Steadfast’s Draft EIR is no best seller

Residents shouldn’t waste their money buying a copy of Steadfast’s Aliso Ridge Mixed-Use Development Draft Environmental Impact Report, released September 2005. Original text can be found in residents’ comments, which are recorded in detail. The report’s remaining content, however, gives the appearance of boilerplate text, which is largely non-responsive to residents’ specific concerns.

The two-inch-thick report is available at the reference desk of the Mission Viejo library. The library copy is for reference only and may not be checked out. If copies have previously been for sale at city hall following the EIR’s September release, none were in stock last week. Anyone wanting to purchase the Draft EIR should call the city’s planning department, (949) 470-3053, regarding availability. The EIR’s lead consultant is EDAW, 2737 Campus Drive, Irvine, CA 92612. EDAW’s contact person is Thomas Ryan, (949) 660-8044.

The city last spring required Steadfast to prepare an EIR to determine if the project would have a significant impact on air quality, geology and soils, noise, public services, transportation and traffic. Steadfast’s project, now a joint venture with Target, consists of up to 144 townhomes (with up to 15 percent of affordable housing) on 10 acres of the 23.4-acre parcel located at Jeronimo Road and Los Alisos Blvd. The remaining 13.4 acres would be used for a Target store – a 140,791 sq. ft. retail building with 100,000 sq. ft. of surface parking. A 6-foot-high block wall would separate the retail portion of the parcel from the adjacent property leased by Unysis.

Approval of the proposed mixed-use project would require a General Plan amendment to allow R-30 zoning (residential planned development of up to 30 units per acre) on the 10-acre portion. The 10-acre portion would also require a zone change from business park to residential use. As part of the proposed project, a Conditional Use Permit would be processed for sale of alcohol on the commercial portion of the property.

After nearly two years of presentations and proposals from Steadfast, residents should not be surprised at the developer’s latest assault / insult. Questions, details, arguments and issues raised by residents are largely dismissed with three words: no significant impact.

Comments on the Draft EIR must be received by the planning department before 5 p.m. on October 26 to be included in the Final EIR. Address comments to Chuck Wilson, 200 Civic Center, Mission Viejo, 92691, or call (949) 470-3053.

MV NewsBlog Staff Editorial