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[5:04] city clerk? Yes, thank you, mayor. Let the record show that we have all members of

[5:12] council present in chambers, and we have

[5:17] council member wheeler will lead the invocation. Will you pray with me? Dear lord in

[5:23] heaven, we thank you so much that

[5:26] you're with us tonight, lord.

[5:27] we ask your blessings on this gathering where we deal with the subjects of the city.

[5:32] we ask your guidance on these issues, that we may be able to make proper decisions

[5:36] that will benefit our city, the state,

[5:39] and our country.

[5:40] in jesus' name we pray.

[5:41] amen.

[5:44] and I'm going to lead the pledge of allegiance.

[5:50] and I would just like to state, if you'll stand, those of you who can stand.

[5:54] I'm not one of you.

[5:56] but we live in the greatest country in the world, 250 years, and we celebrate that.

[6:05] and so we say the pledge of allegiance this time from the greatest little city in the

[6:10] united states, laguna hills.

[6:13] okay.

[6:16] there we go.

[6:20] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states

[6:30] indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

[6:38] thank you.

[6:42] all right.

[6:45] so, first of all, I wanted to make a couple of comments, and then we're going to get

[6:50] everything going.

[6:53] I want to thank a lot of people for their thoughts and their prayers.

[6:56] I had a pretty serious surgery to my foot almost three months ago.

[7:03] but I managed to attend these meetings by zoom.

[7:07] and I want to thank our mayor pro tem, jared mathis, for chairing these meetings on

[7:14] my behalf,

[7:15] even though I was in the room with you.

[7:17] but it would have been logistically a little nuts for me to try to run the meeting,

[7:22] and I really appreciate his stepping up and doing that.

[7:26] I also want to introduce joshua stephenson, our new city clerk, and we want to

[7:32] welcome you to your first meeting.

[7:42] nothing like starting off with a bang, joshua.

[7:44] absolutely.

[7:45] okay.

[7:47] so, with that, we are going to

[7:54] we did that.

[7:55] we're going to recess the city council meeting and call to order the joint meeting of

[8:01] the city council and planning agency.

[8:06] and, again, I'm going to ask the city clerk for the roll call of the agency members.

[8:11] yes, mayor.

[8:12] let the record show that all members of the city council and planning agency are

[8:14] present in council chambers.

[8:17] thank you.

[8:19] okay.

[8:19] and with that, we will begin.

[8:23] the first item on the agenda, and I have moved the deck chairs around a little bit

[8:28] from what we normally do for conditional

[8:31] use permits, and the reason for that is because sometimes in these things, by the

[8:39] time you get to speak, it's eight

[8:43] or nine o'clock at night, even if we start early. So today, we're going to rearrange

[8:48] that. We are going to do

[8:51] a presentation from the ad hoc committee, which will be fairly short, followed by a

[8:56] presentation from jennifer lowe, our director of community development,

[9:03] and then about the project, which is the village at laguna hills.

[9:09] and then we will hear a presentation from the applicant.

[9:13] and then we'll go straight to public comments first.

[9:17] because most of you who are here know what you want to say.

[9:20] and I want to hear, we all want to hear, what you want to say.

[9:24] and so rather than getting wrapped around the axle with a bunch of other stuff that

[9:28] we do need to do, and

[9:30] you're welcome to stay through all of it, we're going to give you first dibs.

[9:34] and I'm just letting you know that ahead of time.

[9:38] so we have here the village at laguna hills, a request by mgp fund x laguna hills llc

[9:45] to modify the previously approved village

[9:49] at laguna hills project to redevelop the former laguna hills mall site located at

[9:54] 24001 avenida de la carlota, unit b, and

[9:57] 23451 calle de la luisa, 24162 ronda del rossmoor, 24100,

[10:16] 24126, 24156, and 24300 laguna hills mall; approval of site development permit,

[10:22] conditional use permits, master sign program, parking

[10:27] use permit, amended vesting tentative tract map number 19123 for residential

[10:35] condominium and commercial retail purposes

[10:41] to subdivide 10 existing lots into 27.

[10:45] the amended and restated development agreement number, use-0239-2025, and an

[10:53] amendment to the urban village specific plan.

[10:58] that's a mouthful.

[11:00] so with that, I'm going to call for mayor pro tem mathis to present a short report

[11:06] for the ad hoc committee.

[11:10] thank you, mr.

[11:11] mayor.

[11:11] it is wonderful to see you back in the chair.

[11:15] and I think we all agree.

[11:16] and it's great to see all of you here tonight to participate in this process.

[11:21] it's a long time coming.

[11:23] I'm going to take you back in time real quick, back to january of 2025.

[11:30] that's when we put together the ad hoc committee consisting of

[11:35] mayor caskey and myself, playing on our industry experience to be able to sit down

[11:41] with the applicant and take another swipe at this.

[11:46] because from the project that had been approved, we didn't end up with a project that

[11:50] was able to be built.

[11:53] so we rolled up our sleeves to sit across the table from mgp to be able to get

[11:58] something done.

[12:00] and I'm just going to give you a brief 30,000-foot overview of what that process

[12:04] and what our guiding principles were through that process before we get into the

[12:10] details with the staff report.

[12:14] so the two-person ad hoc committee, it was a different composition than what had been

[12:19] working with mgp before.

[12:21] we wanted to have a fresh look.

[12:23] again, relying on the experience that we have in the industry, and to try to get this

[12:27] over the finish line in a way

[12:29] that makes sense for the city.

[12:31] so the objective was to negotiate a project that's both aligned with the city's

[12:35] principles and priorities and also is economically deliverable.

[12:41] and so, go ahead.

[12:45] so regular meetings, as soon as the ad hoc committee was formed, were set in motion

[12:51] with merlone geier partners back 18 months ago, and the

[12:55] committee focused on creating lasting value for laguna hills.

[12:59] none of us want to see the project sit dormant.

[13:04] thirteen years in various phases of that.

[13:07] but we also need to make sure it's right for laguna hills.

[13:10] and so multiple site plan revisions over that period of time were gone through,

[13:15] balancing feasibility with community priorities, and the result, we believe,

[13:20] is a negotiated proposal designed to deliver the lasting public benefits that we

[13:24] think the city deserves and to capture the interest and the spirit

[13:28] of laguna hills as well.

[13:30] and we think all that's possible.

[13:32] so what are the priorities for the city?

[13:36] one, increased revenues beyond the 2022 approved project.

[13:42] that is confirmed.

[13:43] this project will do that.

[13:45] not only do that through the two hotels and retail that will be part of this project,

[13:50] but it will increase the revenue over what the mall ever produced in its heyday.

[13:55] I think that's really important to understand.

[13:58] and that's been confirmed with independent analysis, not just our opinion.

[14:05] number two, provide affordable housing near transit, medical, and retail.

[14:09] specifically, senior affordable housing.

[14:13] mayor caskey, I'm going to give him all the credit in the world,

[14:16] this affordable housing was located in a different spot on the project,

[14:19] and he was adamant to move it to that southwest corner of the property that puts it

[14:24] as close as possible to public transportation.

[14:29] not only does that just make sense, it also makes it more financeable as well.

[14:34] so that was a good result from this process.

[14:37] we also think that another priority for the city was to create a destination

[14:40] reflecting the character of laguna hills,

[14:44] and the developer has agreed with us for patriotic theming,

[14:50] something that I think is really at the core of what laguna hills is as a city and

[14:54] what we represent.

[14:56] that's visible from the freeway, so people know when they're driving by laguna hills

[14:59] just based on the project alone.

[15:02] number four, develop vibrant retail, dining, and gathering spaces.

[15:08] the pads on this project, for those of you who have taken a look, are on the north

[15:13] half of the project, right?

[15:16] surrounding the park.

[15:19] if you've been to the river street development in san juan capistrano,

[15:23] a similar feel in that regard, in that there's vibrant shopping and dining

[15:28] opportunities that not only serve the immediate residents of this community

[15:34] that we're building, but also a regional draw as well.

[15:38] and so we think that this accomplishes that goal as well.

[15:45] require enforceable phasing and developer accountability with community benefit.

[15:48] we don't want the property to sit and not be developed.

[15:52] and we also don't want to put a position,

[15:55] put the city in a position where the developer can just do a few things and then

[15:59] leave town and leave us holding the bag.

[16:01] the way that this

[16:04] proposal is phased and linked, and this was, again, independently reviewed, both

[16:09] legally and from an economic perspective.

[16:13] the proper phasing and accountability is within this project.

[16:18] number six, expand ownership and rental opportunities for young families and our

[16:22] workforce housing.

[16:25] multiple types of housing, which marks departure from the previous version.

[16:30] multiple housing types, from apartments to townhomes and single-family residences.

[16:35] so you want to rent, you want to buy, you want to invest in laguna hills, this

[16:40] project allows for that.

[16:42] in a wide variety of opportunities.

[16:45] number seven, design walkable neighborhoods with quality architecture and open space

[16:50] and safety.

[16:53] so working with ocfa and all the different agencies that make sure that this thing is

[16:58] designed in a way that not only is

[17:00] walkable and beautiful, but safe.

[17:04] all that's been confirmed through our process, both with staff and our consultants.

[17:08] we feel really confident with that.

[17:11] and it just so happens, all of this is happening right across the street from our

[17:15] city's largest employer, saddleback memorial hospital.

[17:19] the environment that it's going to create, not only for the people that have to be in

[17:23] the hospital for various health reasons,

[17:26] but for those professionals, attracting the best doctors, nurses, medical

[17:30] professionals to be part of that campus feel is going to be really excellent.

[17:37] so that's part of that design of that neighborhood and community.

[17:41] and number eight, deliver a project the community will be proud of that will be a

[17:46] local and regional draw.

[17:49] listen, it's been a long time, 13 years in the waiting,

[17:53] and laguna hills deserves for this project to break ground and for us to put a shovel

[17:59] in the ground.

