Council acts to deter crime, drug use and speed up public hearing process on proposed development

What is the "additional tool"provided to police to deter theft of catalytic converters?

Thank you for your comment on the News page. The City Council unanimously passed an Ordinance to add a new section to the City’s Municipal Code which will assist the Orange County Sheriff’s Department in dealing with this type of theft. At the meeting Captain Vuong presented a report of the issue and details of what the Ordinance will do, which you may watch through the following link:

https://missionviejo.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=12&clip_id=21…

The Council also approved to Fast Track the public hearings for a zoning change request by ValueRock for a mixed-use high density apartment complex on the corner of La Paz and Marguerite known as the Garden Plaza. Before Value Rock purchased the property in 2015, it was known as Miners Village.

Don't be fooled into complacency - The MONSTER Apartments are not dead.

Are the Members of the Council opposed to Mixed-Use Zoning? At the March 22 , 2022 council meeting, Council Member Raths was the ONLY council member to say that he did NOT want to change the zoning but to keep the zoning as is - Office Professional.

In my public comments, I shared my concerns about the impact of the Kosmont Report, and that this project was Opportunity Site #2.

The city attorney tried to discount the importance of that Kosmont Report. Here is a draft transcription of his comments:

"As far as harkening back to studies that are over half a decade old that haven’t been implemented and somehow assert their working some influence on today, that’s unusual. So, to that end, we just want the public to know and those projects are not connected to the project over there."

I do not believe that his statement is true.

Here are the Minutes from the August 25, 2015 Council Meeting, Item #36, when the Kosmont Report was accepted by the Council:

36. Economic Development Committee Report

Director of Community Development Elaine Lister presented the staff report. Council Member Sachs discussed the higher-priority properties that the Economic Development Committee identified. He stated that the Committee would like to issue a RFP to have developers submit ideas and then return to the City Council for discussion.

Motion made by Council Member Sachs, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Raths, to (1) confirm the Economic Development Committee’s prioritization of 13 “Opportunity Sites” identified in Kosmont’s June 2015 Retail Market Analysis and Strategy as follows: PRIORITY #1 – Opportunity Sites 1, 2, 3 & 13, as well as the Eaves (formerly Avalon) apartment complex (located immediately north of the Elk’s lodge on Marguerite Parkway) and south to Oso parkway, and including La Paz Road to the freeway – and referenced collectively as the “Civic Core Opportunity Site” and Opportunity Site #5, former Unisys site; and PRIORITY #2 – all remaining sites identified in Kosmont’s Opportunity Site Overview. Revitalization of these sites will be “developer driven;” (2) direct staff to prepare a RFP for a Specific Plan for Civic Core Opportunity Site; and (3) concur with Economic Development Committee input and direction regarding policy question, including openness to allowing mixed use development (including housing) in the priority sites, zoning incentives, increased density, financial incentives, and upfront/ streamlined environmental review.

On roll call, said motion carried by the following vote:

AYES: Bucknum, Raths, Sachs, Schlicht, and Ury
NOES: None
ABSENT: None

The council was supposed to return and discuss policy questions on Mixed-Use Housing, Zoning Incentives, Financial Incentives and CEQA Process Review. Thru-out 2016, I tried to get the Council to discuss zoning policy but they would not. My last attempt was on 10/25/2016:

Council Member Schlicht

20. Civic Core Area Vision Plan Process: Concerns as to Process and Scope of Land-Use
Planning and Regulations

Motion made by Council Member Schlicht to reject The Kosmont Opportunity Sites until the council answers policy questions on Mixed-Use Housing, Zoning Incentives, Financial Incentives and CEQA Process Review. The motion died for lack of a second.

The Kosmont Report identifies "Opportunity Sites" through-out OUR City. A zone change could put the City under siege by developers looking to implement the Kosmont Opportunity Sites.

We need to unite as a community and we need to unify behind ONE MESSAGE: NO ZONE CHANGE

Here is the link to the Opportunity Sites - scroll to page 619:

https://dms.cityofmissionviejo.org/OnBaseAgendaOnline/Documents/ViewDoc…