Special Interests Oppose Measure D

It is not surprising that the Realtors Political Action Committee (PAC) is funding an expensive campaign to defeat Measure D (the Right To Vote) in Mission Viejo. When the "no" people are talking about "powerful special interests" in this election, they are correct. It is the California Association of Realtors and the thousands of apartments they want to build in Mission Viejo community without a vote of the residents. 

Right now, all it takes to rezone a parcel of property in Mission Viejo is three council votes, and the council majority already used three votes to rezone the old Kmart property for condos, the property next to the new Target for condos, the property on Los Alisos next to "Tuesday Morning" for 81 units and the property on the Country Club Golf Course for hundreds of apartments. One opponent of Measure D says "not one unit has been built in years." That is only due to the economy and the lack of current financing.

Most of the anti-Measure D claims in newspaper and mail advertisements are too absurd to address. The good news is that if Measure D passes (with a YES vote), it would help to preserve the beautiful planned community that attracted most of the city’s homebuyers. Residents have not forgotten that they moved here because of the Master Plan created by the Mission Viejo Co. 40 years ago. For many years, that plan stood firm. Recently (and over resident objections), several previously commercial and open-space areas were rezoned for apartments and condos.

When opponents say that the passage of Measure D would cost the city jobs, just the opposite is true. The properties that were originally zoned for industrial and commercial are far more likely to provide jobs well into the future. Rezoning the parcels to apartments would only benefit the builder and his contractors for a very short time.

By design of the measure, any new elections would be paid for by the developer, not the city or its taxpayers. Measure D could have been adopted by the council at zero cost to the taxpayers and voters. The current majority was not even willing to entertain such a thought.

The Mission Viejo Right-To-Vote (Measure D) concept gained major momentum after a developer came to the city asking to develop the Casta del Sol golf course as housing.  The public was able to marshal public outcry THIS TIME. Since the property is still for sale and the moratorium has run out, it is only the economy holding back development. During the time the golf course was in play, 1,200 residents of Casta del Sol signed an informal petition, asking the council to preserve the property as a golf course.  If Measure D does not win in June, such an initiative is unlikely to come back because it was 100-percent resident driven and paid for with no dollars from special interests.

One Casta resident has used her position on the homeowners’ board by saying, “If the council votes against the wishes of the people, they can be voted out.” By the time an election rolls around, the damage will already be done, and council members are elected for four-year terms. Once the property is rezoned and entitlements are given to the owner, the damage, such as losing the golf course, cannot be undone.

Today, several properties hang in the balance: 1) two Saddleback Valley USD elementary schools (now closed) could be sold and developed as housing, 2) the property owner who currently leases to Unisys has inquired as to the willingness of the city to rezone his property to apartments, 3) the shopping center across the street from city hall (SteinMart, Michaels, CVS, etc.) has already been studied by the city to raze the center and construct businesses on the street level with hundreds of apartments above, 4) Casta del Sol Golf Course (high ground not in the flood plain) has been targeted for housing, 5) the hillside slope next to the animal shelter has been appraised and two hotels negotiated with the city for the property, 6) the Country Club Golf Course has sold acreage to a developer and apartment plans are going forward, 7) at the former Kmart property, plans are being adjusted from current entitlements for condos because the developer wants apartments, 8) Tuesday Morning property (on east Los Alisos) has been rezoned with entitlements, 9) the parcel next to the new Target store has been rezoned for mixed-use with entitlements for townhomes on the remaining acres. 

Mission Hospital is not a rezoning issue, despite claims in the anti-Measure D mailers.  The property is already zoned for hospital use, and it recently underwent a $550-million expansion. The hospital doesn’t pay property tax, and only minimal sales tax is gained from the gift shop. To say that healthcare would be affected by this Measure is fear mongering at its worst. The hospital administrator’s fear, however, is that residents wouldn’t approve his wish for more apartments near Crown Valley (within walking distance to the hospital) for his employees. This is yet another case of special interest.

The anti-Measure D PAC mailers and newspaper ads tout the OC Taxpayers group. This one-man band has operated out of San Juan Capistrano for years.  Most notable was the OC Taxpayers’ total support for building an international airport at El Toro. Its proprietor, Reed Royalty, attended most county meetings and supported pro-airport causes and election candidates. While this may have been a few years ago, Royalty was a very visible and vocal supporter of an airport.  The residents of Mission Viejo should not be fooled by a man who has never championed the interests of this city.

While the OC Register is siding with the NO argument on Measure D, they conversely tell us to vote YES on Proposition 16 which is another Voters Rights Initiative. The absolute best thing voters can do is to be informed. Read the entire initiative. The PAC advertisements are not true, and most of those opposing Measure D have obviously not read it.

Citizens of Mission Viejo, this is your best chance – and maybe the last one – to take back "the California Promise.” Vote YES on Measure D.