[18:01] and that's what we think based on the 18 months we've been working diligently with

[18:07] the developer and with staff to be able to come

[18:11] to that conclusion.

[18:13] go ahead.

[18:17] next slide.

[18:18] go ahead.

[18:19] so this is our statement.

[18:21] the ad hoc committee believes this proposal is substantially stronger than the

[18:24] previously approved project and the right project for laguna hills.

[18:28] it reflects months of negotiation, compromise, and careful attention to the city's

[18:30] priorities.

[18:32] our goal has always been simple: create a project that laguna hills will be proud of

[18:36] for generations.

[18:38] go ahead.

[18:41] and so the question is, why now, right?

[18:46] I'm going to try to provide an answer to that.

[18:48] in order for the affordable housing project, you're going to hear more about this,

[18:52] to enter the state's financing portal in this year, in 2026,

[18:57] we believe that this project needs to move forward immediately to be able to get into

[19:03] the queue.

[19:04] in much that same vein, hotel 1 needs to start construction in order to meet market

[19:08] deadlines and demands to support tourism and capture,

[19:13] if possible, the 2028 olympics.

[19:16] also, after multiple public-facing opportunities, and we welcome everyone's input

[19:20] here tonight.

[19:23] but over many different public-facing opportunities over the last 18 months, all the

[19:27] public feedback, or the vast majority of it, has been

[19:30] overwhelmingly positive.

[19:35] maybe a little editorial here: 13 years is long enough, right?

[19:39] and additional paralysis by analysis potentially only hurts the city, in that we need

[19:44] to keep and capture the current market condition and not

[19:48] slide through the market condition like what happened last time.

[19:52] and as I said before, put a shovel in the ground.

[19:55] so that's the perspective of the ad hoc committee.

[20:00] had an interesting time over the last 18 months.

[20:04] it's been knockdown, drag-out in many cases, but all in good faith.

[20:09] and I will commend the applicant for being up-front and face-to-face on all the

[20:14] challenges that we went through together.

[20:19] and you're going to see the results of that tonight.

[20:22] that's my report, mr.

[20:23] mayor.

[20:23] all right.

[20:24] thank you, mayor pro tem mathis.

[20:27] I don't think I can add anything to that, but I would like to keep it moving,

[20:31] and I'm going to ask the community development director, jennifer lowe, to present

[20:35] the staff report.

[20:38] jennifer?

[20:40] good evening, mayor and members of the council.

[20:42] I would like to introduce to you gina gizar and layla carter, project planners for

[20:45] this, and gina will be giving the presentation.

[20:49] thank you.

[20:56] good evening, mayor and council members.

[20:59] tonight for your consideration is the village at laguna hills 2026 modified project

[21:05] under application number use-0239-2025.

[21:14] this project site is the former laguna hills mall property, an approximately 68-acre

[21:19] site,

[21:20] which lies within the boundaries of the city's urban village specific plan.

[21:32] this application is a major modification of the previously approved 2022 village at

[21:37] laguna hills development plan.

[21:40] the proposed mixed-use project includes a combination of commercial retail, two

[21:45] hotels, four multifamily residential buildings, one of which is fully affordable,

[21:51] a mix of townhomes, single-family attached, single-family detached housing, and open

[21:57] space and recreation uses.

[22:00] before turning to the specifics of this project, it's worth explaining that the

[22:04] application is considered a modification rather than a new project.

[22:10] section 1.49 of the da approved for the 2022 vlh project,

[22:17] and I will say I will use vlh as an acronym for village at laguna hills several times,

[22:24] so the da defines a major project modification as any discretionary approval or

[22:30] permit requested by the property owner that would result in the authorization

[22:37] of certain circumstances.

[22:41] this proposed project includes more than five residential buildings and less than 210,

[22:47] 000 square feet of retail,

[22:49] which meet two of those thresholds defined in the da.

[22:54] as a result, this modification is considered a major project modification,

[23:01] and section

[23:01] 12.3 of that agreement gives the city council absolute discretion to approve,

[23:06] conditionally approve, or deny it.

[23:12] this table summarizes how the 2026 modified project compares to what was approved in

[23:17] 2022.

[23:19] commercial retail, restaurant, cinema, and health club uses decrease from 250,000

[23:23] square feet to 163,215 square feet, as the cinema and health club have

[23:28] been removed.

[23:28] office use is eliminated entirely, a reduction of 465,000 square feet.

[23:40] the project now includes two hotels totaling 239 rooms, an increase of 89 rooms over

[23:44] the single hotel approved in 2022.

[23:46] residential units decreased slightly from 1,500 to 1,457, though the da preserves the

[23:49] potential for up to 1,500 units.

[24:03] and required parking decreases by about 1,926 spaces, reflecting the removal of

[24:08] office, cinema, and health club uses and their associated parking structures.

[24:16] in short, the 2026 modified project diversifies the housing types on site, adding

[24:22] apartments, stand-alone affordable housing, townhomes, single-family attached,

[24:28] single-family detached,

[24:31] while also increasing the village park from 2.6 to 3.1 acres and introducing the

[24:37] second hotel.

[24:41] to implement these changes, the applicant is requesting a series of discretionary

[24:46] approvals: a specific plan amendment, a site development permit, a precise plan,

[24:52] an amendment to vesting tentative map number 19123, conditional use permits for the

[24:57] two hotels and for seasonal and temporary events at the village

[25:02] park, a master sign program, a parking use permit, and an amended and restated da.

[25:12] taken together, the project offers significant public benefits.

[25:16] it will generate fee payments of almost $33 million at full build-out and an

[25:21] anticipated annual general fund fiscal surplus of about $2.26 million.

[25:29] it redevelops a largely vacant former mall site into a mixed-use urban village,

[25:33] creates thousands of construction and permanent jobs,

[25:38] and helps the city meet more than 60% of the housing units required under its 2021-29

[25:42] housing element.

[25:49] the amended and restated da has a 15-year term with the possibility of a five-year

[25:55] extension, and at full build-out authorizes the park, retail,

[26:00] residential, and hotels.

[26:05] development is structured in two phases.

[26:08] phase 1 includes construction of the two retail anchor buildings, shop a, hotel 1,

[26:13] and 200 units of affordable senior housing,

[26:17] along with supporting streets, utilities, landscaping, and infrastructure, plus

[26:22] elective improvements such as the north residential building.

[26:27] phase 1 must commence within four years of the da date and must be completed within

[26:32] five years,

[26:33] with the affordable housing project completed within three years of commencement.

[26:39] phase 2 includes commercial pads one through four, shops b and c, hotel 2, and the

[26:45] central and south residential buildings, along with their supportive infrastructure.

[26:50] phase 2 can commence at any time during the da term,

[26:54] but the hotels must be completed within eight years or the applicant must pay a hotel

[27:00] delay fee,

[27:03] which we'll get into in a minute.

[27:08] this slide breaks down the community benefit and one-time fees associated with the

[27:12] project.

[27:13] to date, the applicant has paid more than $8.6 million toward public art, park

[27:18] in-lieu, community benefit, and development agreement administration fees.

[27:25] looking ahead, the applicant is obligated to pay an additional $23.9 million in those

[27:29] same categories.

[27:33] plus a public art obligation equal to

[27:37] 0.5% of construction costs for specific non-residential and multifamily uses, with

[27:46] any amount above $650,000 required to be

[27:51] installed as actual public art onsite.

[27:54] and as mentioned before, a hotel delay fee of $500,000 per hotel if either is not

[28:00] completed within eight years.

[28:05] from a fiscal standpoint, at full build-out, the project is expected to generate

[28:11] approximately $3.8 million in annual city revenues against about $1.53 million

[28:18] in annual expenditures, for a net positive fiscal impact of over $2.2 million per

[28:23] year.

[28:26] that surplus is higher than the $1.39 million annual surplus that would have resulted

[28:33] under the 2022 approved project,

[28:37] largely due to the addition of the second hotel and its associated transient

[28:42] occupancy tax revenue.

[28:45] these figures are based on an analysis and a fiscal impact analysis prepared by dpfg

[28:50] and peer-reviewed on behalf of the city by eps.

[28:57] with the fiscal and procedural context in mind, we can walk through the physical

[29:00] design of the project.

[29:04] so just to reiterate the uses, the modified project includes up to 143,100 square

[29:12] feet of new retail space,

[29:16] and that's in addition to the existing space that will remain with the bj's and other

[29:22] uses.

[29:24] these spaces are anchored by two major stores, a 3.1-acre village park, four

[29:28] multifamily residential buildings, again, one that is fully affordable,

[29:34] and the mix of townhomes, single-family attached and single-family detached

[29:38] residential uses, two hotels, and vehicular access, circulation, and parking

[29:43] improvements.

[29:46] there will be a comprehensive signage program and new utility and infrastructure

[29:51] improvements.

[29:54] at the heart of the project is the approximately 3.1-acre village park, which will be

[29:59] privately owned but publicly accessible.

[30:03] it includes a small kiosk with outdoor seating and dining along its edges, water

[30:07] features, a pavilion, a raised deck, and a central green.

[30:13] this diagram illustrates how the village park integrates with the project's broader

[30:18] open space network, connecting the commercial core, hotels,

[30:22] and residential districts through a continuous pedestrian environment.

[30:29] the landscape concept is organized around a tree hierarchy that provides botanical

[30:33] wayfinding throughout the site,

[30:36] enhanced gateways, and a main entrance that creates a sense of arrival,

[30:40] and a network of paseos that extend the landscape into the commercial and residential

[30:44] areas.

[30:47] the project also emphasizes multimodal connectivity.

[30:51] pedestrian enhancements include an extensive walkable network of paseos and enhanced

[30:57] crossings, linking retail, residential, and open spaces.

[31:02] bicycle infrastructure includes class 3 bike-share lanes on key streets connecting to

[31:09] the city's multi-use trail system.

