Candidates Talk Core Vision Plan: Mission Viejo City Council Survey

MISSION VIEJO, CA — This election season, Mission Viejo residents in all five city districts will have the chance to vote on who they want to represent them on the Mission Viejo City Council.

In a questionnaire released by community organization Stop The Monster, all 12 candidates responded to a series of questions regarding local issues surrounding Mission Viejo.

In anticipation of the November election, Patch will be posting the candidate responses to Stop The Monster's questionnaire until Tuesday's Election Day.

To view the current list of Candidate Questionnaire articles published by Patch, scroll down to the bottom of the story.

The sixth question on the questionnaire addresses the city's Core Area Vision plan, as well as a previous CVS purchase mulled over by the Mission Viejo City Council in the last year. The questions and answers published below are pulled directly from Stop The Monster's questionnaire.

In 2022, the public was notified by the city of a potential purchase of CVS for over $10 million dollars. At the final meeting and public hearing, the matter came to a vote. The city council voted 4 to 1 not to purchase CVS.

Even if bought, the CVS rental agreement was good for 10 years, meaning unusable to the city for a decade. If the city plan is to buy one building at a time and then wait for the end of the lease, it will take many years to see the final product

If elected what are your ideas for the very popular Core Area Vison Plan?

How would you propose to accelerate the timeline to complete this exciting development project for Mission Viejo?

District 1

Deborah Cunningham-Skurnik, District 1 Candidate: No response.

Linda Shepard, District 1 Candidate: In my conversations with residents during the past month, many are not aware of the Core Vision Plan. Residents want more retail shops and restaurants to entice residents to spend money locally in Mission Viejo and attract non-residents, as well.

Many like the idea of opening access to the Oso Creek midway through the strip mall. Some are not enthusiastic of money spent on a bridge. A cultural center needs more clarification of its intended use before more money is spent. Meanwhile, Saddleback Community College is planning to build a musical theater with excellent acoustics. Not sure we want to duplicate efforts.

Rather than accelerating, I think we need a pause. We need to seek more input and feedback from our residents and current business owners before we proceed. The Covid-19 restrictions caused changes in lifestyle and we should ensure the Core Vision Plan meets the current needs and wants of our residents and current businesses. Is the City intending to be a landlord? The proposed financials need a thorough review. I am experienced in reviewing and negotiating leases and setting up retail establishments.

Robert "Bob "Ruesch, District 1 Candidate: I see the project as a community gathering place to enjoy the creek, hear music, concerts, or perhaps plays. A place to share ideas, a coffee, a meal, or a picnic enjoying locally owned shops offering the public a pleasing experience. I am cautious about moving too rapidly on this project. First because of the scope and also to be cost sensitive. Yes, there is a debt attached to the project, but this is a big vision idea.

If we move on pace developing areas in a timely manner, we will accomplish the intent of the vision and create a space for the enjoyment of all without getting stuck perhaps part-way through because of an economic turndown.

I want to prevent the possibility of the development left in a state that is not safe or not usable because of delays We should continue to look at any property that does come available for purchase. Find out the price and terms, then see how we can find a private party interested in being part of the vision. As for acquiring buildings – I do not support this in general.

I believe that once the upgraded look and amenities start to show- the remaining property owners will want to follow suit as to not have their property look dated and unkempt. We should emphasize to the owners and public the increased value of their property connected with the project and the amount of additional traffic that will come to enjoy.

District 2

Brian Goodell (incumbent), District 2 Candidate: First, the City Council did not vote NOT to buy the CVS building. Instead, we voted not even to DISCUSS it. Most of the Council was intimidated due to the hostile crowd in the chamber. It is terrible not to be able to discuss opportunities that may help expedite the Core Vision Plan or any other topics that are advantageous to the city.

Before we purchased the Mart building, we could not get any property owners to participate in implementing the Core Vision Plan. However, since we bought the Mart, some property owners have shown a greater interest in participating in the plan. Owning the CVS building could have given us even more leverage and control over implementing the plan with the long-term management of the property.

For example, we could amend the lease with CVS since they favor a smaller footprint. Under this lease, the tenant pays rent and maintenance expenses that would have covered most of the city’s costs to own the property.

Therefore, we should discuss the possibilities, especially since we recently approved an update to the Economic Element of the General Plan that prioritizes such actions by the Council. I believe it was a lost opportunity.

Stacy Holmes, District 2 Candidate: The Core Vision plan may not be ready for expediting at this time. The plan reports 2017 economic and demographic trends in Mission Viejo and Orange County as background for an ambitious upgrade of the stores, offices and public areas in the middle of Mission Viejo. The shared funding for the massive cost of the projects among city, owners and tenants has not been worked out.

On-line commerce grew from 1% in 2001 to 8% in 2016. After the report was adopted, e-commerce spiked as a result of CoVid. It is leveling off now, but brick and mortar stores, even fancy modern ones, are more likely to be in oversupply, not undersupply, in the time to come. Forbes reports only 4% of high paying jobs were remote before the COVID pandemic. Remote high paying jobs shot up to 8% in 2020 and are now close to 15%.

Many offices, even fancy new ones, will remain vacant. Once we know what still makes sense in the five year old plan, work on the first phase can begin.

