[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6468545,"mediaKeyId","5782007-7dedf16e8dd419afa05c5b9a86827bbc","parentId",5782007,"title","San Clemente council approves height exemption for outlet hotel; rooftop restaurant cleared with limits after heated public hearing","audioSeconds",5012,"startMs",6528000,"endMs",11540000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5782007-7dedf16e8dd419afa05c5b9a86827bbc&start=6528&end=11540","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5782007-7dedf16e8dd419afa05c5b9a86827bbc/thumbnail_6528000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6468545/San-Clemente-City/Orange-County/California/San-Clemente-council-approves-height-exemption-for-outlet-hotel-rooftop-restaurant-cleared-with-limits-after-heated-public-hearing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6468545-f7ac28964860bdcaf6db39f04dc82631/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437851&Signature=H26wSoZwr41yv0ZrtmTSVIv9twvpsp~a8LpJh~JlIZWDjl1dSaz~zhRKhrZraK7W9Ji5n6y1631U97czScJhVGYEEwE3CrFEUkkXtDoGhqW83gdZkJeVOdLquTlzK75BFKGjefu3AFDvJoL6wnnQWz1xSyjC9p08aS6G0lbs9u0gzuylwc6ECPg8t-mXCqLt4w6hUBuzOI25sRNX0TPU08mf9gKiOej5d6tYT9sKhkU4fkXzCVHSYuH27-JIZA-gD3RwTI7AYKFZbWBeqlJroCA3q4N6-7LcRV9WSTiWEjaSxVFyGIuZiVwFGCBGrsbA8e5iubVBlU8l9nav3Pwa1g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of San Clemente, CA","date","2025-09-18T00:33:09.557Z","article","The San Clemente City Council approved a zoning amendment and a related permitting action on Sept. 16 that will allow a hotel at the San Clemente Outlets to be taller than the base specific‑plan limit and to include a rooftop dining area, after weeks of review and a lengthy public hearing.

The council voted unanimously (5–0) to introduce and conduct first reading of ordinance 17 95 to amend the Marblehead Coastal Specific Plan to permit a height exception that would allow the hotel identified as Building 15 to reach 55 feet to the plate line and 62 feet to the highest projection. On a separate vote the council approved the project permit and certified Addendum Number 6 to the 1998 Final Environmental Impact Report; that action passed on a 4–1 vote, with Councilmember Mike Wu dissenting.

City staff said the addendum, prepared by Aspen Environmental Group and dated September 2025, reviews the limited change and concludes the proposed increase would not produce new or more severe environmental impacts than those already analyzed in the 1998 EIR covering the Marblehead Coastal Specific Plan. Adam Atamian, the city’s community development director, told the council the addendum found no new mitigation measures were required and that publicly designated view corridors would be preserved.

The permit approved by the council authorizes a hotel of roughly 120–130 rooms and a rooftop restaurant and dining deck. City planner Jonathan Lightfoot said the rooftop would include interior support areas (kitchen, restrooms, elevator) and an outdoor dining area on the western side of the roof closer to the coast; staff and the applicant said the rooftop would be closer to the coast and farther from the freeway than other hotel roof areas. Lightfoot reviewed conditions that remain in force from earlier approvals, including limits on hours for outdoor alcohol service and delivery times. Several of those conditions explicitly require that alcoholic beverages in outdoor dining areas be served only in conjunction with prepared food and that no outdoor alcohol consumption occur after 10 p.m. for Buildings 14–22 (the hotel is Building 15).

Architect Tim Fleming, speaking for Aubrey Cook Rogers McGill Architects and the project team, said the brand the developer is negotiating with requested a rooftop restaurant and that the design is intended to be a higher‑end hotel asset that could draw visitors and lodging revenue to the city. Fleming and the applicant said the proposal does not include amplified live entertainment at this time: if the owner applies later for amplified or extended entertainment, that would require a separate conditional‑use review.

Residents who live uphill from the outlets, particularly in the Marblehead/Mariposa/Del Acala areas, urged the council to require a supplemental environmental review, saying the 1998 EIR and earlier addenda do not analyze the effect of a 200‑seat outdoor rooftop bar 50 feet above homes that were not present in 1998. Speakers repeatedly raised concerns about potential noise and light intrusion, property‑value loss, and view obstruction. Laura Knapp, a Marblehead resident and former county attorney, told the council that even without amplification, the din from a busy restaurant or bar could be audible at night in homes and backyards.

Council members pressed staff on enforceable limits. Staff said the municipal code requires photometric plans showing fully shielded lighting and that standard building‑permit review will check fixtures; staff also described an acoustic review process that is triggered when amplified outdoor sound is proposed. The city’s code‑compliance and police units have existing enforcement powers, staff said, and the council may require additional conditions in the permit record.