[31:12] and the site is within immediate walking distance of multiple octa bus stops and the

[31:18] laguna hills transportation center.

[31:23] a bit on the affordable housing: rather than distributing affordable units piecemeal

[31:28] across multiple buildings, the project consolidates them.

[31:33] a fully entitled, development-ready pad is transferred to a qualified affordable

[31:37] housing developer.

[31:39] this approach helps the city ensure that it meets its rhna obligations for

[31:44] lower-income units.

[31:49] turning to parking, the project is required to provide 3,671 parking spaces under the

[31:56] laguna hills municipal code and the urban village specific plan.

[32:03] and it provides 4,013, a surplus of 342 spaces.

[32:14] the uvsp requires developments with construction costs of at least $250,000 to

[32:20] provide public art or contribute to the city's public art in-lieu

[32:25] fund.

[32:26] the applicant has already paid $350,000 to the fund and holds a $300,000 prior credit.

[32:34] under the amended and restated development agreement, the applicant must contribute

[32:40] 0.5% of total construction costs for those non-residential and multifamily uses to

[32:46] the fund.

[32:48] any amount above $650,000 must be satisfied through installation of actual public art.

[32:56] notably, in 2023, the city council commissioned brittany ryan studios to create five

[33:01] figures on patrol.

[33:04] a tribute to the u.s.

[33:05] 3rd battalion, 5th marines, known as team dark horse, consisting of 50-inch

[33:09] sculptures depicting marines on patrol in afghanistan.

[33:14] that artwork will be displayed at the village park, externally illuminated and framed

[33:19] with contrasting landscaping.

[33:24] architecturally, the project is designed in a spanish colonial revival theme

[33:28] featuring smooth and sand-finished stucco in whites and beiges, terracotta-esque tile

[33:33] roofing,

[33:35] loggia arches, wrought-iron detailing, horizontal siding, and decorative tile accents.

[33:42] building massing incorporates varying roof heights, projections, and overhangs to

[33:46] create visual breaks and articulate each building's form.

[33:52] the project requires a specific plan amendment to allow single-family detached homes

[33:57] as permitted uses,

[34:00] to reduce the required building separation for single-family detached buildings from

[34:05] 10 to 6 feet, and to clarify that development entitlements approved

[34:10] before the adoption of the city's objective design standards, or ods,

[34:15] including those approved under a development agreement, are not subject to the ods

[34:20] standards.

[34:23] the project remains consistent with, or is conditioned to require consistency with,

[34:28] all applicable uvsp development standards as shown in the table and detailed

[34:34] more in the staff report.

[34:44] the project requires three conditional use permits, one for hotel 1 and hotel 2, and

[34:48] one for

[34:49] seasonal and temporary events at the village park.

[34:53] staff's findings support all three.

[34:55] the requested uses are fully integrated into the larger modified project and would

[35:00] create no adverse impacts.

[35:04] the master sign program establishes a comprehensive, unified signage strategy for the

[35:08] project, including wall signs, a freeway pylon sign,

[35:13] large entryway pylon and monument signs, smaller secondary entryway pylon signs,

[35:18] tenant signs, banner graphics, and directional signage.

[35:26] turning to environmental compliance, this project's ceqa foundation traces back to

[35:31] the city's 2009 general plan program environmental impact report,

[35:36] the 2002 urban village specific plan, and the fifth addendum prepared for the 2022

[35:41] village at laguna hills project.

[35:45] in total, the program eir has been the subject of seven addenda since 2009.

[35:55] ceqa guidelines section 15162 directs when a subsequent or supplemental eir is

[36:01] required.

[36:02] in short, no additional environmental analysis is required if a project would not

[36:07] result in new impacts, would not result in more severe impacts,

[36:13] and would not require new mitigation beyond what the general plan program already

[36:17] identified.

[36:19] consistent with that standard, a ceqa compliance memorandum was prepared confirming

[36:24] the analysis conducted in the fifth addendum for the 2022 vlh project.

[36:31] this memo was also peer-reviewed by lsa, the city's ceqa consultant.

[36:36] that memo evaluated all ceqa topic areas and found no new or substantially more

[36:42] severe impacts in any category.

[36:46] in fact, it found a net reduction in trips, operational emissions, greenhouse gas

[36:51] emissions, and noise compared to the previously approved project.

[37:03] based on that analysis, staff's determination is that the project is a modification

[37:07] of the previously approved 2022 village at laguna hills project,

[37:12] that it will not result in any new significant impacts or a substantial increase in

[37:16] the severity of previously identified impacts,

[37:20] and that the mitigation measures identified in the fifth addendum remain applicable

[37:24] and have been incorporated into the project's design and conditions of approval.

[37:33] the uvsp manages cumulative impacts through a peak-hour trip budget.

[37:38] the specific plan established a starting budget of 1,243 a.m.

[37:40] peak-hour trips and 2,272 p.m.

[37:46] peak-hour trips, calibrated to ensure that development within the plan area does not

[37:51] exceed the intersection level of service standards in the city's

[37:56] 2009 general plan circulation element while still allowing flexibility in the mix of

[38:01] land uses.

[38:03] that are built.

[38:05] according to the updated trip generation and vmt screening report prepared by llg, the

[38:12] 2026 modified project generates fewer trips than the 2022 approved project.

[38:20] after accounting for this project and all prior approvals within the plan area, 276

[38:24] a.m.

[38:25] peak-hour trips and 3,452 p.m.

[38:27] peak-hour trips remain in the uvsp budget for future development.

[38:41] given the scale and long-term nature of this project,

[38:45] staff recommends that the city council convert the existing village at laguna hills

[38:50] ad hoc committee into a standing committee to monitor and oversee

[38:55] implementation going forward.

[38:57] as a standing committee, this body would be a legislative body under the brown act,

[39:02] following standard agenda and meeting procedures.

[39:06] it would serve as a liaison between city staff, mgp, and the city council,

[39:11] provide guidance and input on implementation of the da and the project, and report

[39:16] back to council.

[39:18] though it would hold no independent decision-making authority.

[39:21] it would continue in existence until the council takes separate action and would be

[39:26] composed of the same two council members who currently serve

[39:31] on the ad hoc committee.

[39:34] with that, we'll close with staff's recommendation.

[39:38] staff recommends that the planning agency and city council, first, conduct this joint

[39:43] public hearing.

[39:45] second, adopt a joint resolution approving the site development permit, master sign

[39:50] program, conditional use permits,

[39:53] and the amended vesting tentative map no. 19123 under application u-0239-2025.

[40:03] third, introduce for first reading an ordinance amending and restating the

[40:08] development agreement between the city and mgp fund x laguna hills llc.

[40:15] and fourth, introduce for first reading an ordinance adopting an amendment to the

[40:20] urban village specific plan for the village at laguna hills project.

[40:26] and with that, staff will be available to answer any questions.

[40:29] thank you.

[40:31] all right, we are going to postpone those questions until the 6 o'clock meeting

[40:36] because, as I said before,

[40:38] we're going to go to public speakers first after both of these presentations.

[40:44] and so we're right on time, and I would like to now request that mgp fund x laguna

[40:52] hills make their presentation.

[41:05] thank you, mayor caskey.

[41:06] thank you, council members pezold, wheeler, mathis, and sweeney.

[41:11] I also want to thank staff and the city's consultants for working with us over the

[41:16] past

[41:18] couple of years and even extending beyond that.

[41:22] I also have with me today and would like to thank our project team.

[41:26] these are industry professionals that are excellent at what they do, and we have

[41:30] representatives here to answer questions should they come up later

[41:34] on in the presentation.

[41:37] as was mentioned, we don't need to go into detail,

[41:39] but there has been a considerable amount of process that has taken place. Really,

[41:44] since 2023, we started internally looking at this plan,

[41:48] how we could make it feasible, how we could expedite the desires of ourselves and the

[41:53] city to see something come to fruition, and appreciate

[41:57] the ability to work with the ad hoc committee and with staff to work through the

[42:01] questions and the iterative nature of the site planning

[42:05] exercise, which I think has been very fruitful.

[42:08] we've held two community outreach meetings.

[42:12] one was, I can't believe it was last august, but it was last august.

[42:16] we had, I think, over 140 people attend.

[42:19] and subsequent to that, we had

[42:22] made ourselves available by posting all those materials on our website, and we

[42:25] continued to receive emails with questions, and we tried to respond

[42:29] to those since then.

[42:31] we also had a virtual meeting earlier this year.

[42:33] and throughout this process, we've been iterating and making revisions to the site

[42:39] plan, updating our analysis, and really being tasked by

[42:45] the ad hoc committee and staff with responding to very specific questions, and it's

[42:51] led to where we are today.

[42:55] this is a snapshot of the overall process that we've been on.

[43:00] the green row up top is just a reflection of when we acquired the property back in

[43:06] 2014, all the way to today,

[43:08] the milestone in 2022 on the development agreement.

[43:12] the pink or purple line is the fees that have been paid and will be paid over a

[43:17] period of time.

[43:20] as was mentioned, we've already paid $8.7 million in fees, which isn't insignificant,

[43:24] and we're actually in compliance with the terms of that 2022 development agreement.

[43:30] the blue line reflects the process going forward for construction and other permit

[43:33] approvals.

[43:34] we actually submitted a couple of weeks ago our initial plans for the core and shell

[43:39] on the anchor retail building,

[43:43] along with our site development work for the first hotel pad.

[43:47] so we're trying to get out ahead of this to meet the timelines that have been

[43:50] established.

[43:52] and then there are ongoing mapping efforts that are articulated there at the bottom.

[43:56] so I know this was mentioned, but I wanted to highlight a couple of things.

[44:00] comparing the 2022 entitlement to this 2026 modified plan, it was noted that the

[44:07] increase in sales tax revenue that will come to the city.

[44:11] I also wanted to point out we're actually providing a larger community open space.

