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CD |Mission Preservation Foundation Board Adds New Members

Two new members were recently announced for the Mission Preservation Foundation Board of Directors, both used to interacting with the San Juan Capistrano community.

Trevor’s at the Tracks owner Trevor Baird and Providence Mission Hospital Chief Executive Seth R. Teigen are the new members of the board, which oversees maintaining Mission San Juan Capistrano and its place in Orange County.

“I am truly honored and grateful to be considered to join such an esteemed group of professionals who are so deeply invested into the preservation of the Jewel of the Missions,” said Baird, who lives in Laguna Niguel and opened his downtown San Juan restaurant in 2017.

Baird grew up in South Orange County and, like many other locals, visited the Mission when he was younger.

Teigen also lives in Laguna Niguel, has 27-plus years of experience in health care and has spoken at San Juan Capistrano Coffee Chat forums about health aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The history and beauty of the restoration of this site is a reminder to us all what a community can accomplish when they come together around a common cause, and I am excited to continue living out that legacy,” Teigen said.

Mission Preservation Foundation President George O’Connell said the addition of the two “competent and engaged community leaders” will keep the future of the Mission intact.

“I’m grateful that they accepted the invitation and know that they will bring a lot to the table as together we look ahead to casting a wider net of support for the care, preservation and stewardship of Orange County’s only Mission,” O’Connell said. “They are both terrific people and will no doubt bring additional enthusiasm and new insights.”

CD |New Homes for Sale in San Juan Capistrano

Homes began opening for sale this week in Avelina, a new neighborhood near the intersection of Calle Arroyo and Paseo Tirador.

“This new collection of High Performance Homes is perfectly located in an exceptionally popular area of South Orange County, known for its overall quality of life, walkability and historical charm,” said Patrick Higgins, Vice

Local restaurant owner Trevor Baird has recently joined the Board of Directors for the Mission Preservation Foundation, which advocates for Mission San Juan Capistrano. Photo: Courtesy of Karen Reuter Photography

President of Sales and Marketing for the Southern California Division of Landsea Homes, the homebuilder, in a news release. “Interest for homes at Avelina has been strong since the first announcement, and the area is very popular with new home buyers.”

The community includes 89 townhomes over 1,700 square feet with three to four bedrooms. The price range begins in the high $700,000s.

“All homes at Avelina contain Landsea Homes’ High Performance Home features including smart home automation technology utilized by the Apple HomeKit environment and energy savings to make life at home healthier and more comfortable,” a news release said. “The smart home automation features include an Apple HomePod mini, wireless network internet throughout the home, entry door locks, thermostat control, garage door opener control, light dimmer switches, doorbell camera pre-wire, and white glove service with an individualized training session.”

Homes are also open for sale in neighboring community Petra.

CD |Chris Lane to Perform Country Show at Riding Park in March

Country music will continue to stake its place in San Juan Capistrano this year when Chris Lane performs at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park during the spring.

Lane will perform at The Outpost venue on March 5. Tickets are available at sanjuanoutpost.com.

Lane is known for songs “Big, Big Plans,” “I Don’t Know About You,” and other hit tunes.

General admission tickets are $39.

CD |Investigation Underway for Missing Birds

A San Juan Capistrano woman is missing three birds believed to have been stolen from her business, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department has joined the search.

Michelle Martin, who owns the Capistrano Beach pet store Feed Barn, has turned to the public to help her locate her trio of birds that went missing from the shop in December.

“It’s been 3 weeks since my store was broken into and my birds were stolen. 3 weeks of wondering if they’re ok,” Martin said in a public social media post. “3 weeks of endless internet searches and friends driving all over Southern California to meet people from craigslist and go to swap meets and bird marts, etc. 3 weeks of calls and emails to police investigators. 3 weeks of following leads that don’t pan out.”

Martin is asking the public to share information and contact OCSD if they know anything.