Here again, the City Council will need to rebuild lost trust with an open inclusive process.

District 3

Ed Sachs (incumbent), District 3 Candidate: I am a member of the city economic development committee, and this is the first I have heard that the city plans to purchase one property at a time in the Village Center. That is simply untrue.

Upon development of the city Vision Plan the city was unable to move forward in the center as all the property was privately owned. One owner liked the plan and eventually sold the property that Steinmart leased to the city. Now as the city owns property in the center, we are proceeding to activate the vision by building out a park like setting that opens the creek to dining and entertainment as well as a gathering place for the community.

Bringing in a farmer’s market has been popular as an intermediate use of the property. Time also was necessary coordinating with the Water District on their development across the creek bringing harmony to both sides. Other considerations are involved as well, such as age of building and updating services.

Progress will begin early next year as time is not taken away by voting issues and lawsuits. Resident input on a design concept is forth coming and once decided will usher development to begin.

Greg Raths (incumbent), District 3 Candidate: No response.

Cynthia Vasquez, District 3 Candidate: No response.

District 4

Ken Golemo, District 4 Write-In Candidate: The Core Vision has merit, meaning giving the Downtown area a face lift and stay relevant which will also help our Business Owners retain and attract new clientele creating a vibrant environment that represents the "Mission Brand."

The ONE thing I always stress with my Clients is "Not to put the cart before the horse." Unfortunately that's what we are now dealing with. The buildings which make up CVS, Big Lots, Round Table etc... are owned by 12 entities which complicate planning. Let's first look at each business's contractual obligations.

Obviously these time lines will not be the same but it could assist in establishing a "phased" approach. I disagree this project makes the creek the central focus. I have been in that shopping center many times around sunset and frankly, I think that's the energy and ambiance to capture.

Let's first start with what we can do with beautification. A reflection pool, covered canopies and exotic plants to create a cool vibe for people to grab a bite to eat or relax with a cup of coffee. Let's revisit the building owners to find a consensus on when each building could be acquired without inflated cost to the City. This can be done!

Terri Aprati, District 4 Candidate: No response.

Patricia "Trish" Kelley (incumbent), District 4 Candidate: I encourage residents to look up the website for the Cora Area Vision Plan, so they can fully see the plans. The Plan is designed to enhance the heart of Mission Viejo and to create a destination where residents may enjoy a recreation area, a central gathering place, fun shops and dining, cultural arts activities, and a connection to Oso Creek.

The North Paseo will connect the Civic Center to the creek by going through the parking lot, to the Mart (which will consist of a dining pavilion, shops, and perhaps a stage), and through to the “Urban Alley” and bridges which will go across Oso Creek and connect the east and west sides of the Oso Creek Trail. The bridges will include small dining areas and seating. A second paseo, the South Paseo, will be added later.

The Mart building will include a variety of eateries and shops. It will be an indoor/outdoor area, connecting to the back of the building where there will be an Urban Alley and access to Oso Creek. The City is partnering with Santa Margarita Water District to provide an “Event Barn” which may be used to host concert, meetings or community events.

District 5

Jon Miller, District 5 Candidate: The Core Vision Plan was approved nearly 6 years ago. A lot has happened since 2017 (like the pandemic and the rise of Amazon). I believe in the Ronald Reagan saying, “trust but verify."

We need to reassess the plan to make sure it is timely, cost effective and approved by most of our citizens. We also need a referendum to confirm majority approval for the Plan. The envisioned reassessment would include citizen input and take no more than a few weeks. It would ensure sound program management principles and performance/cost milestones are in place to ensure we stay on schedule/budget, and frequent, comprehensive public progress reports.

We would certainly look at innovative solutions including public/private partnerships to accelerate the timeline without buying every mall building. I believe this expedited reassessment would present Mission Viejo’s citizens with a thoroughly vetted and priced plan. The referendum would give us financing options we didn’t have for the 2021 $19M bond issue. If these efforts result in a smaller loan with better terms and/or earlier Plan completion, then the expedited reassessment would easily pay for itself.

The current Plan does not provide the assurances I need to support an additional $27M bond issue. That said, I strongly support a Core Vision Plan. It will be great to have a wonderful town center. But before we move forward, I want due diligence to make sure all of us can have a say in the Plan, have a clear understanding of the costs and benefits, and that the majority support it.

Wendy Bucknum (incumbent), District 5 Candidate:

• The initial summary assumption is not accurate – After being approached, the city council voted to NOT entertain discussion of the purchase of CVS– the city does NOT have a “Plan” to purchase buildings.
• I believe in public private partnerships- My vision is to work with the private sector to bring the Core Area Vision Plan to life.
• With information we received from the extensive public input workshops, our residents want a combination of walkable dining and retail that compliment the area with a focus on small business.
• That vision is to create a walkable village, a park paseo area bringing an active series of spaces and places that will be a destination connecting to and embracing (and facing) the Oso Creek and trail.
• I would like some of our existing Mission Viejo small businesses benefit from these spaces as well
• We can expedite once the Santa Margarita Water District completes their facilities on the other side of the Oso Creek.
• Partnering with the private sector to develop the area is another way to move things forward
• In the meantime, the weekly farmers market, midweek activities, and the monthly night market are bringing much of the initial vision to life.