Councilmember Mike Leffler asked that the project return to design review prior to final approvals; other council members said the specific plan amendment and project permit are the proper near‑term steps while additional operational restrictions could be enforced by condition. The record includes the previously adopted conditions from the site plan and use permits (1999 and 2004), including hours and noise mitigation measures issued with each phase of the outlets’ approvals.

Outcome and next steps: the council found the addendum appropriate under CEQA Guidelines sections 15162 and 15164, introduced ordinance 17 95 to add the hotel to the specific‑plan height exception (first reading) and approved the PHP25‑343 project permit and associated amendments to commercial site plan permit 99‑16 / conditional use permit 99‑17. The permit approval incorporated multiple conditions of approval from earlier actions and added staff‑recommended conditions (e.g., requiring a photometric plan and enforcing existing limits on outdoor alcohol service). Staff will return with the formal ordinance adoption and the final project entitlement documents as required by the municipal code.

Council and staff emphasized that any future requests for amplified music or expanded hours would require separate discretionary review.

Ending: With the votes complete, the council directed staff to finalize the addendum record and to bring the permit documents and ordinance back for final adoption. The hotel applicant and outlet owner must meet the conditions of approval and building‑permit requirements before construction may begin.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Meeting - September 16, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The San Clemente City Council approved a zoning amendment and project permit allowing a hotel at the San Clemente Outlets to rise to 55 feet at the plate line and 62 feet to the highest projection, and approved a rooftop restaurant while certifying an addendum to the 1998 Marblehead Coastal Specific Plan EIR.","taxTitle","San Clemente City, Orange County, California","taxId",4846,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6468531,"Council directs staff to advance water cost‑of‑service study; phased rate increases proposed to cover imported water cost spike",776,13279000,14055000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5782007-7dedf16e8dd419afa05c5b9a86827bbc&start=13279&end=14055","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5782007-7dedf16e8dd419afa05c5b9a86827bbc/thumbnail_13279000.jpg","/articles/6468531/San-Clemente-City/Orange-County/California/Council-directs-staff-to-advance-water-costofservice-study-phased-rate-increases-proposed-to-cover-imported-water-cost-spike","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6468531-3ee5d972732789f3876b07cde2851727/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437851&Signature=n0x4ROQYUA5UV2PhRovrXVveUfo1zIodWRHghIS7YZGHTIZvjnqDo1v8u2EvXmcj2Ee40auyxmqguptOJf6U92TCyLfJ1xiFbnnbGhisif5kFXyM0t8sLrYvK72U4jwSDSQXM13zw1773czbCa-VkQ0Nb2pwo5G-44ekyClqzkpC-XTiFZnh7HYZw-OOMSNj~YA7WPgm1R~CqRVdCfJHVU3Mrjrjtz1vT2K05Ni2IjJLtqZfetAAKIkR2ikQ~ffjbwBDw3Ymbo8eDLu35jufhNVDYotU5u3Bxic1nKeE-0lkWF-VfI5rAe9wl6XhoR~HkHUlEhTBHFZrTcV73spPTA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","San Clemente city staff and the city’s rate consultant presented a draft water cost‑of‑service study on Sept. 16 and the council directed staff to finalize the analysis and prepare required public‑notice materials under Proposition 218.

Consultant Sanjay Gar (Water Resources Economics) told the council that imported water costs the city purchases from Metropolitan Water District (via MWD/MODC) have risen substantially since the last rate update in 2022 and that without a rate adjustment the water enterprise could fail to meet coverage targets that underlie bond covenants and reserve policies. The consultant said an immediate single increase equal to the full current cost pressure (about 17%) would meet financial tests but would be sharply disruptive. Instead, the study recommends a phased plan:

• A 9.5% rate increase effective February 2026, followed by
• Annual increases of 3.5% in subsequent years, and
• A pass‑through mechanism for future increases in imported water charges so the city can recover those costs without separate, immediate Proposition 218 votes each time.

Consultant analysis showed the phased approach should restore the required debt‑service coverage ratios, maintain reserve targets and fund planned capital needs without issuing new debt. The proposed rate structure includes an explicit fixed charge component tied to imported‑water fixed costs allocated by meter size, and a uniform consumption rate across customer classes; recycled water would retain a separate rate structure. Staff also proposed a multi‑stage drought/rationing surcharge framework (six stages) that the council would authorize but only implement if the city declares restrictions during an emergency.

Council voted unanimously to direct staff to complete the study and prepare a Proposition 218 notice, with a timeline that includes a staff report and complete rate study in November, mailing of 45‑day Proposition 218 notices in early December and a public hearing in February 2026. Staff and the consultant said alternatives such as a municipal desalination project were modeled in the analysis; as presented to council, a hypothetical desalination option modeled at current South Coast Water District numbers would have increased an average customer's monthly bill by roughly $1.80 if added in 2029 (model inputs contingent on project design and financing).