[44:15] that village park is increased by about a half an acre, and we also added almost a

[44:20] 0.7-acre dog park in the plan.

[44:24] and it was mentioned there are walking trails throughout the site, so about 16% of

[44:28] the 68-acre site is usable open space.

[44:37] because we removed the 465,000 square feet of office, that traffic reduction of 25%

[44:43] is worth noting.

[44:45] and then we are paying slightly more in impact fees.

[44:51] so since we met with the community, I just wanted to highlight what has changed in

[44:54] the site plan since last summer.

[44:57] and this is based on the process that I mentioned in working with the ad hoc

[45:02] committee and trying to make the plan even

[45:06] better, right?

[45:07] and so what I've highlighted here are just the components of the plan that have

[45:09] changed.

[45:10] so this is the 2025 plan.

[45:12] and then this is the updated site plan.

[45:14] you can see the affordable building in the southwest corner.

[45:18] in the middle section, that large circle demonstrates we distributed the for-sale

[45:23] product types more evenly between the phases, which actually opens it up.

[45:30] it makes the site, I guess, more porous and creates opportunities for more pedestrian

[45:34] connectivity through the site.

[45:37] we expanded that residential building along carlotta, and then we moved the townhomes

[45:41] next to the first hotel.

[45:43] so this is the final site plan that we have in front of you today.

[45:48] this is a rendering of the senior affordable building that will sit there at the

[45:53] southwest corner.

[45:55] we also have some images here.

[45:57] there will be several different for-sale product types,

[46:00] which will allow the velocity of those units to be sold faster and bring more people

[46:05] into the community.

[46:08] more quickly, and so there are these duplex units, there are three-story

[46:12] single-family detached units that can be up to four bedrooms,

[46:17] and then there's motor court residences that have a shared drive, kind of like a

[46:21] u-shaped building, that are really popular,

[46:25] and then standard row townhomes, so these are row townhomes.

[46:31] this is just a different look at the phasing.

[46:33] so the light blue is the required first phase of the project.

[46:37] so the affordable, the first hotel, and then the anchor retail buildings.

[46:41] early on in this reboot of the project, we knew it was critical to go and find an

[46:46] anchor tenant.

[46:49] and I'm pleased to share we signed a lease with whole foods

[46:52] to anchor this project.

[46:54] and they'll sit adjacent to a relocated nordstrom rack.

[46:58] I'll get back to that relocation because it triggers the second phase.

[47:02] so once we've started the light blue, that allows us to move forward with what you

[47:07] see in orange,

[47:09] which is the first phase of the residential component of the project.

[47:12] so those can move forward concurrently.

[47:15] that's pretty important for the retailers.

[47:17] they want to see houses being occupied adjacent to the retail.

[47:22] it'll create a much healthier retail leasing environment.

[47:27] and then once we relocate that nordstrom rack into that anchor building,

[47:32] we'll immediately commence the second phase of the required improvements you see in

[47:37] green, which are the village park, the associated retail,

[47:41] the first multifamily building, and the second hotel.

[47:44] and we can't start on what you see in pink until we move forward with those elements

[47:50] that are in green.

[47:53] so those were the core phases that were agreed to.

[47:57] it took quite a few iterations, and this is what we landed on.

[48:05] here's a few renderings.

[48:06] this is looking from the northeast corner that I think everyone's familiar with, the

[48:10] intersection off of I-5 and el toro.

[48:13] you can see the shopping center feel in front of the whole foods with that surface

[48:18] parking that they really need.

[48:21] plus, we have to preserve the parking for the in-n-out and king's fish house.

[48:26] and then here from the northwest corner, this is looking over the medical center,

[48:30] more down into the village park area.

[48:32] you can see there is visibility from el toro to that village park,

[48:36] but that it really sits adjacent to this employment center that we think is pretty

[48:41] critical.

[48:43] and then here's from the southwest corner looking over the transit center and that

[48:47] affordable building.

[48:49] and then this is from the southeast corner looking at the multifamily buildings along

[48:52] carlotta and that first hotel.

[48:57] some things were already mentioned about this village park.

[49:00] a lot of feedback, I'd say, in our community outreach has been related to this

[49:04] component of the project.

[49:06] and we've also worked, as was mentioned, trying to incorporate these patriotic

[49:10] theming elements, including the statues that are beautiful, by the way,

[49:15] that are being commissioned right now, and incorporating those into this component of

[49:19] the project.

[49:22] this really will become the activity center of the project and hopefully for the

[49:27] broader community.

[49:31] I wish the jumbotron were working today.

[49:33] it'd be great to go watch some world cup games,

[49:35] but that's what it's intended to do: have those types of viewing opportunities.

[49:39] plus, it's a stage for performances, movies in the park.

[49:44] and then there's enough space there for an ice-skating rink for tree-lighting

[49:48] ceremonies.

[49:50] and this village drive, you can see a different paving pattern.

[49:53] we're able to put bollards on both ends of that drive and create functional, usable

[49:59] space for farmers markets or food trucks or car

[50:04] shows, whatever the city would like.

[50:08] this is another rendering of the village park.

[50:13] and then just from another direction, you can see the medical center right there on

[50:15] our left-hand side.

[50:18] as was mentioned, when you talk about this, traffic has seen a reduction.

[50:21] we do have llg here to answer any questions on the traffic.

[50:26] fiscal impact has been addressed.

[50:31] the affordable housing will include at least 200 units between 30% and 70% of area

[50:37] median income, with at least 10% of those

[50:40] units at or below 30% ami, and there'll be a mix of studio, one-, and two-bedroom

[50:44] units.

[50:47] the building will be developed, owned, and operated by an affordable housing

[50:50] developer, who is actually meta housing.

[50:53] they're here today to answer questions as well.

[50:56] and I know that there's a lot of questions about waitlists and things like that, and

[51:01] that will

[51:02] be addressed, and there will be significant notice to the broader community when that

[51:07] time has come.

[51:10] parking will be handled in the multifamily buildings and parking structures within

[51:15] their respective parcels.

[51:17] the affordable building will park both within a parking structure and on its parcel.

[51:23] and then the townhomes and single-family units have two-car garages, and there are

[51:27] street parking stalls for visitors.

[51:30] the commercial and the hotel components will be served with parking in their

[51:34] respective surface parking lots and some of the adjacent streets.

[51:40] the market-rate housing will be a mix of the for-sale product types that I showed

[51:46] some renderings of, and the prices will

[51:49] really depend on the product types and will be determined when we come to market, and

[51:54] that will also be broadly

[51:58] shared with the community.

[51:59] there will be all the way from two-bedroom townhomes to four-bedroom, three-story,

[52:04] single-family detached homes.

[52:06] so it'll hit a range of price points that will be unique to this market.

[52:14] and the retail, as was mentioned, we have whole foods and nordstrom rack.

[52:17] the existing restaurants remain.

[52:19] and then the balance of shops and pad buildings will be leased to the types of

[52:23] retailers you would anticipate seeing in a grocery,

[52:27] drug-anchored lifestyle center in orange county.

[52:31] and our in-house leasing experts will be running the leasing on that.

[52:36] there's already a large list of tenants who are interested and waiting for this night

[52:40] to move us forward so we can move forward with the leasing.

[52:46] two hotels are already secured for hotel 1 and hotel 2.

[52:51] they are upscale.

[52:53] the first, as was mentioned, would like to open before the olympics, and we're trying

[52:57] to accommodate that.

[52:58] they're even going at risk on some of their plans to accommodate that.

[53:03] and then the second will begin once the nordstrom rack is relocated and we start that

[53:08] second phase.

[53:09] they're not here, but they did submit a letter.

[53:11] hopefully you guys were able to see that.

[53:14] that's the extent of my presentation.

[53:17] as mentioned, I have members of my team here to answer any questions.

[53:22] and again, I appreciate the time and attention to this.

[53:25] it's been a lot of work, many, many meetings,

[53:29] and we're pleased with the outcome and hope that the rest of the council is pleased

[53:33] as well.

[53:35] so thank you.

[53:36] thank you, mr.

[53:37] william.

[53:39] we will not be taking questions quite yet, but I'm sure you and your group of people

[53:45] supporting you will be here.

[53:49] we'll come back right after public speakers and dig into any questions,

[53:55] clarifications that we have for your group and also for the staff report.

[54:04] so with that, we're going to open the public hearing.

[54:11] and the purpose of this public hearing is to solicit public testimony and input.

[54:18] there will be no discussion, no debate, no personal opinions of council members at

[54:23] this time.

[54:27] if you are participating remotely, by the way, and we do have some, and wish to speak

[54:32] regarding this item, dial star 9

[54:35] on a telephone now to raise your hand to indicate you wish to speak, and you will be

[54:42] identified by the last four digits

[54:45] of your phone number. When you have been recognized to speak, you will dial star 6 to

[54:51] unmute yourself. I also want to announce

[54:54] that each speaker will receive three minutes. You will be allowed to finish your

[54:59] sentence if you run out of time. To improve the meeting

[55:03] efficiency, the city clerk will call

[55:05] for the current speaker and for the next speaker so that they can begin to make their

[55:09] way to the podium.

[55:12] that is for those of you who are in this room, or the next, or even possibly the next;

[55:16] I don't know.

[55:18] but we did set up for potentially a larger crowd.

[55:23] so we will, just so you know, be going with those folks who are actually in these

[55:30] rooms

[55:31] in person first; then we will go to the telephone

[55:37] line, and at the very last,

[55:39] because we have received a number of

[55:42] quite a number of

[55:44] of

[55:45] uh...

[55:46] basically, positions

[55:49] online,

[55:51] we will ask her to read the names

[55:54] of

[55:55] of

[55:56] those commenting and not the comments themselves.

[55:59] otherwise, we'll be here until 3 in the morning.

[56:04] and I want to also point out that council members may ask questions of any public

[56:10] speaker as we go.

