sewer stench that wafts throughout the civic core area? If relocated, how will those costs be distributed to the ratepayers?

What is the stream flow for Oso Creek? Has there been any kind of a water audit done to justify the over $30 million makeover for a gathering spot to enjoy Oso Creek and the trail system? Where is the water coming from? AS examples, how much of the water in the creek is from sprinkler runoff or from the treatment plant?

To improve the water flow in Oso Creek, there was a presentation by the Planning and Transportation Commission to release water from the reservoir to fill the creek. How will that reservoir water be replaced?

The 02/23/2021 staff report for Item # 8 states: "The City Council approved the Vision Plan on March 28, 2017, and has continued to give direction for its implementation." Please give the dates when such meetings occurred and what directions were given.

The City's press release states: "If you have any questions or comments, call the information hotline at 949-207-5331 and your call will be returned within 24 to 48 hours or email."

Will we find the answers to my questions here?

Submitted by gail reavis on Fri, 02/26/2021 - 4:08 pm

Permalink

The original plan called for an ampitiheater Just under the slopes with houses on them. and no real parking. It was a stupid waste of money. I hope this new plan will be more practical. Also the original plan didn't allow for deliveries in the rear where this currently and typically happens. I hope any new plan is detailed enough to show how vendors will take their deliveries. I also hope the city will not be throwing lots of taxpayer dollars into this new endeavor. We are already saddled with another golf course with massive upgrades needed and the pool complex which we are subsidizing..
You people spend our money like drunken sailors.

Add new comment

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
block-mvlife

MV Life

The MV Life app has been updated!  Keep your finger on the pulse of Mission Viejo.

Get timely information about news, events, and recreation so you can savor the good life in Mission Viejo.

Don’t delay in downloading this app today to take advantage of all this great community has to offer.

 
Download App https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.missionviejo
Image of smart phone
X