When egos collide, Part 2

(Continued from Oct. 15)

Despite the council’s problems, Mission Viejo’s city government had at least one redeeming feature. The 2003-2004 Planning Commission had leadership, wisdom, tenacity and a collective will to do the right thing.

Jack Anderson, Bo Klein, Dr. Michael Kennedy and the city’s first mayor, Norman P. Murray, were exemplary planning commissioners. Mary Binning was also on the commission. Each gentleman brought value to the commission and, together, they were everything the council was not. The commissioners provided each decision with balanced debate and consideration. Residents could feel secure that the commission was the first line of defense against overdevelopment and dismantling of the city’s Master Plan.

Dr. Kennedy heard many versions of Steadfast’s housing proposals as a member of the Design Review Committee. Starting with 800 high-density affordable apartments in 2002, the plan was significantly scaled back before the first public airing. Steadfast proposed numerous housing plans, and the commissioners rejected each one. The commissioners listened to the developer and the residents before making decisions based on benefits to the city. Even when Dr. Kennedy resigned from the commission, his replacement, Dorothy Wedel, immediately provided value as a former planning commissioner, councilwoman and mayor with her experience in another city.

Meanwhile, an election was on the horizon for November 2004 with Council Members Bill Craycraft and Gail Reavis up for reelection. Craycraft had formed a triumvirate with Butterfield and Withrow, which he probably hoped voters would forget. He had been humiliated when a new council majority in 2003 removed his name from a city park (jokingly referred to as Craycraft Regional Athletic Park – C.R.A.P.).

Reavis was popular with most residents not connected with Butterfield, Withrow or former City Manager Dan Joseph. Her greatest challenge would not come from a candidate but from a rival on the council who wasn’t up for reelection: Trish Kelley. Just as Kelley had in 2003 announced that Reavis wouldn’t be allowed to serve as mayor, she announced in 2004 that Reavis wouldn’t be reelected to the council.

By May, activists had pressed Brad Morton into running for Craycraft’s seat. While Frank Ury was indicating he would run, many who knew him well weren’t supporting him. Ury had earlier served one term on the Saddleback Valley school board before being removed by voters. Reavis and Morton were friendly toward each other and discussed cooperative campaigning.

Morton sought endorsements and support from everyone, including both Reavis and Kelley, who had their own political camps. By August 2004, Morton was walking on eggshells to avoid offending either side. Kelley made him an offer: she would endorse him on the condition he would stay away from Reavis. He was to have no joint events or be seen with Reavis. As a surprise to many people, Morton agreed.

As a point of comparison, Kelley had entered the 2002 council race when activist Bo Klein persuaded her to run. Kelley wanted no negative campaigning and insisted she would serve only one term if elected. By 2004 when Kelley wasn’t a candidate, she appeared to orchestrate the most negative campaign anyone had ever seen. Poorly written flyers maligning Reavis were stealthily distributed. Churchgoers found the flyers on windshields upon leaving Sunday services, and shoppers discovered them at the bottom of their shopping bags from Ralph’s. Kelley additionally went door-to-door, asking people to remove Reavis campaign signs from their yards. Kelley’s efforts were for naught, and Reavis was reelected on November 2.

Among those who’d had the nerve to defy the neighborhood political bully, Planning Commissioner Bo Klein had posted a Reavis sign in his yard. Kelley threatened him with removal from the planning commission if he supported Reavis. The sign stayed up. Two months after the election, Kelley didn’t reappoint Klein to the commission. When Councilman Ledesma nominated Klein to the commission, three council members voted him down: Kelley, MacLean and Ury. Those who watched the meeting believed Kelley, MacLean and Ury committed a Brown Act violation with Kelley secretly lining up votes to remove Klein. As another appearance of spite, Kelley, MacLean and Ury also voted down Reavis’ commission nominee, Dorothy Wedel.

With all the council shenanigans and enormous energy spent on personal attack, the city survived. Without leadership, however, decline was inevitable. The new majority had jettisoned what was likely the best planning commission in the city’s history. High-density housing had already sprung up in the south part of town, courtesy of a previous irresponsible council majority. Academic scores declined in schools closest to the projects, and some parents yanked their children from public schools. Development to the east of the city created gridlock on Oso and Crown Valley Parkway and caused homeowners along the routes to plead for noise mitigation measures. Rancho Mission Viejo’s massive housing development was coming online while the council majority fiddled. Developers of affordable apartments and other high-density housing continued to donate to the campaign coffers of council members. As an additional scourge to the city, Southern California Edison gave residents of north Mission Viejo a new view with oversized utility poles. Stuff happens when no one is watching the store. Lobbyists and political higher-ups said the battle was over by the time a group of residents got organized against SCE.

Instead of leadership, the city has a “character” program. Residents have a word of the month – what more could they want? With slopes barren and failing, the council focuses on new pet projects – a gymnasium or an electronic sign – instead of infrastructure. While lacking economic development strategy, some council members are working on personal strategies to stay in office by playing to small segments of the community.

Mission Viejo’s Master Plan is gradually being dismantled as developers propose high-density housing projects. A conga line is forming, led by UDR/Pacific and Steadfast, with others eyeing open space in south Mission Viejo and proposing third-story affordable apartments on top of retail buildings. While some council members tout the projects as fulfilling imaginary needs, they mention developer fees “that can be used to fund some other projects around town.” The real problem is that the council has already spent the money. Now they need to backfill with developer fees allegedly going for parks that won’t be built. The decisions by the council majority have been made, and residents’ input is not needed or wanted.

No one at council meetings is still standing at the public microphone touting the brilliance, integrity or business acumen of the council majority. As an encouraging sign, the electorate may be waking up.