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now being recirculated for public comment, which began Aug. 10 and ends Sept. 24. In the revised report, an additional option—Alternative J—is identified as “the new environmentally superior alternative” to the proposed substation expansion in San Juan. The alternative involves the expansion of SDG&E’s existing Trabuco substation in Laguna Niguel. The recirculated DEIR also identifies additional significant impacts on biological resources, cultural resources, land use and planning from construction and operation of the proposed project.
Five things San Juan should know this week Del Obispo Elementary Considered for Charter School Site THE LATEST: At the July 22 meeting of the Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees, board members discussed eliminating Wood Canyon Elementary School as an option for the expansion of an Aliso Viejo charter school, Community Roots Academy. The district is now focusing on potential charter sites at elementary schools in San Juan Capistrano and Laguna Niguel. Community Roots Academy, a kindergarten through eighth-grade charter school, currently sits on the same campus as Wood Canyon Elementary in Aliso Viejo. In the spring, Community Roots appealed to the district to find more space for its students, and the board initially considered closing Wood Canyon to allow for the expansion. That option was met with much resistance from parents in the community, and, due to concerns including the area’s growing population of young students, the trustees agreed unanimously on July 22 to take Wood Canyon off the table. Other charter site options discussed at the meeting included R.H. Dana Elementary School in Dana Point, Del Obispo Elementary School in San Juan Capistrano and Crown Valley Elementary in Laguna Niguel. District staff said part of the analysis in choosing a charter school site includes looking at surrounding school enrollment numbers. If Del Obispo Elementary was selected for closure, staff said it would be important to give students the option to move to a nearby school with enough capacity to handle the influx, citing R.H. Dana as an example. WHAT’S NEXT: During the Aug. 12 CUSD meeting, 16 people spoke out during public comment against moving the school from Aliso Viejo. Community Roots parents, as well as the school’s executive director, said moving the school to Del Obispo Elementary would create challenges for families, such as longer drive times. At the July 22 meeting, the board directed staff to further examine the options of closing Del Obispo Elementary or Crown Valley Elementary. The discussion has been The Capistrano Dispatch August 14–27, 2015
Residents and officials attend a March hearing for the SOCRE project DEIR in San Juan Capistrano. Photo: Allison Jarrell
put on the CUSD agenda for the Sept. 9 meeting. —Allison Jarrell and Eric Heinz
City Increases Water Refunds THE LATEST: On Aug. 4, the San Juan Capistrano City Council approved adding another $320,000 to water ratepayers’ refunds in order to account for 10 percent interest during the Aug. 28, 2013 to July 1, 2014 refund period. The addition comes after the council approved a refund/credit process on June 16 for tier 2, 3, and 4 water customers who paid the city’s previous tiered water rates, which have since been ruled illegal by the 4th District Court of Appeals. City Chief Financial Officer Cindy Russell said during the Aug. 4 council meeting that thus far, 3,000 residents have filed for a refund. Councilman Sam Allevato dissented in the 4-1 vote. He said later in an interview that he voted no because he doesn’t agree with the initial refund plan. Both Allevato and Councilwoman Pam Patterson voted against the refund proposal on June 16. WHAT’S NEXT: Oct. 1 is the deadline for residents to apply for a refund.—AJ
SJHHS Improvements Approved THE LATEST: In order to accommodate a growing student population, the Capistrano Unified School District is investing about $45 million in improvements for the three high schools most affected by the growth— San Juan Hills High School, San Clemente High School and Tesoro High School. Avenida La Pata, a much-anticipated connection between San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, is slated to be completed in the fall of 2016 and is expected to impact San Juan Hills High School and San Clemente High School with an influx
of students. In addition, new Rancho Mission Viejo development is expected to add students to both San Juan Hills and Tesoro. In an effort to increase capacity at the high schools, CUSD will be constructing one two-story building at each of the three campuses in order to add permanent classrooms. Additionally, San Juan Hills will receive 87 new parking spaces, and Tesoro will get new portable classrooms and five basketball courts. These improvements will cost approximately $15 million per campus and will be paid for by a mix of developer fees, land sale proceeds, redevelopment agency funds, community facility district funds, school facility improvement district funds and deferred maintenance funds. WHAT’S NEXT: The CUSD Board of Trustees approved the proposals for the three projects on July 22 and is currently advertising for bids.—AJ
Substation Project DEIR Recirculated with New Alternative THE LATEST: Sections of the Draft Environmental Impact Report for San Diego Gas & Electric’s proposed electrical substation expansion in San Juan Capistrano are now being recirculated by the California Public Utilities Commission. The revised DEIR includes a new “environmentally superior” project alternative and additional “significant impacts” of the proposed project the CPUC says were not disclosed in the first draft. The recirculation of the report is part of the ongoing environmental review process for SDG&E’s South Orange County Reliability Enhancement (SOCRE) project, which aims to create a redundant electrical system that would rely on two substations rather than just the current facility in Talega. Following CEQA guidelines, portions of the DEIR were revised and are
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WHAT’S NEXT: “The project, as proposed, is really important for San Diego Gas & Electric and its customers to continue to provide reliable service to all of South Orange County,” said Duane Cave, director of external affairs for SDG&E. “We’re in the process of reviewing the supplemental Draft EIR and will have our comments ready shortly.” To view the recirculated DEIR for the SOCRE project and send comments to the CPUC, visit www.cpuc.ca.gov/Environment/info/ene/socre/socre.html. —AJ
Mosquitoes Test Positive for West Nile in San Juan THE LATEST: Orange County Vector Control has posted public health advisory flyers in the Camino La Ronda and Calle San Remo areas—on the east side of San Juan Capistrano—after two samples of mosquitoes from those areas tested positive for West Nile virus on July 31. The infected southern house mosquitoes—which prefer to feed indoors—were collected on July 23 and 24. San Juan had one confirmed human case of West Nile virus last year, with only one batch of mosquitoes testing positive. Jared Dever, director of communications for the Orange County Vector Control, said the flyers aren’t meant to scare or incite the public, but rather remind them that mosquitoes and birds in the area are transmitting the virus. Dever said the elevated risk of infection is not just in the specified area, but citywide. WHAT’S NEXT: In order to avoid West Nile transmission, Vector Control recommends dumping or draining any standing water, repairing window and door screens, applying repellent when outdoors and avoiding spending time outdoors at dawn or dusk. For more information, visit www.ocvcd. org or call 714.971.2421.—AJ Have a story idea or topic you would like to read about? Send your suggestions to editorial@thecapistranodispatch.com. www.thecapistranodispatch.com