OCSD spokesperson Sgt. Scott Steinle said the department responded on Dec. 12 to a call of a burglary where birds were allegedly stolen from Feed Barn.

“There is an ongoing investigation into the burglary and the suspects that took the birds,” Steinle said.

COMMUNITY MEETINGS

TUESDAY, JAN. 17 City Council 5 p.m. The San Juan Capistrano City Council will hold a regularly scheduled meeting open to the public. Nydegger Building, 31421 La Matanza Street. sanjuancapistrano.org.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 18 CUSD Board of Trustees 7 p.m. The governing board for the Capistrano Unified School District will hold its regular public monthly meeting to discuss and decide on local educational matters. The meeting will be livestreamed on YouTube for anyone who can’t attend in person. CUSD Headquarters, 33122 Valle Road, San Juan Capistrano. capousd.org.

FRIDAY, JAN. 19 Coffee Chat 8:30 a.m. A town hall forum on community issues. The first Friday session of the month will be held virtually via Zoom video conference; all other Friday forums will take place in person at Hennessey’s Tavern in San Juan Capistrano, 31761 Camino Capistrano. Follow Coffee Chat SJC on Facebook for information.

TUESDAY, JAN. 24 Cultural Heritage Commission 4:30 p.m. The San Juan Capistrano Cultural Heritage Commission will hold a scheduled meeting open to the public. Nydegger Building, 31421 La Matanza Street. sanjuancapistrano.org.

FRIDAY, JAN. 27 The next print issue of The Capistrano Dispatch publishes.

ne thing San Juan Capistrano is known for is the abundance of open outdoor space. Mayor Howard Hart wants to keep that going in 2023.

Hart recently spoke with The Capistrano Dispatch about what the new year holds in store for the historic town. One of his chief concerns is ensuring the state government does not encroach on the community and build housing in spots where people are used to going for walks or horse rides.

“We kind of got a head start on it in December, when we got a long-term lease for The Ecology Center—a 40-year lease there. A big emphasis is going to be solidifying the future of our open spaces,” Hart said. “That means pursuing and, hopefully, finalizing the extension with San Juan Capistrano Mayor Howard Hart, shown here at the city’s Northwest Open Space, said that 2023 holds the (Rancho Mission Viejo) Riding Park, plenty in store for the town—including moves to keep its land intact. Photo: Collin Breaux and I think we’re very close there— probably within a couple of months, hopefully, of doing that.”

Hart is referring to the city negotiating with current operators the Ridland Group to secure a long-term agreement for managing the popular equestrian and event space. City officials opted to begin negotiating with the Ridlands in December 2021. The Riding Park frequently hosts horse riding shows and country music concerts and is also open for people who just want to enjoy a natural area.

“We are also, of course, in an exclusive negotiating agreement with Frontier Real Estate Investments for the Northwest Open Space,” Hart said. “The key there is, really, to preserve our ability to maintain these spaces as they were voted on by the residents of San Juan Capistrano some 30 years ago. The State of California, in their need to address housing, is really taking away the discretionary authorities of local governments to locally zone their own land.”

A proposal previously submitted by Frontier—which is headed up by local developer and resident Dan Almquist— would involve the establishment of what would be called Legacy Ranch, incorporating equestrian and hospitality elements, among other features.

