Please let your council members know what you feel...You only have until this coming Monday...email, call or best yet...show up at city hall at 6:00...pizza will be served!

the phone number to call (I would ask for a call back) is 470-3050 give them your stance, reasoning, concerns

The email to reach all council members with one click is

Wear red to the city hall...preferably Hankey spirit wear

Fact Sheet  - Joint Use Gymnasium Project

The Mission Viejo City Council, at its Feb. 16, 2003 meeting, directed staff to explore the concept of building a gymnasium on a Mission Viejo School site as a joint use project.

The City Council, at their May 17, 2003 meeting, approved a letter of mutual interest to send to CUSD for constructing and operating a joint use gymnasium at Newhart Middle School. 

The City Council again adopted resolutions approving applications for grant funding from two separate sources at meetings on October 18 and December 6. 

CUSD recently learned that they have been approved for the $1.5 million grant, which would provide $1.5 million approximately one-half of the cost of the gymnasium from the State Prop 55 funds specifically earmarked for joint use projects. 

The City did not get the $1 million grant; and is still waiting to hear on the $250,000 grant. 

During the spring and early summer of 2005 The Mission Viejo Community Services Commission held a series of Public input meetings on this project. They completed their work and demonstrated a need for the facility and voted to support the project. The recommendation to the City Council was there was a need for a Gymnasium facility.

The proposed Gymnasium would be used for many purposes including basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer, badminton, fitness, dance and classes.

The growth of youth basketball in our area has more than doubled over the last 4 years. The leagues located in Mission Viejo, RSM, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Niguel, El Toro, Dana Point and Irvine are capped on available indoor gym time. There are no more indoor gymnasiums for them to play their season scheduled games. Children that wanted to join the local NJB basketball chapters last year were being turned away.

CUSD needed a commitment from the City ASAP, as there are time obligations tied to their grant.

On October 17, 2005 the City Council voted to not proceed with the project. Over thirty members of the community spoke in favor of the proposal, eight against. Email correspondence ran 95 in favor – 5 opposed. Council members Ledesma, Ury and Reavis voted against, Mayor Trish Kelley and Mayor Pro-Tem Lance MacLean voted in favor.  

If you are interested in giving input to the City Council Members, you may send emails to , and they will be forwarded to all 5 Council Members. Please leave phone messages at 470-3050 for the three prevailing Council Members. 

At 5:45 PM Monday Nov. 7 community members will hold a pizza and soda tailgate party in the City Hall parking lot. The Council meeting begins at 6 PM. The public is encouraged to attend the meeting and speak about the great disappointment that is prevalent in the community. This project can go to another city willing to work with the school district.

All are welcome to attend the Tailgate party, 

Public speaker slips and written comment slips are available as you enter the Chamber area, and should be filled out and given to the City Clerk before Public Comments or if the Gymnasium item is called.  If you would like to watch from home, the meetings are televised on channel 30, MVTV.