Public Hearings On Mission Viejo Docket For Big Retail Project

MISSION VIEJO, CA — Mission Viejo residents can have their voices heard as a proposal for a mixed-use project that would call for 48,000 square feet of retail on Marguerite Parkway and La Paz Road comes to the city council table, the city announced Thursday.

The project, called "The Gardens," will require public hearings due to the developer's application being deemed incomplete by the City's Community Development Department. The private property owner's application proposes to demolish the existing 46,148 square-feet of building area to make room for The Gardens, a project with five upper stories and 234 apartment units, over 600 parking spaces and 48,000 square-feet of retail. The developer of the proposed project, ValueRock Realty, also owns The Commons in Aliso Viejo.

Currently, the 6.5-acre site on the northwest corner of Marguerite Parkway and La Paz Road is zoned as office/professional and developed as the Garden Plaza commercial and office center at 27001 La Paz Road. The site is not owned by the city.

The proposed apartments would be a mix of studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments. According to the city, 12 of the aforementioned units would be affordable to lower-income households.

The public hearing dates for the proposed project has yet to be determined, and the city encourages residents to sign up for Mission Viejo's eNewsletter to stay up-to-date with developments regarding the project.