Potential future amenities could include a horse facility with riding arenas and spectator seating, along with an outdoor amphitheater and café. Almquist is partnering with local equestrian Kathy Holman and Trevor’s at the Tracks owner Trevor Baird on the project. “(Preserving open space) maintains the character of our town,” Hart said. “When most people look at San Juan Capistrano, you look at the ridgelines and open spaces. It keeps us from being wall-to-wall strip malls and condo complexes.” On a personal level, Hart said he is honored to serve as mayor for the first time. Hart was elected to the City Council in November 2020 and has a military background, as a former Navy captain. He was even at the Pentagon during the 9/11 attacks. Hart’s colleagues chose him to be mayor for 2023 this past December. Councilmembers generally serve a rotating one-year term as mayor during their four-year terms on the dais. “Someday, perhaps, it will settle in,” Hart said. “I had no intention, quite honestly, of getting involved in politics when I retired from the Navy and moved back home. Like many other people, I came into politics because I saw a need for people to get involved, and I was disturbed by some things that I saw that (were) going on with the Council at the time.” Hart began his local political endeavors on San Juan’s Planning Commission, which advises the City Council on upcoming decisions and issues. “When you look at San Juan Capistrano, growing up here next door in Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano is always unique,” Hart said. “We’ve always had this amazing history as exemplified by the Mission. We’ve had the equestrian component, and we’ve had this unique downtown that sets us apart from nearby communities. To be the mayor of that, it’s a very humbling experience. It’s like you’re made custodian of a long legacy that you must protect.” In addressing the criticism from some residents that the City Council’s votes on projects and proposals is overly pro-development, Hart said city officials have to consider the alternatives if they say no. Hart has previously said that if Almquist’s plans for office and retail space at what is now the Camino Real Playhouse property were not approved, high-density housing with no parking might be put there instead, with no local oversight. “Sometimes, the development we’re approving is a better alternative than what exists, as far as preserving that heritage,” Hart said. “It’s not that I object at all to more housing or to low-income housing and making San Juan Capistrano more affordable. We just need to be able to plan it in a manner where it benefits our community. When you look at how we rezone for (the Regional Housing Needs Assessment required by the state), we’ve been able to do it in a manner that’s less intrusive to our community.” Another local project on the horizon is the transition to a new City Hall and moving the City Council Chamber to the Community Center. The City Council held its final meeting at City Hall last year, while city services have since transitioned to temporary office space on Rancho Viejo Road. The old City Hall facility will be demolished to make way for a new City

Mayor Howard Hart Aims to Preserve San Juan Capistrano’s Outdoor Areas BY COLLIN BREAUX, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH Hall building that will incorporate affordO able housing. Construction is anticipated to finish in two or three years. Hart said mixing in the affordable housing component for homeless people is an example of a solution that works when it comes to addressing housing needs. Meanwhile, the new City Council Chamber at the Community Center is expected to be complete later this year. “I’m actually amazed at how well it came out in December, when we moved into the Nydegger Building temporarily for the City Council Chamber, and how well the staff did in creating an atmosphere that worked for our city,” Hart said. “The designs for the new City Hall are certainly impressive, and I look forward to seeing that later this year. I think we’re talking about an October or November time frame (for) opening up the new City Council Chamber.” The city is further engaged in a longterm street repaving project, which began last year on Camino Capistrano. The next stage of that will see neighborhood streets start to get repaved. “This is going to be a multi-year project,” Hart said. “It’s not going fast enough for anybody, including me, but I ask for everyone’s patience on that.” As for the fun part of San Juan, Hart is one of many looking forward to this year’s Swallows Day Parade. The annual festival will take place downtown in late March to celebrate the birds’ annual return and— barring more unforeseen circumstances— should have horses, as usual. Actor Dennis Quaid will serve as the Grand Marshal. “I’m very excited about that. I know we’ve got a terrific parade planned,” Hart said. “I look forward to, hopefully, getting a selfie with Dennis Quaid. Anyone who grew up in the ’80s remembers him. I can’t wait to be involved with that. I can’t wait to get San Juan Capistrano out and, once again, show it off to the world.” Skateboarders should also take note: city officials are looking at reintroducing a motion this year for an environmental impact report on San Juan’s long-awaited, first-ever skate park. That project hit a snag last year when former mayor Carolyn Nash filed a lawsuit over environmental concerns about the project. “We had hoped to do it later this year, but, quite honestly, it was just bandwidth on the staff with the move and so on,” Hart said. “Hopefully, by this time next year, you’ll be talking to the next mayor about moving forward with that.” CD