By Andrea Swayne
The Dana Point City Council on Tuesday voted to approve a timeline for the revitalization plan in the works for the Doheny Village area of Capistrano Beach.
Cindy Nelson, interim economic development director presented the staff report detailing the long-awaited next steps in the plan that was initiated in 2010.
According to the report, the plan’s guiding principles gathered during past public meetings and workshops from residents and business owners will all remain intact. Principles include the creation of a small-scale commercial village, preserving the surfing and marine heritage, ensuring a distinct character and identity, open space, cultural amenities, public art, streetscape beautification, improved circulation and linkages with other parts of the city and beach via bike and walking paths and improved public safety. The plan also calls for new zoning incentives, changing the current zoning codes to encourage new development.
The Village plan breaks the area up into sections according to differences in expected focus. These include an industrial arts, or “maker culture” pedestrian-friendly area; mixed-use, live/work and residential zones of varying densities,
The timeline is as follows:
- Complete economic studies, July-August 2015
- Community outreach meetings, August-October 2015
- City Council endorsement, revised concept plan, December 2015
- Commence preparation of environmental impact report, January 2016
- Commence planning tasks, January 2016
- Complete EIR and approval of final plan, December 2016
- Submit plan to California Coastal Commission, December 2016
- Coastal Commission approval, December 2017
During public comments, a number of residents voiced dissatisfaction with the timeline, saying that it needs to happen faster, as the area has long been neglected by city officials and staff. Crime and decay must be mitigated now, they said.
“We do not need more studies. We do not need more hearings. We do not need more committees,” resident Carol Weling said. “What we need is action. We need for you to do something …”
Weling’s comments were met with applause from the approximately 50 people in the audience to hear the issue.
The council voted 5-0 to approve the plan with the added challenge that staff does everything possible to move it along quicker. They also voted unanimously to require monthly status reports and then unanimously twice more, to require staff to come back in a month with an established budget for an immediate start and to return with a public safety plan.
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