Ending: Staff will draft the final cost‑of‑service report, prepare required Proposition 218 notices and return for a public hearing. The council’s direction begins the standard rate‑setting sequence; the council may adopt different amounts or timing after the public hearing.","Council directed staff to finalize a water cost‑of‑service study and begin the Proposition 218 notice process after consultants outlined a phased rate plan to cover sharply higher imported water costs.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6468537,"Broadmoor enforcement dispute over tree heights continues; council gives HOA four more months to act",2186,14318000,16504000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5782007-7dedf16e8dd419afa05c5b9a86827bbc&start=14318&end=16504","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5782007-7dedf16e8dd419afa05c5b9a86827bbc/thumbnail_14318000.jpg","/articles/6468537/San-Clemente-City/Orange-County/California/Broadmoor-enforcement-dispute-over-tree-heights-continues-council-gives-HOA-four-more-months-to-act","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6468537-8a7555621c64475e6f255820dec62e5d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437851&Signature=iC6tKS9HBBERrAr~ci2hScZr5OAan2JZSCwxzumaBFbtXkI0m0KGBFAZAZUc~8VGzXKzqn-2oq7OFftspJaOM5vuKWhwUxrYZe4m4AZLdfNysCv2U5K02myJGqimxgZ4Vk4t-uegF3tOjYN49fXr-3KOAZnzOQ7t9sGS~328g1jKKRYFR3Jurf6dtrdKMU3xJAELsJonF1WgypqoZIVimkjWJsAYKzRLLmVSFuFJflodSNdarjRL6dQFxaNbvgkIOzcXvdUC8jb79-D5XHlPA76Qx-Pq-O22sWduJflh2J2BtxteiiZBkgVdQqm0-wzx2MQptFwdFZlxkZDdmTeJrQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","San Clemente’s City Council on Sept. 16 continued a long‑running dispute over enforcement of tree‑height limits in the Broadmoor community and on the adjacent Calle Felicidad tract, directing the Broadmoor Homeowners Association to continue its enforcement process and returning the matter to the council on Jan. 20, 2026.

The conflict centers on a condition of approval tied to the Calle Felicidad development that limits certain trees to 17–20 feet and requires Broadmoor to enforce landscaping standards in some locations. Felicidad residents have repeatedly told the council that Broadmoor has not enforced the height limit across multiple properties and that untrimmed and noncompliant trees are blocking views, creating fire‑hazard conditions and diminishing property values. Broadmoor’s board and its legal counsel said the association has pursued a formal enforcement process since the council’s prior direction in March 2025 and provided updates and photographs showing work already completed and ongoing compliance processes.

At the Sept. 16 session homeowners in Calle Felicidad presented a detailed list of outstanding complaints, including photographs and records they said show trees 30–45 feet tall, bamboo in easement areas and dead or diseased vegetation. Felicidad residents argued that the association’s process has been slow and selective, and asked the city to exercise the authority contained in Article 12 of Broadmoor’s CC&Rs to step in and abate the violations directly. Association representatives said Broadmoor opened investigations, held hearings, issued letters and performed some trimming of HOA‑level street trees; they noted that the enforcement process includes statutory and CC&R‑required notice periods, internal dispute resolution and potential alternative dispute resolution before the HOA may pursue legal remedies.

City staff reminded the council that the March 18 directive asked the association to act and that staff had received status updates showing a mix of compliance: Broadmoor reported 11 complaints covering nine properties, with four owners in full compliance, two owners in the process of compliance following fines, and other cases in informal dispute‑resolution or scheduled enforcement stages. The staff report reiterated that Article 12 of the CC&Rs gives the city authority to determine if the association has failed to perform its duties and, if the city finds failure, to enter properties to abate on a special‑assessment basis. Several speakers urged the council to use that authority and to abate remaining violations; other speakers — including Broadmoor board members — urged patience with the HOA process and said some compliance had occurred only after the city’s prior interventions.

Given the complex, partly private nature of the dispute and the association’s report of ongoing enforcement, the council voted to continue the public hearing to Jan. 20, 2026, giving Broadmoor additional time to complete its procedures and abatement work. Councilmembers emphasized they expect continued, timely progress and said staff should return with updated documentation and photographs before the Jan. 20 hearing. Several Felicidad speakers warned that continued failures would prompt city action; Broadmoor said it has expanded enforcement steps and was coordinating work on common‑area trees and notices.