[56:12] so we weren't doing that up to this point, but at this point,

[56:16] our agency members will be able to ask questions of people speaking.

[56:24] and so with that,

[56:27] we will start, and I am going to turn to joshua to begin that process.

[56:33] yes, thank you, mr.

[56:34] mayor.

[56:34] I do want to clarify, if you are participating remotely,

[56:37] it would be dial star 9 to raise your hand to indicate that you wish to speak at that

[56:41] time.

[56:43] the first speaker we have is sheila kaneshiro, ceo of saddleback medical center, and

[56:48] the next one will be rona henry.

[56:57] good evening, mayor caskey, mayor pro tem mathis, and members of the city council.

[57:01] thank you for the opportunity to share my support for the village

[57:05] at laguna hills development project, being the largest employer in laguna hills.

[57:10] thank you for this opportunity and highlighting that. I also appreciate stating again

[57:15] the priorities that the development, we believe, does meet.

[57:22] my name is sheila kaneshiro, and I serve as the ceo at memorialcare saddleback

[57:26] medical center.

[57:27] I'll share very quickly.

[57:28] we have town halls about every couple of months to inform and update our teams.

[57:34] and we've had the pleasure of having mayor don caskey, as well as merlone geier,

[57:37] there.

[57:39] and I can tell you that since my time serving as a ceo for about a year, this

[57:44] question does come up.

[57:47] what is going on with the development across the street?

[57:51] so I want to thank both the staff from the city and the developer for their time.

[57:56] we want to revitalize that area, first and foremost, for safety.

[58:01] there's definitely opportunity there.

[58:05] and we share a mutual commitment to serve our community, and right now we're not

[58:09] necessarily doing that with a vacant, dilapidated lot.

[58:13] and you mentioned housing, which is a key focus for us.

[58:17] we have staff traveling from outside the community that are eager to hear about the

[58:22] housing opportunities.

[58:25] and we consider the social drivers of health.

[58:28] and we're thrilled to hear that it is also serving and providing affordable housing,

[58:33] not only for our seniors,

[58:35] because we have a special relationship with laguna woods, but also for veterans.

[58:42] you can imagine how expensive it is, and we live it every day in terms of south

[58:46] county,

[58:47] what this opportunity would provide for our own staff because they are driving quite

[58:50] far.

[58:52] the hotels will provide a special experience for our patients and their families who

[58:56] have extended stays at the hospital.

[59:00] and just think of the green spaces that it will provide.

[59:03] having a stressful day taking care of patients, it provides that opportunity for them

[59:09] to take a break and visit those areas and have

[59:13] some well-being for themselves.

[59:15] and then in terms of the health system,

[59:22] we want to make sure that we can provide an opportunity for not only laguna hills,

[59:28] but we serve the outlying communities in terms of laguna niguel, dana point, and

[59:33] mission viejo.

[59:35] you can imagine what that would do to open that up in terms of this development.

[59:40] so for all these reasons, I respectfully request your approval of the village at

[59:44] laguna hills.

[59:46] thank you.

[59:47] hang on just a second.

[59:49] thank you, sheila.

[59:51] any questions from the council?

[59:56] yes.

[59:57] all right.

[59:57] thank you, mayor.

[59:58] hi.

[59:59] thank you for coming out.

[59:59] I want to say thank you for all that you're doing over at the hospital.

[1:00:03] and as our largest employer, as well as a staple in our community, you guys are

[1:00:07] pretty much baked into our community.

[1:00:11] and we respect everything that you're doing over there and for all of your service.

[1:00:16] my question is, is there anything that your staff or employees have come up with of

[1:00:21] something that they wanted to see specifically at the development?

[1:00:25] was there kind of an overall theme that they wanted to kind of see?

[1:00:30] they're interested in the green space, the ability to visit during their breaks,

[1:00:34] after work, before work, providing convenience, walking opportunities, and retail

[1:00:39] space.

[1:00:41] when we shared whole foods...

[1:00:43] the crowd went wild, literally.

[1:00:45] and it's nice that you're preserving some of the restaurants that are existing

[1:00:50] already.

[1:00:52] we did have a concern in terms of traffic because we want to make sure the access for

[1:00:56] our patients and families is pretty

[1:00:59] seamless.

[1:01:00] I know that peak seasons, winter, can be a little bit difficult, especially when you

[1:01:04] have the holidays.

[1:01:06] so that's just something for everyone to consider.

[1:01:09] we want to ensure that we have seamless access to the medical center.

[1:01:13] all right.

[1:01:15] well, thank you again for coming out, and thank you for taking the time to do this.

[1:01:18] thank you.

[1:01:19] thank you, ms.

[1:01:20] kaneshiro.

[1:01:21] by the way, it was a great pleasure of mine to be able to participate in three town

[1:01:26] halls in the month of october

[1:01:30] last year at saddleback, answering their questions, not selling anything, just

[1:01:35] telling them where it is.

[1:01:38] and there were plenty of questions going, you name it, way beyond this particular

[1:01:43] project.

[1:01:44] but I really appreciate the ceo making an appearance this afternoon.

[1:01:51] thank you very much.

[1:01:53] next.

[1:01:54] yes, we have rona henry.

[1:01:55] and then up next will be john noell.

[1:02:01] good afternoon.

[1:02:02] my name is rona henry, and I'm here on behalf of welcoming neighbors home.

[1:02:06] we're a coalition of residents who believe that the lack of affordable housing is one

[1:02:10] of the most critical issues of our time.

[1:02:12] we're here because we understand that this city council can play an important role in

[1:02:16] solving the housing crisis in our community.

[1:02:19] we urge you to vote yes for the revised development agreement for the village at

[1:02:22] laguna hills.

[1:02:24] here are the benefits we see in the revised plan.

[1:02:27] the city's sixth-cycle rhna obligation is for 921 lower-income homes.

[1:02:32] this project will provide 200 affordable homes at or below 70% of the area median

[1:02:37] income, or the ami, which, by the way, is

[1:02:41] $118,500 for a single person in orange county right now.

[1:02:46] and we're happy that 10% of the units will be reserved for people at 30% of the area

[1:02:50] median income.

[1:02:52] we hope that even more can be reserved for this group.

[1:02:56] two hundred lower-income units is a big improvement over the previously planned 100

[1:03:00] low-income and 100 moderate-income homes,

[1:03:03] which were going to take many years to build.

[1:03:06] we love that there is accountability for the affordable housing to be built in the

[1:03:08] first phase of the building.

[1:03:11] we really like the location of what we understand will be the seniors-only affordable

[1:03:15] building by the bus depot.

[1:03:18] seniors drive less and need public transportation, plus it will also be close to the

[1:03:22] hospital and medical offices, which seniors often have to visit.

[1:03:27] we agree this location makes it easier to finance as well.

[1:03:31] we would like to note that this site would be ideal for multifamily workforce

[1:03:35] affordable housing.

[1:03:37] however, we can support senior affordable housing because our older community members

[1:03:40] need more affordable options.

[1:03:43] but we do urge you to work to facilitate the building of multifamily workforce

[1:03:46] affordable housing in laguna hills in the future because the need

[1:03:50] is so great for this type of housing.

[1:03:52] we understand it's important to improve this plan now so that the developer can meet

[1:03:56] the fall deadlines for getting financing for the project.

[1:04:00] if the project is not approved now, there is a danger that the building may be

[1:04:03] significantly delayed.

[1:04:06] the revised plan is a definite improvement over the previous plan, and we urge you to

[1:04:10] vote yes on the revised development plan.

[1:04:12] thank you.

[1:04:15] thank you very much, rona.

[1:04:17] questions?

[1:04:18] erica.

[1:04:19] yes, I have a question.

[1:04:23] ms. Henry, I know that we've seen you over the years in laguna hills, so just out of

[1:04:28] curiosity:

[1:04:29] what is your title with...

[1:04:32] I'm the chair of welcoming neighbors home.

[1:04:33] you're the chair. And is it a nonprofit?

[1:04:37] it's a—we're a ministry that started out of tapestry unitarian universalist

[1:04:42] congregation; however, we have members beyond the congregation.

[1:04:46] it's a ministry of a church.

[1:04:49] a ministry of...

[1:04:51] do you receive donations?

[1:04:53] no.

[1:04:55] not...

[1:04:56] we have received donations from concerned citizens of laguna woods, but that's a

[1:05:00] nonprofit organization in laguna woods.

[1:05:04] thank you.

[1:05:06] councilman wheeler.

[1:05:08] another question.

[1:05:09] rona.

[1:05:11] don't leave yet.

[1:05:15] yeah, we also have met many times over the years.

[1:05:18] I need to ask you a question.

[1:05:19] your organization has been here many, many times.

[1:05:22] and I guess rhna, which you're very familiar with, requires about 75% of the houses

[1:05:27] be affordable.

[1:05:30] I'm wondering why your organization doesn't push for more.

[1:05:33] I mean, we get these projects, have a project here, which are like 5%, you know, 7%.

[1:05:38] why are you approving this?

[1:05:39] why aren't you fighting like mad, you know, to have much, much higher numbers and

[1:05:42] approve something like this?

[1:05:45] we would love to have more, councilman wheeler. What I have learned in our research,

[1:05:51] which started back in 2019, is that the city council

[1:05:55] is

[1:05:57] supposed to zone for the affordable housing, but you're not necessarily responsible

[1:06:01] for building it. And so, when we're talking to developers,

[1:06:05] we're always trying to ask for more affordable, but I think

[1:06:10] it's an example of what is feasible and doable.

[1:06:15] I would have loved—in the previous, there was a previous development that you had

[1:06:22] approved.

[1:06:24] you didn't have the inclusionary housing policy, and we didn't get very much.

[1:06:28] I would urge you to have an inclusionary housing policy like they do in mission viejo

[1:06:30] because they were able to get 15%

[1:06:33] in a recently approved building.

[1:06:36] so it's more a question of what's feasible.

