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.

Stop Selling Out Our Master Plan
Message to the Mission Viejo City Council

On Nov. 5, I sent an email to council members regarding Item No. 41 on the Nov. 5 agenda. The item was listed as follows:

41. Casta del Sol Golf Course

Recommended Action:  Initiate full public discussion with City Council regarding status of Casta del Sol Golf Course.  Determine if Council wishes to direct staff or Council to pursue any action such as San Clemente has taken regarding conversion of a portion of a golf course in their city.

My email was among those received by the council but not read into the record at the meeting. Following are my comments:

 I would like to register my support for a citizen-sponsored initiative that will restrict the City Council's ability to sell out our master-planned community to developers.

Over the past four years, our City Council has approved five dubious proposals to add more very high-density residential developments into our city. Two of them, the Kmart property and the Steadfast property, were very heavily argued against by concerned citizens, yet the City Council approved them anyway, over the objections of the Planning Commission and citizens. The other three are now approved for up to 30 units/acre and will be built when this council is out of office.

The people of Mission Viejo need to remove the power to corrupt our Master Plan from this and all future City Councils and give themselves the power to make these decisions.

Do not be fooled by phony initiatives. Look at what Yorba Linda did successfully and what San Clemente is about to do and promote the initiate that will give you real power to fight the greedy developers in Mission Viejo.

Dale Tyler
Mission Viejo

CUSD Holds Facilities Meeting
Announcement and agenda

Residents of Capistrano USD who are concerned about the state of the district’s facilities are invited to attend a meeting to discuss the topic. The Facilities Subcommittee meeting will be held Tues., Nov. 13, at 6:00 p.m. in the administration board room, 33122 Valle Road, San Juan Capistrano.

Below is the agenda, which outlines what specifically will be discussed. Parents and other community members are encouraged to attend. Speakers are allowed to address the board (same rule as applies at board meetings). For those who have a view they wish to share with the subcommittee (comprised of three board trustees) about facilities, this is a good opportunity to do so.

Thanks for supporting your school district. Hope to see you there!

Agenda distributed by the superintendent:

1.Facility Master Plan Update

a.Progress Update
b.Revised Board Policies
c.RFP for Master Plan Development

2.Recycling at Schools

3.San Juan Hills High School Update

a.Comparative High School Costs
b.Pending Change Orders
c.Site Approval
d.Joint Use Agreement for Pool
e.Stadium Update

4.San Clemente High School Update

a.Pool Building and Auxiliary Gym
b.Avenida Pico Traffic Mitigation

5.Facilities Use Policy

6.Custodial Staffing

7.Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Protocol

8.Immediate Portable Replacement Recommendation (New)

9.Joint Use Agreement – City of Aliso Viejo

10.Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises (DVBE)

11.Construction Project Updates

CUSD Update: Some Lost It
Editorial staff

Several folks were on the losing side by the end of the Nov. 5 Capo board meeting. For a change, Mission Viejo schoolchildren and their parents didn’t get shortchanged. Those who lost it included three of the Fleming-era trustees and one of their shills – a San Juan Capistrano PTA mom who was yelling obscenities by the end of the meeting. At issue was an agenda item that pitted one group of parents against another. Incredibly, the dispute was mostly about where people would sit at the new high school’s football games.

On the agenda was a board decision on whether to fund stadium seating at San Juan Hills High School (SJHHS) or to spend the money among various other schools throughout the district. Most schools won’t get everything they need because there’s a severe shortage of cash to repair, maintain, clean and replace. Taxpayers did their part by providing adequate funds for all the necessities and more, but the former regime made foolish choices. In a district that claims to provide outstanding public education, the Nov. 5 meeting demonstrated that three old-guard trustees haven’t learned a thing.

The board meeting at times seemed more like a student pep rally, which was likely orchestrated by old-regime Trustee Marlene Draper and the PTA mom mentioned above. SJHHS parents and students filled most of the seats in the front half of the room. Some SJHHS students wore their cheerleading uniforms or football jerseys. Draper had previously been quoted in newspapers as supporting the expenditure of millions of dollars on SJHHS stadium seating, and she referred to the gold-plated school building as her crowning achievement.

