Dana Point Residents for Responsible Development

11/20/2023

See our latest project to serve the residents of our city. Go to SaveOUrNeighborhoodsDP.com for details. We have turned in to city government the text of a voter initiative we plan to circulate to residents to gain signatures. With signatures of 10% of the voters in Dana Point we hope to put a ballot measure to be voted on in the November 2024 election. Please see the website to understand what special interests have done to add short-term vacation rentals (STRs) throughout our neignborhoods. We believe the voters should decide what is allowed in neighborhoods not investors, booking companies like Airbnb, and vendors who serve STRs. The issues are all discussed on the website. Please let us know what you want in our neighborhoods.

11/20/2023

06/28/2023

THE CITY'S NEW SHORT TERM RENTAL POLICY (STR) WILL DESTROY OUR NEIGHBORHOODS

The City Council just passed a new Short Term Rental (STR) policy that allows an unlimited number of STR "hotels" to operate in residential neighborhoods, encourages investors to operate more STRs for profit at taxpayer expense and will reduce available housing that will raise the cost of living in Dana Point. Our low income and minority residents will be disproportionally harmed.

STRs can threaten the enjoyment, value and safety of our homes and neighborhoods. The City Council changed the long-standing zoning code that prohibits STRs to operate in residential neighborhoods. And, the City Council voted against allowing a public vote on their policy. Does the City Council represent its residents or the STR industry and Airbnb?

10/28/2019

05/25/2019

‘It’s not going to be perfect, but it will be enough for people to come out and enjoy,’ says OC Parks Ranger Arturo Castillo.

04/15/2019

TIME TO INVESTIGATE THE TCA

At the April 11 Transportation Corridor Agency (TCA) meeting, it appeared that the TCA expects its Board of Directors to play a subservient role and do its bidding rather than to provide oversight and direction on behalf of the cities these directors represent. This raises serious concerns over how the TCA has been operating.

The TCA circumvented its own Board of Directors by preemptively hiring Hall & Co, an Irvine based firm, to conduct an audit in response to the LA Times article that cited questionable contracts and wasteful spending. The TCA also sent out a letter opposing Assembly Bill 1273 concerning the significant development fees that cities must pay well into the future. The letter created the impression that the Board of Directors representing Orange County cities had supported opposition which was not the case at the time. Protocol should have allowed the representatives of the cities to express their opinions and vote before such a letter would have been appropriate.

In the meeting, the TCA tried to discount the seriousness of the LA Times allegations and ignore the need to provide transparency and restore the public’s trust. The self-serving posturing by the TCA and the intentional exclusion of the Board of Directors in its action concerning an audit, raises a concern of an attempt to cover up more wasteful spending or malfeasance. These TCA actions are additional evidence that only a truly independent investigation of the TCA by the state controller as requested by Congressman Levin is justified and required.

Councilmen Muller and Viczorek have been Dana Point’s TCA representatives for several years. Donations on behalf of Dana Point’s city council candidates by PACs supportive of the TCA may have occurred in the 2018 election and should be investigated. Were that to be the case, it may be time for Dana Point to appoint new representatives who can ensure that the interests of Dana Point rather than the TCA are being served.

03/13/2019

DEL PRADO PROJECT APPROVED

The Planning Commission in a 5-0 vote approved the “Rado to Jack’s” project on Del Prado at last night’s Planning Commission meeting. The project contains 10,822 square feet of commercial use; 68 residential units; 12 senior housing units; and 2 levels of subterranean parking containing 184 parking spaces (plus 4 outdoor spaces).

Only a few residents attended the meeting voicing concerns and no changes to the project were required by the Commission. It should be noted that NO VARIANCES WERE NEEDED.

The story poling and the availability of project details on the City’s website were an improvement from past practices. Measure H imposed the 20 day story poling and two week requirement to post the plans on line prior to submission to the Planning Commission. Measure H also eliminated the substantial parking concessions that the City had granted in the past for the Raintree/Majestic project.

Major development is continuing in Town Center following Measure H requirements. In 2016, Councilmen Muller and Viczorek’s Measure I, that reduced commercial parking requirements by 50% and restaurant parking from 10 to 2 spaces per 1,000 square feet, was soundly defeated by the voters. However, more recently Councilmen Muller and Viczorek voted for the City to continue subsidizing services requested by developers in Town Center for several more years at taxpayer expense.

Within weeks the terms of three Planning Commissioners will expire and they could be chosen to serve again by a majority vote of the City Council if they reapply or new appointments could be made. The election of Muller, Viczorek and Federico to the City Council in 2018 was promoted by over $70,000 from pro-developer special interests, including over $20,000 for negative campaign ads by the Dana Point Taxpayers PAC.

03/11/2019

A judge ruled Santa Monica's at-large City Council voting "intentionally discriminated" against nonwhites. It's the latest in a string of such cases that could expose the California Voting Rights Act to court challenges.