The City Council requests your input!
Dear fellow petitioners,
Today we are 5,257 strong. Our “Stop the Monster” signs are all over Mission Viejo. We have worked hard to build awareness and a voice. Now is the time to use it! The following message is longer than I usually like to send out, but the stakes are high and I wanted to make sure you all know the what-when-where-why-how of it, so please read on.
In the City Council meeting on 3/22, the council discussed ValueRock’s request to add a new Residential Mixed Use zone that would provide for up to 40 units per acre and a height of 68 feet not including stairs, elevators, clubhouses and tower elements which could extend up to another 15 feet above the top of the building roof, making the building effectively 83 feet tall.
You can click here to view the video recording. See item 21 on the index: Proposed ValueRock Realty Mixed Use Zoning Regulations.
On this topic, Mayor Wendy Bucknum, asked for a staff report. Elaine Lister, Director of Community Development, gave this summary:
“The creation of a mixed use zone … is necessary to accommodate the (ValueRock) development because none currently exists in the city’s zoning code… so we have no development standards to use for mixed use.
ValueRock is aware of this and so proposing to amend the city’s development code to add this new mixed use zone…and then they would in turn request that this be applied to their property and the project site, changing the zoning of the current property which is Office-Professional, or OP.
If the city council were ultimately to approve amending the development code to include this new zone, other developers could in turn request that this code be applied to other properties in the city.”
To which Mayor Bucknum replied: “I would like to propose today that we as a City stop waiting on the developer to make up their minds and instead use our legislative powers to define the types of uses we believe would be in the best interest of Mission Viejo and its residents… it’s important to us as a City Council that we need to do these things fairly and judiciously and evaluate them... and really ensure our residents have a front row and center seat at the table in doing so.”
The Planning and Transportation Commission will consider the zoning request on April 11, with the Council following suit in May.
So as they say, it’s crunch time. Please make your voice heard by sending an email with the following information so we can independently count, report and present the responses to the city in the April 11th meeting.
1. Copy/Paste the following email addresses into the TO field of your email:
wbucknum@cityofmissionviejo.org
cityclerk@cityofmissionviejo.org
esachs@cityofmissionviejo.org
bgoodell@cityofmissionviejo.org
tkelley@cityofmissionviejo.org
tkelley@cityofmissionviejo.org
elister@cityofmissionviejo.org
2. Copy/Paste this email address to the CC field in your email:
benmartella@icloud.com
3. Copy/Paste this into the Subject field in your email:
I do not support a new Mixed Use zoning designation in Mission Viejo
4. Copy/Paste this into your message area:
Dear Mayor Bucknum and City Council,
I do not support the creation of a new Mixed Use zoning designation in Mission Viejo.
I do not support the creation of an RMU40 zoning designation as requested by ValueRock.
The property on the corner of La Paz and Marguerite should remain Office/Professional and the developer should adjust their plans to live within the zoning as it existed on the day they purchased the property.
The Mission Viejo Plan never contemplated a structure of that size on that corner. As a result, the streets are too narrow, the residential community too close. There is currently nothing like ValueRock’s proposal anywhere in Mission Viejo and I cannot in good conscience commit the community to the many compromises ValueRock’s proposal would entail.
Thank you. I look forward to seeing the right thing done for this community. Please reject ValueRock’s proposal and keep the property zoned Office/Professional.
5. Hit send, sit back and congratulate yourself on doing something valuable for your entire community. You are winners and warriors and we salute you.