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Look at big and little pictures Let’s look at the big picture in three cities and how they answered similar problems now facing Mission Viejo. The city of San Marino passed a “no truck thoroughfare” in their town, including Huntington Drive. South Pasadena long ago agreed the Long Beach freeway could pass through the city “only if no cross-streets are disturbed.” So the freeway stands as stopped today! Then a main highway right-of-way just north of Chico was so designed to mow down the most famous Hooker Oak tree! Give the people of Chico credit for insisting “no” to the State Highway Commission – “You go around it!” Now for the small picture, look at voting pressure by the current Mission Viejo City Council. The current and most recent mayors (MacLean and Kelley) pressed for term limits of the most valuable planning commission members, thereby eliminating any and all experience that disagreed with their personal issues. As a result, you will have Crown Valley widening with no thought as to what the effect will be on Mission Viejo, however wonderful the results will be for Ladera Ranch and far beyond across the gulch. Think how stirring it will be when Oso and Avery are added to the plans. Presently, I have noted two miles of Marguerite Parkway clogged and waiting for signal changes between Avery and Crown Valley. Consulting management is taking care of info with large orange signs to inform us – if you dare to stop to read and get rear-ended! (Faubel fumble.) A smaller picture comes with the bending and bowing to Steadfast and UDR/Pacific by changing commercial zones to residential (campaign donations?) with a token inclusion of “affordable” housing approved therein. Now guess what? Sacramento and Santa Ana “mandates” (duh! – so says the Or. Co. Register) that one-bedroom units are not enough. Now we need more affordables (and larger ones) because Steadfast is building more $600,000-plus homes in the city. Had enough yet? As you travel south toward San Juan Capistrano via the I-5 Freeway, on the left you will see the nearly $50-million (unfurnished) edifice built by Supt. James Fleming and Capistrano school district’s elected trustees. With regard to the effort to recall the trustees, students are shifted to different locations while other students are currently assigned to temporary “shanty town” buildings. According to the latest news, crumbs from CUSD might be tossed to Mission Viejo soon, but are “yet unscheduled.” As for the future picture, yes, locally – there will be an election soon. Councilman John Paul Ledesma is consistently doing his homework and should be reelected. Two other incumbents should be replaced, as they only envision the small picture of cost overruns, sports arenas, gaudy signs, basketball courts commingled with school systems, and paying for the city’s telephone survey I answered recently asking, among other things, whether I liked living in Mission Viejo. My answer was “Yes, but … .” Bill Cruse |
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