[1:06:39] the research I've done, and what the state says, is that if you have inclusionary

[1:06:43] housing policy of more than 15%,

[1:06:45] it's just not financially feasible.

[1:06:48] so we're balancing what's feasible versus what our goals and our ideals are.

[1:06:54] thank you.

[1:06:54] thanks.

[1:06:57] okay.

[1:06:58] thank you, for real this time.

[1:07:02] okay, next.

[1:07:03] we have john noell, and then next will be kristina kennedy.

[1:07:08] thank you.

[1:07:09] thank you, mr.

[1:07:10] mayor and city council, for having me here.

[1:07:13] this is great.

[1:07:15] I will echo sheila's comments from saddleback medical center.

[1:07:22] we feel the same thing.

[1:07:23] I'm vice president of media services 55 and tv6, which is the communication arm of

[1:07:30] laguna woods village.

[1:07:32] we have 18,800 people right next door.

[1:07:36] we have about 100 new people that move in every month, which is a statistic that a

[1:07:41] lot of people don't know.

[1:07:43] but I also get probably three or four inquiries every two weeks, every three weeks,

[1:07:50] what in the world is going on next door with this mall.

[1:07:54] and those are from current residents as well as people that are moving in.

[1:07:58] they see the big spot that's empty over there, and they always wonder.

[1:08:01] so now I've got something to talk to them about.

[1:08:04] we have about a billion dollars of annual disposable income.

[1:08:09] we have about $5 billion worth of net worth.

[1:08:15] we have 18,000 very active people that love to walk and ride their golf carts.

[1:08:22] and play golf. And this used to be one of their spots, walking around the mall. Now

[1:08:27] they have, with this green area

[1:08:30] that you have, looks pretty nice.

[1:08:33] I think they're going to be very excited about this.

[1:08:37] I mean, I think that

[1:08:39] what I've seen, what I've heard today, is exactly what I can take back to village

[1:08:43] management services, which is a company I work

[1:08:46] for,

[1:08:48] and share with them

[1:08:49] and the mayor and the city council of laguna woods, that this is moving ahead,

[1:08:54] hopefully.

[1:08:56] and I think it's a well-designed, mixed-use development that fits in with what we do.

[1:09:02] we work with the hospital very closely.

[1:09:06] in fact, our residents built the hospital back in '75 with coffee cans, walking

[1:09:12] around raising money.

[1:09:14] so we are joined at the hip with this community.

[1:09:18] so I hope that we get something done over here.

[1:09:22] and thanks for the opportunity to say a few words.

[1:09:25] okay.

[1:09:26] hang on there just for a second.

[1:09:28] are there any questions for mr.

[1:09:30] noell from the council?

[1:09:34] thank you.

[1:09:34] thank you, mr.

[1:09:35] mayor.

[1:09:36] thanks again for coming out.

[1:09:37] it's great to see you.

[1:09:38] and a quick question for you, in the sense that for laguna woods, how many people

[1:09:44] there drive golf carts?

[1:09:47] drive golf carts?

[1:09:48] yeah.

[1:09:49] on any given day?

[1:09:50] yeah, just any given day.

[1:09:52] we have probably about 2,800 golf carts there.

[1:09:56] okay.

[1:09:57] and they're going to love this because it's close by and it's walkable.

[1:10:01] it is walkable, yeah.

[1:10:03] I was just wondering if there was any way in the future that we can figure out a way

[1:10:05] to get

[1:10:07] the accessibility of golf carts to come over from there, maybe over to this side at

[1:10:10] some point.

[1:10:12] so just something to think about.

[1:10:13] absolutely.

[1:10:13] I mean, we have 16 buses that travel all over this area and deliver people to the

[1:10:17] hospital every day, several times a day.

[1:10:21] so, yes, golf carts are going to be top priority.

[1:10:23] awesome.

[1:10:24] thank you so much.

[1:10:25] absolutely.

[1:10:27] any other questions?

[1:10:29] thank you, mr.

[1:10:29] noell.

[1:10:30] thank you very much.

[1:10:31] appreciate that.

[1:10:33] all right, next up.

[1:10:34] we have kristina kennedy, and next will be elizabeth hansburg.

[1:10:39] welcome.

[1:10:40] thank you.

[1:10:41] thank you, mayor caskey, and thank you to the rest of the council members for

[1:10:45] allowing us to be here today.

[1:10:48] my name is kristina kennedy, and I'm the president and ceo of the laguna hills

[1:10:51] chamber of commerce.

[1:10:54] I grew up here in south orange county, and for many of us, the laguna hills mall was

[1:10:58] where we shopped,

[1:11:01] where we went to the movies,

[1:11:03] and where we went and met friends for dinner.

[1:11:07] it was also a place of opportunity.

[1:11:09] it provided jobs for so many people in our community, including myself and many of my

[1:11:14] friends.

[1:11:15] I used to work at the broadway.

[1:11:16] I don't know if you guys remember that place.

[1:11:17] it's a long time ago.

[1:11:20] anyway, the laguna hills mall wasn't just a shopping center.

[1:11:23] it was a community hub.

[1:11:25] and for years now, that absence has left a hole in our community that is not just

[1:11:29] affecting laguna hills.

[1:11:31] it affects all of south orange county and probably beyond that.

[1:11:37] in my role, I am constantly asked, just like everybody else who's spoken up here

[1:11:40] today, what's going on with the property?

[1:11:43] what's going on with the laguna hills mall?

[1:11:45] and they know the mall is gone, but they want to know what's next.

[1:11:49] I believe that the village at laguna hills is that next chapter.

[1:11:54] from the chamber's perspective, this project is an investment in the future of laguna

[1:11:57] hills.

[1:11:59] it brings back so much of what made the mall special.

[1:12:02] it brings back shopping, dining, jobs, and a place where people can gather.

[1:12:08] it also takes the next step.

[1:12:10] the hotels will bring visitors who support our restaurants, our retailers, and other

[1:12:14] local businesses in the area.

[1:12:17] and for the first time, this site also creates housing opportunities for seniors,

[1:12:22] families, and the workforce that keeps our businesses running.

[1:12:26] I've experienced firsthand why that's important.

[1:12:30] over the years, I've lost really good employees because they couldn't afford to live

[1:12:35] nearby and the commute became too much.

[1:12:40] when businesses can attract and keep talented employees, everyone benefits.

[1:12:45] our businesses are stronger, our residents are better served, and our local economy

[1:12:50] grows.

[1:12:53] years ago, this property was a place of opportunity, and I believe that can be, once

[1:12:58] again, a place of opportunity.

[1:13:01] and for this reason, I respectfully ask for your support on this project.

[1:13:08] any questions for ms.

[1:13:09] kennedy?

[1:13:09] hearing none, thank you so much, kristina.

[1:13:16] next.

[1:13:17] we have elizabeth hansburg, and next will be john loper.

[1:13:24] welcome. Good evening, mayor caskey and members of the city council.

[1:13:29] I'm really thrilled to be here tonight to lend our support for what

[1:13:35] I think is an absolutely fantastic reimagined project. My name is elizabeth hansburg.

[1:13:41] I'm with the housing advocacy organization people for housing orange county. Our

[1:13:46] advocacy spans from low-income, subsidized affordable housing

[1:13:50] for our neighbors in need of subsidized housing all the way up through first-time

[1:13:54] homebuyer housing product that serves the next generation. And so I can

[1:13:59] honestly say that, of all the projects that I've been advocating for this year, this

[1:14:03] is my favorite because it literally encompasses the full

[1:14:07] spectrum of our advocacy. So well done, city of laguna hills; well done to the

[1:14:12] applicant; and

[1:14:15] I am impressed by the amount of hustle that has happened to remake this project.

[1:14:21] mayor pro tem mathis, I really can't top your talking points that you gave in the

[1:14:26] overview that you were giving.

[1:14:29] those would be all the talking points that I would call out.

[1:14:33] but I think it's really clear that the community wants this to happen.

[1:14:37] the developer wants it to happen.

[1:14:39] the council wants it to happen.

[1:14:41] the amount of risk that is being brought forward...

[1:14:44] I mean, when they were saying that one of the hotels is speculating that they can get

[1:14:48] this done before the olympics,

[1:14:51] there's a lot of excitement, or they wouldn't put this much capital on the line.

[1:14:56] so just recognizing what that is, in terms of the investment that's being made in

[1:15:01] your city, that is not nothing.

[1:15:04] that is huge.

[1:15:06] so I just want to call that out, because I don't think that there is a project, you

[1:15:09] know,

[1:15:10] until hoag builds on the ziggurat building, you're the only game in town.

[1:15:16] okay, so, I said all that.

[1:15:18] okay, so.

[1:15:19] we're a little further along.

[1:15:22] you're a little further along.

[1:15:23] indeed, indeed, indeed.

[1:15:25] so I want to go fast because I don't want to go over my time.

[1:15:27] but the affordable housing for seniors—seniors are the fastest-growing group of

[1:15:31] people experiencing housing instability.

[1:15:34] two hundred units of affordable housing for seniors at a deeper level of

[1:15:38] affordability than you had in your first plan.

[1:15:42] total win.

[1:15:43] housing as a social determinant of health.

[1:15:45] you heard the ceo of your hospital system talk about the need and how having stable

[1:15:51] housing impacts people's health.

[1:15:54] so again, another tick mark or tally for that affordable housing brought to you by

[1:16:00] meta housing.

[1:16:02] and then the part that, honestly, when I get excited about housing,

[1:16:05] I think about my own child, who is 19 and eventually will get married, and I hope can

[1:16:09] stay in california.

[1:16:11] and these townhomes would probably be the most approachable way for her, in her

[1:16:17] future, to buy a home.

[1:16:19] she's probably not going to buy a full-on single-family home.

[1:16:22] and so the variety of housing that you're providing at multiple levels is not just

[1:16:28] townhomes.

