Unaffordable at Any Price

When Mayor Frank Ury suggested holding a special council meeting on Feb. 24, the stated purpose was “to educate the public” about the city’s affordable housing issues.

The word “educate” should cause residents to grab their wallets. The last time the council majority “educated the public,” P.R. consultant Roger Faubel got a $100,000 contract to put signs along Crown Valley Pkwy. Drivers stopped in traffic because of the roadwork could read Faubel’s signs to learn they were stopped in traffic because of the roadwork.

Approximately 50 people sat in the audience during the Feb. 24 meeting, and less than half were residents. Non-residents included lawyers, builders and consultants who make a living on affordable housing projects. Two opposing sides were evident: the residents versus everyone else. Residents want to preserve the city’s Master Plan and the character of neighborhoods. Outsiders want to add affordable housing projects that increase density, traffic and overcrowding. Council majorities (including Lance MacLean, Frank Ury and Trish Kelley) have consistently supported the outsiders.

Anyone interested in information about the city’s housing element and the debacle created by current and past councils can read a summary on Brad Morton’s blog, http://missionviejodispatch.com/2009/02/24/housing-drama-unfolds/

As a shorter summary, the housing element in Mission Viejo is a mess and it’s going to get worse. Residents can change the direction by changing the council majority. On Feb. 2, a group of 51 residents initiated the recall Councilman Lance MacLean for a variety of reasons, and MacLean’s support for more housing is just one of them.

The Mar. 1 OC Register [Local, page 4] reported on Mission Viejo’s housing issues, “City officials are working to develop an affordable housing policy within the next 30 to 45 days for new residential developments that may move forward.” What’s the urgency?

The council previously rezoned three parcels, ostensibly to accommodate high-density affordable projects, and the project on Oso (formerly owned by the country club) appears to be moving forward. As reported on previous blogs, Kelley has limited time to prevent an affordable housing project “in her school district.” The council will next decide whether to keep the affordable element in the Oso project or assign 100 percent of the city’s affordable units to the parcel next to the new Target store, which is in SVUSD.

MacLean missed the Feb. 24 meeting to attend his daughter’s birthday party, and his absence dramatically changed the dynamics. Ury had no fellow juvenile on the dais, and everyone else was spared MacLean’s hostile remarks and combative style. His absence also hid the likelihood that council majority members MacLean, Ury and Kelley have already decided to allow the developer on Oso to walk away from the affordable housing agreement, which was the alleged reason to rezone the parcel. The probable outcome is an all-affordable project next to the new Target store at Los Alisos and Jeronimo.