Residents Oppose Closing Casta Golf Course
Editorial staff

With standing room only at the Nov. 5 council meeting, community members unanimously supported keeping the Casta del Sol golf course as it is. Twelve residents spoke and many others submitted written comments, all in support of preserving the golf course. The president of the Casta del Sol HOA board of directors presented petitions with 1,249 signatures in support of the golf course. Another HOA president, representing Finisterra on the Green, also spoke in favor of preserving the golf course.

Following are excerpts from public comments made by residents:

“Mission Viejo needs a citizens initiative on the ballot whereby residents get to vote on every major zone change. It’s the only way to stop this project.”

“We are asking the council to be our advocates. If you rezone the golf course, the Mission Viejo Promise will become the broken promise.”

“The loss of the golf course would be the loss of a valuable amenity that’s a fixed part of this community.”

“After providing all the soccer fields and opportunities for young people, don’t deprive adults and seniors of their recreation and enjoyment.”

“Saving the golf course is our highest priority. Locate a different buyer, have the city or lake association take it over or use eminent domain to save it.”

“A city park is a liability that costs money. A golf course generates revenue.”

[Regarding security at Cypress Point] “We have a gated front entrance and open access at the rear. The park would have open, unsupervised public access.”

“Probable happenings include major injuries from major rainfall, lightning storms, release and overflow of water from the dam, earthquake and the intent to destroy. The senior housing would be in line with runoff water.”

“Leave the golf course just as it is, or the owner could sell it to the city to preserve it as a golf course.”

“The Sunrise proposal is a terrible idea because of environmental concerns, traffic, parking issues, park lights at night and possible endangerment of birds that warrant legal protection, all because a large corporation wants to carve up the golf course.”

“Our high school is among five schools that use the Casta del Sol golf course for our golf team. It is a much-needed resource for our school.”

“The golf course is an important asset for many age groups, and we don’t need another assisted-care facility. The owner is going after the highest bidder without consideration for what happens to the community.”

“There will be no replacement of this golf course if it is sold.”

“A park will cause traffic issues and slowdowns. Mission Viejo already has more than 50 parks. Can the city consider turning it into a municipal golf course?”

Residents’ views couldn’t be clearer: everyone rejected the proposal by Sunrise Senior Living to build a residential care facility at one end and turn the remaining 64 acres of the golf course into a city park.

Two council members, Gail Reavis and Frank Ury, both had golf course items on the Nov. 5 council agenda to open the topic for public discussion. Both of them, along with other council members, repeatedly said the proposal “has not yet come before the council.”

Several residents who attended the meeting said the real problem is having the issue “behind” rather than in front of the council. One resident said, “Sunrise has approached each council member individually. If Sunrise and their P.R. agent Roger Faubel had not received encouragement from council members in private discussions, the proposal wouldn’t be moving forward. Four council members – everyone but John Paul Ledesma – already accepted campaign donations from Roger Faubel.”

Campaign finance records show that Council Members Lance MacLean, Frank Ury, Gail Reavis and Trish Kelley have received campaign donations from Roger Faubel. While they didn’t openly support Faubel’s client, Sunrise, during the Nov. 5 meeting, no council member made statements about the golf course being a valuable community asset worth preserving. Also, no council member made any statement about the importance of doing his or her job of representing the residents.

At one point, MacLean said the city could form a special assessment district to tax nearby residents, thereby having residents pay for the golf course if they thought the city should buy it. His comment caused one person in the audience to say it was a ridiculous remark. Another audience member (who was attending her first council meeting) said, “He obviously isn’t in favor of saving the golf course.”

The Sunrise strategy could be similar to the one used by Steadfast in its successful bid to get council approval despite objections of residents. Steadfast’s housing project wasn’t publicly discussed by the council until after it had been debated in front of two different Planning Commissions. By the time the Steadfast housing proposal reached the city council, residents’ objections (including a petition against the project with 3,000 signatures) weren’t even acknowledged. Each council member had accepted thousands of dollars from Steadfast, and the vote was 5-0 to approve the developer’s project.