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Residents press council on Oso Parkway safety, lake water quality and a dispute over removed Measure Y materials
Summary
During public comment residents raised several local issues: a dangerous turn pocket at Oso Parkway and Felipe, concerns about Lake Mission Viejo water quality, late-night hot-rodding near a school, and an extended accusation that Measure Y informational materials were removed from public display.
At the Jan. 14 public-comment period, residents brought several persistent local concerns to the Mission Viejo City Council.
Jeff McBride, a Pacific Hills resident, urged the council to lengthen the turn pocket on Oso Parkway at Felipe/Olympiad to reduce rear‑end collisions, saying the current transition is “horrible” and that he fears being hit from behind. He also said Lake Mission Viejo’s water was changed to reclaimed water in the past and that the lake appears to have lost fish and recreational value. Council staff later said the intersection improvement is in final design and is expected to enter construction within about a year; the planned work will add dual left-turn lanes and designated right-turn lanes.
Larry Gilbert criticized recent council practice on selecting ceremonial posts, saying a traditional rotation for mayor and mayor pro tem was not followed during the Dec. 10 meeting and that comments from other members suggested new or newly elected members might be excluded. He said he would submit a copy of his remarks for the public record.
Andrea Richard described late‑night vehicle noise and so‑called 'hot‑rodding' near Los Felizos Intermediate School, reporting regular revving and dangerous behavior in the school parking lot late at night and urging the police to respond more robustly to repeated nuisance calls.
Kathy Schlicht delivered a prolonged and highly critical account alleging that city personnel removed Measure Y informational materials from public spaces in the weeks before an election. She said her records request prompted a sharply worded email from a city attorney and accused staff of removing educational brochures to influence the ballot result; she said she would leave her communications with the clerk for the public record. Council did not record an on‑the‑spot staff response during public comment.
Kathy Palmer asked the council to be more open to mixed‑use redevelopment to address increasing housing demand and to revitalize underused shopping-center property across from city hall.
Robert Breton offered a broad endorsement of the council’s emphasis on public safety and contrasted the city’s preparedness with challenges in Los Angeles County.
The council heard the comments; where appropriate staff followed up (for example, the public-works director confirmed the Oso Parkway project is in the final design stage), and other claims were recorded for administrative follow-up or public‑record filings.