[1:16:29] it's townhomes and duplexes and some small-lot single-family.

[1:16:34] so I'm in support.

[1:16:36] out of time.

[1:16:37] thank you very much.

[1:16:38] are there questions?

[1:16:42] thank you very much.

[1:16:43] I have a question.

[1:16:44] oh, sorry, erica.

[1:16:45] so you're part of a nonprofit that supports subsidized housing.

[1:16:50] I am.

[1:16:51] okay.

[1:16:52] and do you receive donations?

[1:16:55] we receive a variety of funding.

[1:16:56] we have grant funding.

[1:16:57] we have donation funding.

[1:16:59] anyone in here you know donated to your organization?

[1:17:03] we have an annual fundraiser every year, and not this year, but in past years, yes,

[1:17:08] we did

[1:17:09] have support from some of the developers in the room.

[1:17:16] we've had support from architects in the room.

[1:17:17] we've had support from...

[1:17:19] we've even had support from hospital systems.

[1:17:21] we've had funding from kaiser permanente, providence, the samueli foundation, the

[1:17:26] robert wood johnson foundation.

[1:17:30] so we get our support from a variety of organizations, yes, including people that

[1:17:34] build the housing,

[1:17:36] but they're also the people who assemble the land, labor, and capital and take the

[1:17:39] risk to deliver housing to the market.

[1:17:41] so I'm proud to say that we have drawn funding from across the spectrum,

[1:17:47] people that are interested in housing as a social determinant of health,

[1:17:50] all the way through to the people who really are taking the risk to make the

[1:17:53] investment in this city, in this project,

[1:17:57] in this market.

[1:17:58] it's not an easy market.

[1:18:00] and do you know where, besides the senior building that's going to be allotted for

[1:18:04] low-income housing,

[1:18:07] do you know where subsidized housing will be on this project, in this project?

[1:18:13] so I would make the argument that by bringing more housing to south orange county,

[1:18:19] it's not a traditional subsidy as in money from the government.

[1:18:23] but when you increase the supply of housing, econ 101,

[1:18:29] it provides more opportunity, more competition for housing.

[1:18:33] so in the big picture, we are bringing down the cost of housing when we add housing

[1:18:37] to the housing stock of any community.

[1:18:41] so it isn't a one-to-one.

[1:18:42] you can't say, oh, if you add five more units here, housing prices are going to

[1:18:45] settle here.

[1:18:47] but the more housing you can add to a community in a way that is respectful of the

[1:18:51] community and maintains its values,

[1:18:54] is a win.

[1:18:55] so is it traditional in the sense of, like, we're getting government money to offset

[1:19:00] the lack of rent that is not able to be

[1:19:03] paid by low-income residents?

[1:19:06] no, it's not that.

[1:19:07] we need that.

[1:19:08] we absolutely do.

[1:19:08] and I completely agree with welcoming neighbors home.

[1:19:11] we need more of it.

[1:19:12] but at the end of the day, the government doesn't subsidize housing at the rate

[1:19:16] needed to fund the number of units for all the

[1:19:19] people who qualify.

[1:19:20] in orange county right now, median income

[1:19:24] for a one-person household is, I think, either $94,000 or $97,000.

[1:19:28] I can't remember.

[1:19:29] but the threshold to be eligible for affordable housing this year—they just released

[1:19:33] new numbers in may—is $104,000 for a one-person household.

[1:19:40] how is it that people who make above the median are eligible for affordable housing?

[1:19:47] that is not a problem of government subsidy.

[1:19:49] that is a problem of housing shortage and the lack of housing that has driven the

[1:19:54] cost burden so high that when hud has to ask

[1:19:58] itself, well, what should 80% be?

[1:20:01] well, if the median is $97,000, presumably 80% of that, which is the threshold for

[1:20:07] low-income housing, would be lower.

[1:20:10] but by the time they make all their adjustments to account for high housing costs in

[1:20:14] this region, we end up at $104,000.

[1:20:17] that is absolutely a result of the housing shortage.

[1:20:20] so is it traditional, subsidized, government-funded affordable housing?

[1:20:24] no.

[1:20:24] but by adding new units, you're going to help bring that median, or that, sorry,

[1:20:29] that eligibility threshold a lot closer to what it really ought to be, which is 80%

[1:20:34] of median,

[1:20:35] which would not be higher than the median.

[1:20:38] thank you.

[1:20:39] yep.

[1:20:40] anybody else?

[1:20:41] all right.

[1:20:42] thanks.

[1:20:42] thank you so much.

[1:20:44] next, we have john loper, and then next will be phyllis roberts.

[1:20:49] good afternoon.

[1:20:50] good evening, actually.

[1:20:52] I'm john loper.

[1:20:53] I'm here on behalf of the fritz duda company and the owner of oakbrook village,

[1:20:58] the little shopping center behind the mall that is still there.

[1:21:03] neighbors, our neighbors.

[1:21:04] I want to thank the council, and especially the subcommittee, because I know how hard

[1:21:09] you have worked, and this is not a

[1:21:11] little project.

[1:21:12] this is a huge project.

[1:21:14] and I know you and the staff have all worked very hard on this.

[1:21:17] oakbrook village is still owned by the gentleman who built it in the '80s.

[1:21:24] and we've been part of the specific plan since 2002, when it first started.

[1:21:28] we were the first project to do a mixed-use project.

[1:21:31] and quite frankly, it's been fairly successful.

[1:21:36] we have lived for the last 15 years with an empty mall between us and civilization.

[1:21:42] and it's been very hard with our tenants.

[1:21:44] it's been hard attracting new tenants because everyone wants to know what's going to

[1:21:48] happen to the mall.

[1:21:50] we do think that this mix of retail and the village green, or village park, sorry,

[1:21:56] having two hotels to bring in tourists and businesses,

[1:22:01] the affordable senior housing, the for-sale housing, which is a great addition, and

[1:22:06] rental housing.

[1:22:07] so you're providing housing for all different types of income levels.

[1:22:10] it's going to work better than the previous two versions of the plan

[1:22:14] that we have seen.

[1:22:15] so we're in support of the plan.

[1:22:17] we do appreciate condition number 24, and we want to have this on the record,

[1:22:21] about getting calle de caballeros built in the very first phase, in the first three

[1:22:26] years, it looks like, based on the phasing plan.

[1:22:29] we think this is critical for our access.

[1:22:32] it's been a real problem for our tenants to get out of our property, through the mall

[1:22:34] property,

[1:22:35] and try to figure out how to get to a street.

[1:22:38] so we appreciate you adding that.

[1:22:40] we want to have it on the record.

[1:22:42] that is important to us.

[1:22:44] we also appreciate the condition that allows for continual work on construction

[1:22:48] phasing.

[1:22:51] we think caballeros is really important for access to the hospital

[1:22:55] and to get people that live and work in laguna hills around the mall during the next

[1:23:00] 15 years of construction.

[1:23:02] hopefully it won't take that long, but the da is 15 years.

[1:23:06] we do hope that the third time will be a charm, and we want to see this get built.

[1:23:12] we think this is the best of the plans we've seen,

[1:23:15] and we're excited to hear that there are two tenants signed up and a hotel signed up,

[1:23:19] and

[1:23:20] very excited also to hear there's a senior housing project developer ready to go.

[1:23:24] so we support the project, and we appreciate you working with us.

[1:23:28] we do want to put on the record also that a group of our

[1:23:32] tenants have signed a little letter indicating how important access is and important

[1:23:36] to get something done on the mall,

[1:23:38] and I will give that to the city clerk.

[1:23:42] all right.

[1:23:43] is that it?

[1:23:44] I'm sorry.

[1:23:45] that's it.

[1:23:45] any questions?

[1:23:46] any questions?

[1:23:47] yes, erica.

[1:23:48] okay.

[1:23:48] so, mr.

[1:23:49] loper, so you said that you own oakbrook village?

[1:23:55] no.

[1:23:56] I represent the owner.

[1:23:57] okay.

[1:23:57] I represent.

[1:23:57] the owner, the fritz duda company, is the manager of the property, and mr.

[1:24:03] duda was the one who developed it.

[1:24:04] okay.

[1:24:05] okay.

[1:24:05] so, mr.

[1:24:06] duda, do you know the square footage of retail in oakbrook village?

[1:24:12] I should, because I did the approvals in 2012.

[1:24:14] I believe we're about 150,000 square feet and 270 apartments, if I recall.

[1:24:17] okay, so...

[1:24:17] around 270, 280.

[1:24:17] okay, 150,000 square feet of retail, and you have around 200...

[1:24:19] 270, 280 apartments.

[1:24:20] 270, 280 apartments, okay.

[1:24:21] and...

[1:24:41] would you say that the retail, specifically trader joe's, is a success?

[1:24:47] do you think trader joe's?

[1:24:48] trader joe's has been very successful.

[1:24:49] we were the first trader joe's in south orange county a long time ago, in the 1980s.

[1:24:54] and we relocated them a few years ago to give them a space that was 50% larger,

[1:24:59] and they are doing very well in it.

[1:25:01] and I believe rei is doing very well; we moved them in a couple years ago.

[1:25:05] I was going to ask about rei.

[1:25:07] yeah.

[1:25:07] what's been hard is the restaurant tenants have had a hard time.

[1:25:10] without the mall and without anything between el toro and the mall.

[1:25:15] understood.

[1:25:16] yeah.

[1:25:17] okay.

[1:25:19] so, just to clarify, 150,000 square feet of retail.

[1:25:23] christine, is that correct?

[1:25:25] yeah.

[1:25:25] our property manager is here.

[1:25:28] it's approximately that.

[1:25:30] yes.

[1:25:31] and then it is mixed-use.

[1:25:32] so it has the shops on the bottom, and it has what the vsp describes as the

[1:25:38] apartments on the top.

[1:25:40] yes, it's a five-story building, four levels of apartments.

