Santa’s Workshop Moves On

Several Mission Viejo Activities Committee members spoke during public comments at the Nov. 17 council meeting. They tried to smooth over the committee’s decision to move Santa’s Workshop from the Four Corners to the area between city hall and the library. Many residents have decried the move, saying the Workshop’s Four Corners location is part of the Christmas tradition.

Committee members attempted to focus on concern for safety but often went off point. They mentioned a car passing by in 2007 with someone yelling at Santa. They also indicated, as volunteers, they expect gratitude but not criticism.

To justify the relocation, one committee member gave an example in L.A. of a driver who lost control of a car and killed pedestrians. The speaker was likely referring to the 2006 tragedy in Santa Monica at a Farmer’s Market, which doesn’t reflect the situation at La Paz and Marguerite. The 2006 example more closely parallels the Workshop’s setting at city hall. The driver in Santa Monica drove through barricades into a pedestrian area.

After 38 years without a car jumping the curb and hitting people in line for Santa’s Workshop at La Paz and Marguerite, committee members claimed, “It’s just a matter of time” before it occurs. The parking lot at city hall isn’t a pedestrian-friendly place, particularly at night when it’s overflowing with too many cars, frustrated drivers annoyed by trees or planters in every parking space and pedestrians who can’t be seen in the dark. In 2001, the city made a similarly unpopular decision by relocating Santa and the displays from the Four Corners to Florence Joyner Park, where attendance dropped off sharply. The displays were back at Four Corners the following year.

This year, committee members said the public should have known the Workshop was moving because they gave flyers to those who attended last year. As mentioned in last week’s editorial on this blog, most residents didn’t hear about it. With the city’s elaborate spin machine – The City Outlook, the electronic message board, MVTV, a Website and city hall’s blog, why was the announcement limited to flyers given to those standing in line last year?

Residents can opine by visiting Brad Morton’s blog, MissionViejoDispatch.com, and participating in a survey (look at the upper right-hand box, “Santa Poll”) on whether or not they agree with the relocation of Santa’s Workshop.