Ending: The council did not itself order city abatement at this hearing; instead it extended the timeline and will revisit the matter with updated evidence in January 2026. Staff and Broadmoor were directed to document further progress, and residents were told the council retained the right to order direct city abatement if the HOA fails to meet its duties.","The council continued a public hearing about tree‑height enforcement at Broadmoor and the adjoining Calle Felicidad subdivision and directed the homeowners association to continue enforcement efforts; the hearing was continued to Jan. 20, 2026 after residents pressed the council to take direct enforcement action.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6468541,"Council approves Luminar Business Park for Calle Cordillera: 11‑building light‑industrial campus cleared",3756,6696000,10452000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5782007-7dedf16e8dd419afa05c5b9a86827bbc&start=6696&end=10452","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5782007-7dedf16e8dd419afa05c5b9a86827bbc/thumbnail_6696000.jpg","/articles/6468541/San-Clemente-City/Orange-County/California/Council-approves-Luminar-Business-Park-for-Calle-Cordillera-11building-lightindustrial-campus-cleared","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6468541-4118f58bb99e6b29cfd775d53d9ad892/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437851&Signature=oWlc1yyzovv2rzhBDVtJV0lKmQigXZtvmdfUaEYXawK0ipGKO5juYMtIfaK-akyODoq-9yPOCQuuJ-ggdD5tbhFx5F5rjW18HFCaQPsHnKW-wDDIVJ~zugWimpC-JxZ3gYBJBouJUXFtef-FtpTfvDJVQK0iTkIjjQ2NIWdT64zXSyqSlRmtLGWqW~0YS6ITg3hcG4n1lMGvw9mp0B939Fv2BWwk~J05Z7tO2xQe-YutZSdEWCBlTyRJqJ~FRf3vtdbk20eGsmwKB8p6U8Qs2fh2ElMIll5g3Vh5Q1a7wzZvfWEJtnJ9Xx03iTVmUHchM4REz7axZ5jCrniu6gR9AA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The San Clemente City Council on Sept. 16 unanimously approved a development permit, conditional‑use permit, sign program and tentative tract map for the project known as the Luminar Business Park at 1000 Calle Cordillera.

The approved plan allows 11 new buildings on a roughly 20‑acre vacant site in the Rancho San Clemente specific plan area, split into an upper campus of seven buildings and a lower campus of four buildings around a central open space and an amenity hub for tenants. The project includes a private internal road, landscaping intended to blend development into the hillside, a master sign program and a condominium subdivision design that will allow individual ownership of suites.

David Curio, associate planner, summarized staff’s review and said the project is consistent with the general plan and Rancho San Clemente Specific Plan development standards and the city’s zoning and subdivision ordinances. Curio noted the project went before the design review subcommittee and to the planning commission, which recommended approval. The architecture is contemporary, the landscaping plan relies on drought‑tolerant, native species, and perimeter setbacks and hillside screening were included to comply with hillside development policies.

Owner‑developer representatives described the scheme as a “business‑park campus” that aims to attract a mix of small‑unit light‑industrial users, contractors and service businesses; typical tenant suite sizes are proposed at roughly 2,000 square feet with larger suites up to approximately 25,000 square feet available. The applicant represented that the project includes trail connections and easement adjustments to preserve a public trail alignment along the property’s south side.

Public comment included written input from the Rancho San Clemente Business Park Association, which asked the council to require the property owner to join the association (the property is not currently a member). Association representatives said longstanding historic arrangements had left the parcels outside the master association and asked the council to require membership or fair reimbursement for shared maintenance responsibilities; the property owner’s counsel said the private membership/annexation question should be resolved privately and pointed to recorded CC&Rs for the parcels. City staff said the matter is a private association issue and not a condition that may be imposed under CEQA or the city’s land‑use authority (the council discussed legal limits on requiring association membership as a condition and declined to do so).

The council adopted the staff‑recommended resolution (listed in the packet) conditionally approving the development permit, CUP and map, and certified the CEQA findings recommended by staff. Approval includes conditions of approval addressing construction staging, noise, stormwater controls and implementation of the landscaping and hillside screening plan.

Ending: With the resolution approved unanimously, the applicant may proceed to final engineering and building permits subject to the conditions of approval and standard permit review.","The council unanimously approved a proposed 11‑building light industrial business park on Calle Cordillera (the Luminar Business Park), allowing a master sign program and condominium subdivision for building suites; staff found the project consistent with the Rancho San Clemente Specific Plan and CEQA addendum guidance.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

San Clemente council approves height exemption for outlet hotel; rooftop restaurant cleared with limits after heated public hearing

Council directs staff to advance water cost‑of‑service study; phased rate increases proposed to cover imported water cost spike

Broadmoor enforcement dispute over tree heights continues; council gives HOA four more months to act

Council approves Luminar Business Park for Calle Cordillera: 11‑building light‑industrial campus cleared