Council will consider denying zone change request for Gardens property on May 10

We the citizens will be watching the city council carefully to see if they turn this city into another Huntington Beach with its high rise apartments with nightmare parking and traffic. Don’t acquiesce to the developers; keep Mission Viejo quaint and picturesque!

I strongly agree with the Planning Commission's denial of the zone change. This is one of the busiest intersections in town, with cars sometimes backing up from the freeway, over the hill to near where this large population would add to the congestion. Mission Viejo needs to keep the character it is known for. I hold the official title of "Longest resident of Mission Viejo," and I want to keep it's uniqueness. The City Council has considered making the old shopping center into a family friendly place to walk, meet other residents, and rest. That's more of what we need, not a huge living complex in our city center.

Please accept value rocks proposal for this project. When you think about it, the height of this building is about same height as the senior houses on oso parkway. It will provide sorely needed housing and good shopping. It’s better to provide housing than other undesirable industrial buildings. Please approve this and many other new residential buildings for low income people and middle income people! It is not a monster, it is a wonderful new area! Thanks.

The community needs to remain vigilant. Will a Monster, Jr. be approved through a Specific Plan process?

Or will the Monster project re-locate to one of the other ValueRock sites within our City boundaries?

I highly disapprove of the Garden party project!!! Traffic is already an issue at the Margarite and La Paz intersection with all of the schools off of La Paz, the city/library/sheriff offices located at this corner, businesses and it is a direct route to all of the established neighborhoods within this intersection. Adding a multi-unit complex will back up La Paz traffic between Margarite and the 5 fwy especially during the morning school start times and after work commuters. La Paz was not built to handle the huge traffic flow like Alicia and Oso. There is no room to widen without taking away property from businesses, schools and homes. It could lower the property value of these homes. Also, adding a huge complex will drain the water from the area that has to ration water due to the drought as does all of Calif. I understand bringing in money to the community is important but this is not an area capable of handling a multi-unit complex.
Thank you for voting NO to change the zone for a multi-unit complex!

Recall them if they do.

Folks, this is an easy one, keep a list of any Council Member that votes to support this terrible project and start the recall process. This project is near universally opposed by MV residents; a recall will be an easy win and ensure that future council members remember who is really in charge of this city, the people.

Below is the published acquisition by ValueRock Realty Partners. Did Value Rock Realty Partners make all of those promised improvements? What trust level can we have with Value Rock Realty Partners? The proposed mixed use is unsafe for a community full of families and schools. The proposed mixed use property does not match the intended goals of Mission Viejo - being a family friendly neighborhood. The City of Mission Viejo is supposedly encouraging bike riding and more walking paths. Yet, this proposed mixed use property will mean a never ending stream of cars making it unsafe for residents. Traffic will be so unsafe for the community, if approved. Where do residents, shoppers and visitors to residents park? And the apartment pricing??? Water, fire department services, police department services, trash, recycling will be majorly impacted.
Please review the Initial Study. It is under City of Mission Viejo's website, Initial Study the Gardens Mixed Use dated January 2022.
The Initial Study does clearly state the negative impacts produced if implemented. See 2.4.1(c); 2.4.3(a)-(c); 2.4.4(a); 2.4.5(b); 2.4.6(a) & (b); 2.4.7(f); 2.4.8(a) & (b); 2.4.9(b) & (d); 2.4.10(a), (c) & (e); 2.4.11(b); 2.4.13(a) & (b); 2.4.15; 2.4.17(a)-(c); 2.4.18; 2.4.19(a)-(d); 2.4.21(a)-(c). Here is one Q&A:
2.4.21 (c) "Have environmental effects which will cause substantial adverse effects on human beings, either directly or indirectly?" The answer is Yes.

February 26, 2015
Mission Viejo, Calif. — Mission Viejo Garden Plaza was built in 1975 and renovated in 2009.

ValueRock Realty Partners has acquired Mission Viejo Garden Plaza, a nine-building office and retail property totaling 67,000 square feet in Mission Viejo, for $13.3 million. The firm paid all-cash for the asset. ValueRock will add value to the asset by making improvements to its on-site signage, completing cosmetic upgrades and ultimately leasing the property at market rates. Built in 1975 and renovated in 2009, Mission Viejo Garden Plaza is situated on 5.1 acres and includes interconnected two-story buildings featuring a blend of California Ranch-Spanish Colonial architecture. At close of escrow, the project was 90 percent leased to a mix of approximately 60 tenants including professional and medical office users, restaurants and service retail tenants. Peter D. Beauchamp, Brian Corrigan and Mark Sigler of Voit Real Estate Services represented ValueRock as well as the seller in the transaction. With this acquisition, ValueRock now owns in excess of 1 million square feet of property in Orange County and more than three million square feet of property in the western states.