Decision to Dismantle Distrito Heads to Council Again

After, the City Council is scheduled again Tuesday night to vote on whether it will rescind its approval of the controversial, large equestrian/housing/commercial project along each side of La Novia Avenue.

If it votes to uphold its approval, it must then call for a special election, whereby voters will decide if they want the 54-acre —composed of commercial-retail space, office outlets, 90 condos, 50 rental apartments, 94 single-family homes and an equestrian center for up to 500 horses—to come to fruition.

When an environmental study was conducted in January 2010 to assess what effects the project might have on noise, pollution, water resources and traffic in the area, numerous residents spoke out in opposition to the proposed equestrian center. At that time, it was planned to accommodate 775 horses. That was later scaled down to 500.

"My wife, Eva, and I, have lived [on Paseo Mimosa] in San Juan Capistrano since 1990. We love this town and hope it can retain much of the character which attracts us," Harold Haight wrote to the city. "Our ocean breezes are now to include the smell of horse dung? Let's stop this unwanted urbanization now, beginning with this project."

"Please not prevailing winds will blow odors, flies, etc. over the gold course and San Juan Hills West development. This is a 55 and older community with many people with breathing ailments. Please put a stop to the equestrian part of this plan immediately!" Rick and Kerry Deputy wrote in an e-mail to the city's planner, Bill Ramsey.

Still, even after the project was scaled down, many residents living in the neighborhood near the opposed it. John Perry led a campaign to qualify the project for a referendum, succeeding with 2,207 signatures of registered voters in San Juan Capistrano, more than the 1,973 required by the Orange County registrar of voters.

Also on the agenda Tuesday, the City Council will:

• Review, and possibly vote on, a  with the developers of the Plaza Banderas hotel. At its last meeting, the council discussed the possibility of paying  as a part of the agreement.
• Decide whether it should waive the development impact fees associated with the s desired relocation to a cottage near in the .
• Consider authorizing an application to the Orange County Transportation Authority for $2.2 million—about half of the construction costs needed to widen San Juan Creek Road between Valle Road and Camino Capistrano. The remaining 50 percent of the cost has been budgeted in the city’s capital improvement program.
• Vote to approve or deny the $1,500 Erin Kutnick requested from the city to help fund an Every 15 Minutes program at .

To view the entire agenda, visit sanjuancapistrano.org.