The Buzz

To view the listing of the parcel next to the Target Store at Los Alisos and Jeronimo, go to
http://www.cbre.com/USA/US/CA/Newport+Beach/Property/MVMultiFamilyLand . CB Richard Ellis has the listing for the 7.4-acre property. The price is $20 million, and a plan for 144 attached condominiums has been approved. This was the hotly contested housing project that activists began opposing in 2003 when Steadfast was the owner. Initially, Steadfast wanted to build 800 affordable apartments on a 23-acre parcel, which was zoned for commercial use. Steadfast then partnered with Target. Steadfast took on the community and got the property rezoned to housing (approved 5-0 by the council in 2006) but couldn’t start building because of the affordable housing lawsuit. By the time the lawsuit was settled, the housing market began to decline. Steadfast tried to get the property rezoned back to commercial, but the effort failed. Target now owns the property.

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When the former council catered to Steadfast and rezoned the commercial property for housing, it destroyed opportunities for jobs for residents and sales-tax revenue for the city. Remaining members of that council (MacLean, Ury, Kelley and Ledesma) discussed the need for an economic development plan during their Dec. 15 Strategic Workshop. Between throwing away business opportunities and burning Other People’s Money, their economic development strategy is already well established.

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Reader response: “I saw the city manager’s explanation that the cast-iron tree on the float is supposed to be the city’s 20th anniversary logo. I laughed when someone said the cast-iron tree with the fiery-looking background looks like the gates of hell. Instead of calling the float ‘Making a Splash,’ just call it ‘Hell on Wheels.’”

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Mission Viejo blogger Larry Gilbert has a post on the county blog http://OrangeJuiceblog.com , regarding the Dec. 27 OC Register article about Mission Viejo’s float. The OC Register states, “A webcam lets you watch thousands of volunteers bring Mission Viejo’s first-ever Rose Parade float to life.” Thousands of volunteers? Here’s Larry’s response: “I just went to the webcam to see the work in process. Let’s assume that what we are seeing is the Mission Viejo float. By my estimate there may be two dozen people working. You simply cannot have thousands of people surrounding the float. There may be other MV volunteers off camera, but I will stick with my allegation of spin by our staff to the local media on this story.” Read the entire post at http://orangejuiceblog.com/2008/12/check-out-mission-viejos-rose-parade-float-on-the-city-webcam-today/#more-15832

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The front page of the Dec. 26 Saddleback Valley News is a picture of the back of someone’s head. Perhaps it’s symbolic of the paper turning its back on the community, but the headlines, “Looking back at 2008,” are misleading. SVN demonstrates that it can’t present 2008 in review because it didn’t adequately cover news as it happened. SVN’s review consists of three photos from the Nov. 4 election, two Nadadores pictures and two others that aren’t identifiable. The story mentions the opening of the community center expansion but fails to state the real news: the construction project was severly mismanaged and ran three times over budget. Instead of a reference to turmoil in the Capistrano school district grabbing national attention, SVN mentioned Trabuco High School students who had to retake their Advanced Placement tests because of cheating and protocol violations. The float got yet another mention after three months of press releases dumped into the paper by the city staff.

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A correction is order following the publication of false information in SVN’s review of 2008 (Page 3). Fact: The Casta del Sol Golf Course is still for sale and vulnerable to any housing developer wanting to rezone the parcel. SVN reporter Lindsey Baguio writes, “In February, the city council approved a 45-day moratorium on all zoning changes amid residents’ concerns of development on the golf course. The law prevented developers from submitting projects that would require rezoning from recreational or open space to residential.” A moratorium isn’t a law; it’s a delay. And it doesn’t prevent a developer from submitting projects. The council’s moratorium (which has been extended) has a loophole benefiting developers, and it prevents nothing.

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Those gathering signatures for the Mission Viejo Right-To-Vote Initiative should get their petitions in to Dale Tyler. To arrange for pickup of signed petitions, call (949) 837-1997. Signatures will be given to the Registrar of Voters well ahead of the Jan. 26 deadline. Those still wanting to sign should call (949) 837-1997.