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Resident urges Mission Viejo to pursue a citywide specific plan for core area
Summary
At a March 10 Planning & Transportation Commission meeting, longtime resident Tom Moore urged officials to adopt a comprehensive specific plan and mixed‑use strategy for the Stein Mart/La Paz area, citing the ULI and core‑vision plans and urging better pedestrian connections along Marguerite Parkway.
Tom Moore, a Mission Viejo resident who identified himself during non‑agenda public comment, urged the commission to move forward with a citywide specific plan for the core area, saying that piecemeal projects had left the area underperforming.
Moore said he has pushed for a specific plan for four years and singled out the Stein Mart site and the La Paz bridge work. He argued the city should prioritize broader planning now, noting local investments in small projects while larger, coordinating work remains undone. "Mixed use element, time is now," he said. He also urged the city to enable property owners to take advantage of mixed‑use designations in areas near San Fernando and the creek.
Commissioners and staff responded with a mix of thanks and agreement that the general plan and previous vision work could serve as a starting point. Director Longnecker and other commissioners said a full specific plan has been discussed for several years and that the 2017 vision plan could be used as a first step toward formal zoning or an overlay. No formal action was taken; the comment was recorded in the public‑comment portion of the meeting.
Moore also praised recent bridge corrections and noted pedestrian‑safety and speed‑management possibilities along Marguerite Parkway, suggesting lowering speeds and improving crossings to push pedestrian activity closer to the creek. Commissioners asked staff to consider whether sign‑program changes could help nearby businesses and to report back at a future meeting.