On Nov. 5, the PTA mom made public comments, saying it was “mean spirited” that other parents wanted to fix up deteriorating schools instead of continuing to pour money into one high school that’s practically breaking the bank. Additional parents who support more spending on the new high school chimed in at the public microphone, along with the student-body president of the new school. The student said, essentially, “Are you kidding? Given a choice of buying stadium seats for a new school or toilets for an old school, it’s a no-brainer.” The cheerleaders and football players applauded his brilliance.

Parents with children in the old schools commented that they weren’t against the new school and they didn’t oppose completing it – including the eventual purchase of stadium seating. They just want their children to have the basics before the district spends itself into bankruptcy. The astonishing fact is how much has been spent on the new school – more than $140 million – and it still doesn’t have enough classrooms.

The scene at the Nov. 5 meeting could have been one from the playbook of former Supt. James Fleming, who seemed to revel in one group of parents fighting against another. The spell was broken on Nov. 5 when it came time for a vote. Instead of the trustees following the superintendent’s will as in days of old, Trustee Duane Stiff made a motion to table the item that would have given the new high school its stadium seating. He indicated classrooms are the most important feature of schools.

When the vote was tallied, it was Stiff, Addonizio, Bryson and Christensen in favor of tabling the item and Benecke, Draper and Darnold opposed. According to district insiders, this is the third time in recent weeks Stiff (who was hand-picked by Fleming) has voted with the three reform trustees on a major decision. If Stiff continues to separate himself from the other old-regime trustees, they’re through. Their mark on the district, however – the damage and enormous debt, will be long-lasting.

Despite the moral victory on Monday night, problems abound. The district is severely short on funds, even for basics, and it will soon face more budget cuts. Administrators sit in a partially empty $52-million Taj Mahal while some students are crowded into dilapidated portables. Three old-regime trustees are focused on putting the finishing touches on the new high school, which could cost $175 million before it’s completed. Meanwhile, Mission Viejo schools, particularly Newhart, lack basics.

The Buzz column – Nov. 11

The ongoing battle in the Capo school district has taken another turn, with Fleming-era Trustee Duane Stiff switching sides to vote with the three reform-minded newcomers. Following the November 2006 defeat of old-guard trustees and the May 2007 indictment of former CUSD administrators, Stiff now appears awake and ready to jump off the Titanic. Whether or not he’s a real reform convert remains to be seen. He’s at least enjoying improved popularity by exercising his newfound power as the swing vote.

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As one aspect of CUSD’s budget mess, those in charge of finances can’t do the math. They don’t know what funds are available, how much has been spent or how much can be spent on which facilities. During the past two weeks, the “official” story about funding changed several times. Even using the district’s data, the numbers don’t add up. As an example, a parent found documentation that Measure A bond money has been spent, but administrators continue to identify it as funding for future projects. The employee acting as CUSD’s CFO (managing a $500-million annual budget) has a high-school diploma. It’s not a good sign when those responsible for educating don’t place much value on education.

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Blog reader comment: “Newspapers reported that D.A. Tony Rackaukas could have indicted Carona, but he let the feds do it. I’m wondering what Carona knows about Rackaukas and others who are either passing the buck or trying to defend the sheriff. We could see big changes when Carona starts to plea bargain. Undersheriff Jo Ann Galisky is already tainted by association with Carona. When he lied about his trip to London to see Interpol’s DNA lab, Galisky didn’t speak up. She was on the trip and knew better. Between corrupt politicians and untrustworthy employees, how many are involved?”

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Information surfaced on a county blog about Mission Viejo’s rarely used Saddleback Room – which doubles as the city’s never-used Emergency Operations Center. Although unsubstantiated, maybe it’s true that the EOC was actually used in an emergency situation. As the story goes, a former elected official tripped and fell, injuring her chin. She went by ambulance to a hospital emergency room for stitches. Her fall occurred during a city event, with officials and guests eating a taxpayer-purchased cake.

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Councilman Lance MacLean’s diminishing popularity may have reached a new low at the Nov. 5 council meeting. During a discussion about the Casta del Sol golf course, he addressed residents’ suggestion of making it a municipal course. MacLean said the city could form a special assessment district whereby property owners near the golf course could be taxed to pay for such an endeavor. Some hearing the comment were angry. One resident said, “Why would the city start using a special tax for recreational facilities? Do the neighbors near the rec centers get assessed for remodels? Why didn’t we hear about a special assessment district for MacLean’s basketball gymnasium? It’s interesting when council members claim the city is awash with cash for their pet projects but not for what benefits a high number of residents.”