City Manager's Update, April 14, 2012

 The Youth Advisory Board, in conjunction with the Make a Wish Foundation, has rescheduled the “Glow Dance” to Friday, May 25. The agreement was finalized with both groups agreeing to work together to put on a dance for the youth of San Juan Capistrano and the surrounding areas. Tickets will be sold for $10 (presale) and $15 at the door. DJ K2 will provide the music. Some form of refreshments will be sold.

NAME THAT PARK: The Youth Advisory Board is also working on the park-naming coontest for the city. The contest is for participants in grades 6-12 and is open to San Juan Capistrano youth to submit a name for the open space area that is currently referred to as the Lemon Grove Site. The new extended deadline for submitting entries is Friday, April 20 by 4:30 p.m. The entries should be based on historical and cultural names of local significance, geographical, natural or geological characteristics, or plants and animals indigenous to the location. The City Council will choose the winning entry.

: Applications to participate in the Fourth of July celebration’s food booths, game booths, exhibits or sponsor booths have been sent out to last year’s participants and are available for new businesses and non-profit organizations interested in the event. The featured band on the main stage will be “The Trip.” Staff is working with sponsors on the benefit package they receive as an event sponsor. If you are interested in participating in either the Fourth of July Celebration or , please call the Community Services Department at (949) 493-5911.

CONSTRUCTION AT THE :  Construction work will begin on the establishment of a driveway directly in front of the main entry to the Community Center. The driveway will enable easier access for handicapped people using a walker or wheelchair to negotiate their way into the building. The ramp will also provide improved access to groups renting the Community Hall to bring in their decorations, drinks, food, and other items on the day of their rental. The work will commence the week of April 16 and will finish by April 20.

The city manager and director of development services have been meeting with future tenant Ron Tamez of Hamilton Oaks Vineyards to negotiate the license agreement and obtain detailed plans. Staff is pursuing a joint meeting with the Open Space, Trails & Equestrian and Parks, Recreation and Senior Services (PRSS) Commissions as well as a Cultural Heritage Commission meeting before returning to the City Council for final authorization.

The new unit organized and held two neighborhood watch meetings in the Village San Juan Community. This is the first revitalization and formation of new neighborhood watch groups to begin throughout the city. Village San Juan residents are now empowered with enhanced safety knowledge and a sense of pride in their neighborhood. Additionally, the meetings have cultivated relationships between neighbors in the Village community. Property management and residents of this community are working with the San Juan Capistrano Police Services to obtain and share information related to crime. They have learned detailed information concerning reporting suspicious persons and activities to make their community a safer place to live. Additional meetings will be taking place in this and other surrounding San Juan Capistrano communities.

DEL OBISPO STREET BRIDGE WIDENING: The contractor ontinued installing the north side bridge concrete barrier. Workers started constructing forms for the north side sidewalk, and the vault for the flexible expansion joint of the water line. They additionally re-graded the channel bottom so that creek water better flows into the water diversion pipe. Also, the traffic signal subcontractor started potholing on Del Obispo Street and Paseo Adelanto in preparation to start construction next week. The expected project completion date is June 2012.

EAST OPEN SPACE LEMON GROVE SITE: Preparatory work is currently underway to support the planting of 218 Valencia orange trees at the site inclusive of materials procurement, soil sampling and testing, soil amendments, and excavation of planting pits. Recommendation for appropriate soil amendments from the laboratory is expected to be received within a week. Planting of the citrus trees will follow shortly thereafter.

SUN RANCH CREEK PROJECT: The city of San Juan Capistrano has completed preliminary plans to construct drainage improvements within the City’s drainage easement which is situated west of the Sun Ranch development, located off Del Obispo Street south of Calle Aspero. The proposed project consists of the installation of approximately 1,500 linear feet of buried 48-inch diameter reinforced concrete storm drain pipeline along the overgrown drainage course. The improvements within the easement will also include construction of an all-weather access road along the south edge of the easement, establishment of a restored drainage channel that will be vegetated with native wetland and riparian habitat, and additional landscaping, retaining walls and fencing. The improvement will provide storm protection to neighboring properties while providing a natural cleaned-up ravine and water course. Approval of plans and specifications, and environmental determination will be brought before City Council at its May 15 meeting.

The purpose of the traffic signal located at Del Obispo is to prevent vehicles from backing up onto the railroad tracks from the adjacent intersections. However, the new signals have caused traffic delays. OCTA consultants are finalizing the Del Obispo Street operations study to minimize or eliminate the long delays caused by these queue-cutter signals. A presentation to the City Council is expected at the April 17 meeting.

MAINTENANCE UPDATES: Parking lot surface repairs were completed to . Waste and recycle containers were placed along the west bank of Trabuco Creek bike trail from the southern city limit to Del Obispo Street and along Paseo Adelanto from Del Obispo Street to Ramos Street.