City Of Mission Viejo: Private Property Owner Seeking To Build Mixed-Use Project On Northwest Corner Of Marguerite, La Paz

Press release from the City of Mission Viejo:

October 7, 2021

Private property owner and developer ValueRock Realty, which owns The Commons in Aliso Viejo, applied to the City seeking to establish a new mixed-use land use designation and zoning district for a new project – The Gardens – on the northwest side of Marguerite Parkway and La Paz.  

The developer’s application, which the City’s Community Development Department deemed “incomplete” and which will require public hearings, calls for 48,000 square feet of retail; five upper stories of residential development with 234 apartment units; and 626 parking spaces on the 6.5-acre site currently zoned as Office/Professional and developed as the Garden Plaza commercial and office center at 27001 La Paz Road. The private property owner’s application proposes to demolish the existing 46,148 square feet of building area to make way for the new mixed-use project with a 1.65-floor area ratio and maximum height of six stories and 74 feet.  The proposed apartment units would be a mix of studio-, 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom units ranging from 581 to 1,547 square feet with a project density of 36 dwelling units per acre including the provision of 12 units as affordable to lower-income households.  

As stated, this is a development application from a private property owner. The City does not own this property. The application is incomplete – meaning the developer’s proposed plans could change. Currently, the item is referenced in the Planning and Transportation Commission’s “Status Report” to help make the Commission and public aware of future agenda items.  When the application is complete, as will be updated in the “Status Report,” the plans will be available for viewing as part of the public hearings. Residents are encouraged to participate in the public hearing process, which could take two to three months or more. 

During a future public hearing, the date of which has not yet been determined, the private property owner will ask the Planning and Transportation Commission to approve the application. Community members can attend the meeting and provide testimony to the Planning and Transportation Commission. The Commission will then decide what it thinks is best for the private property owner and community. The project will then go before the City Council for a final decision, where the community can again give its input before a decision is made. 

Folks can sign up for the City’s eNewsletter and the agendas of the City Council and Planning and Transportation Commission to stay apprised of public hearings and the official, accurate news of the City of Mission Viejo.  

This press release was produced by the City of Mission Viejo. The views expressed here are the author’s own.