[1:25:43] we have a level and a half of parking in the back and about 10,000 square feet of

[1:25:47] retail in that building.

[1:25:50] and then we have a mix of the other buildings that we built in the '80s that we

[1:25:54] remodeled as part of it to bring

[1:25:56] it up to the level of the requirements of the specific plan.

[1:26:00] and we did a full facelift of all the buildings.

[1:26:02] and then as we've built the new building, like the new trader joe's building, and

[1:26:06] hopefully soon a new restaurant.

[1:26:09] we've been increasing the architecture.

[1:26:13] thank you so much.

[1:26:14] I appreciate it.

[1:26:15] okay.

[1:26:16] councilman wheeler.

[1:26:18] this conversation has spurred a question for me.

[1:26:20] since you're in oakbrook village, that's right next door, one problem that's plagued

[1:26:23] every city in california,

[1:26:25] and laguna's definitely not an exception, is whenever you have a high-density project

[1:26:32] near you, the way the state works things,

[1:26:36] they never allow the cities to

[1:26:38] require enough parking places.

[1:26:40] with all of these potential buildings, apartment complexes, and housing, wouldn't

[1:26:44] that be somewhat of a problem?

[1:26:48] aren't you kind of worried that all this increased parking is going to come over and

[1:26:52] dominate oakbrook village and kind of hurt

[1:26:55] your retail?

[1:26:57] one of the first things I looked at when the plan was published was how much parking

[1:27:01] was provided.

[1:27:02] we had a real concern about the previously approved plan because so much of the

[1:27:05] parking was in parking structures, not anywhere near the retail.

[1:27:11] it appears to me that there is more parking in the retail areas, which is good,

[1:27:14] because if the restaurants are really successful,

[1:27:17] they need lots of parking.

[1:27:19] and it looks like, unlike some of the other buildings approved recently in the city,

[1:27:23] that the apartments are going to...

[1:27:25] the multifamily apartments have the appropriate amount of parking.

[1:27:30] I didn't see in the staff report a reduction in parking like I saw with the building

[1:27:33] across the street from us.

[1:27:35] yeah, it was in the report.

[1:27:36] there's a reduction of approximately 2,000.

[1:27:39] yes, but in terms of the ratio of parking per apartment unit.

[1:27:43] well, before it was 1,500, and there was, you know, 2,000 higher.

[1:27:47] now it's approximately 1,450, and it's 2,000 lower.

[1:27:51] so that's a big percentage difference.

[1:27:53] yeah, I believe my analysis was that most of that had to do with the reduction of

[1:27:58] office space, the 465,000 square feet of office.

[1:28:01] but we are always concerned about parking.

[1:28:04] and honestly, in our apartment building, we provided the parking per code.

[1:28:10] it comes out to around two per unit.

[1:28:14] and it gets used very well.

[1:28:16] a lot of people have cars here.

[1:28:19] and at the rate of rents that you have to get to have a new building,

[1:28:24] you tend to have higher-income people living in these buildings.

[1:28:28] thank you.

[1:28:30] all right.

[1:28:31] and hang on, I just wanted to answer maybe one of your questions about the

[1:28:38] stipulation that we deal with the south side of the site,

[1:28:46] should it be approved, and that

[1:28:48] that accessibility into your site be improved.

[1:28:53] I would also say, just as an architect and somebody who's been around projects that

[1:28:58] are this large, maybe $700 million, something like that,

[1:29:03] that street will probably have to be done more than once during construction, just

[1:29:08] because of construction traffic and other things that will need

[1:29:12] to go under the street for later phases.

[1:29:16] and so that which is taking place in the very first part of the construction, if this

[1:29:23] is approved,

[1:29:26] will not be the only time that that street will be addressed, just for your

[1:29:30] clarification.

[1:29:33] thank you, you know, for honoring us with your presence.

[1:29:36] it's nice to have both the hospital and the oakbrook site, which are the two major

[1:29:43] neighbors.

[1:29:45] otherwise, we've got a freeway and a small shopping center on the other side of el

[1:29:48] toro.

[1:29:50] so I really appreciate both of you coming tonight and giving us your opinion.

[1:29:57] all right.

[1:29:57] with that, thank you, mr.

[1:29:59] loper.

[1:29:59] thank you.

[1:30:02] also, to you, dave, some of the questions that you were asking at the end about

[1:30:06] parking,

[1:30:07] I think it would be really appropriate to ask staff in regard to...

[1:30:13] mr.

[1:30:14] loper would not necessarily know the depth and detail of our particular project, but

[1:30:20] they should.

[1:30:21] okay, next speaker.

[1:30:24] yes, we have phyllis roberts, and then next will be ann owens.

[1:30:30] hello.

[1:30:30] hi.

[1:30:31] welcome.

[1:30:32] dear members of the city council, my name is phyllis roberts,

[1:30:36] and I am just a resident that's lived in laguna hills for 29 years.

[1:30:42] I don't belong to any organization other than a little volunteer work I do, but

[1:30:46] I'm really here just to urge the city council to approve and vote yes on the revised

[1:30:52] development plan for the village at laguna

[1:30:55] hills.

[1:30:56] the prolonged lack of development in this area has become a blight on our community,

[1:31:01] and it represents a significant loss of much-needed revenue for our city.

[1:31:07] I don't want to see the builder lose the funding due to any more delays, and I think

[1:31:11] it's time to move forward.

[1:31:15] I'm not really sure of the specific mix of low versus very-low-income housing.

[1:31:21] I believe there are other housing experts that have addressed that.

[1:31:25] but I just believe that the critical need for senior housing is a major positive in

[1:31:29] the overall plan.

[1:31:31] seniors are heavily impacted by the high cost of living.

[1:31:34] no one should have to choose between basic needs like food or medicine and housing.

[1:31:40] so if this approach is the quickest way to get this project started, I fully support

[1:31:44] it.

[1:31:45] additionally, I hope there will be a commitment to provide housing for

[1:31:48] very-low-income individuals in the next phase of residential development.

[1:31:54] that appears to have been addressed.

[1:31:56] I think it's important to have workforce members close to local employment

[1:32:00] opportunities, like the hospital and all the retail that's going to go in, the

[1:32:05] hotel, which I hope happens by the time the olympics comes around.

[1:32:11] anyway, I just really am excited because I'm kind of tired of the pumpkin patch, the

[1:32:18] dry lot, christmas tree lot, and

[1:32:21] I've lived here long enough to see them all.

[1:32:23] to see a dirt lot, and so I'm ready to see this thing get approved, and let's move

[1:32:28] forward.

[1:32:29] it might not be perfect for every need, but I think if you don't put a shovel in the

[1:32:36] ground soon,

[1:32:38] we're back to square one again.

[1:32:40] so I just hope that you all approve the project and we can move forward.

[1:32:44] that's it.

[1:32:45] thank you.

[1:32:46] any questions?

[1:32:48] thank you, phyllis.

[1:32:50] next.

[1:32:52] we have ann owens, and the next will be ana gromis.

[1:33:01] hello, planning commission, and thank you.

[1:33:03] I want to thank especially mayor caskey and pro tem mathis for all your work that you

[1:33:10] have done in the last year and a half

[1:33:14] to bring us to where we are today.

[1:33:16] my name is ann owens, and I'm a retired teacher from saddleback school district and a

[1:33:19] member of welcoming neighbors home.

[1:33:23] I've worn my little blue shirt here for many, many years as this project has started

[1:33:27] out, and

[1:33:29] I've been following it along into the final stage that we are at today.

[1:33:35] I am basically representing two of the demographics that this project is aimed at, as

[1:33:41] I am a senior, and I was a teacher.

[1:33:45] and so, being a teacher, most of my friends have not had the incomes to afford any

[1:33:51] kind of house in orange county today.

[1:33:55] when you heard what elizabeth was sharing about a family of four, I believe, you can

[1:33:59] earn $134,000 and still

[1:34:04] be qualified for low-income housing, and a teacher's salary is nowhere near that.

[1:34:10] so many of my friends who do have houses now basically

[1:34:14] got there through buying a condo or townhouse first, and since you're offering these

[1:34:20] in this new development,

[1:34:22] I think that's a very positive step, and I wish you were offering more low-income

[1:34:27] housing

[1:34:29] for families, which I would really promote. But since it probably is not going to

[1:34:33] happen, I think this is the next best result.

[1:34:38] secondly, since I am a senior, I'm very pleased the affordable housing piece is going

[1:34:43] to be in one pad,

[1:34:45] going to be near the hospital, going to be near public transportation, and going to

[1:34:49] be given priority

[1:34:51] as to being in the first phase of the development.

[1:34:55] I urge you to approve this, as was mentioned in these slides earlier on, time is of

[1:35:01] the essence,

[1:35:03] in order to get into this

[1:35:05] portal in 2026 for...

[1:35:08] uh...

[1:35:09] financing, it's not like going to, you know, buy a house; you go to the bank and you

[1:35:14] can take out a mortgage.

[1:35:16] I remember I went to a presentation once that a nonprofit was putting out on

[1:35:20] financing, and they explained that I'm a teacher,

[1:35:24] so I'm very visual.

[1:35:25] as a hamburger, with the bun being a layer, the lettuce being a layer, the tomato

[1:35:29] being a layer,

[1:35:30] and the patty being the thing that brought it all together.

[1:35:33] and sometimes there were six, seven, eight, nine, and ten different sources that meta,

[1:35:38] who was supposedly going to be building this,

[1:35:41] will have to secure in order to build this, which takes an enormous amount of time

[1:35:46] and skill to do.

[1:35:48] so I urge you to approve this development tonight so financing can start immediately.

[1:35:53] let's not put it off any longer.

[1:35:54] I think if you make a decision to approve this plan, for all seniors in your

[1:35:58] community, a safe, modern, and affordable place to live.

[1:36:03] thank you.

[1:36:04] thank you.

[1:36:05] you slid right into home plate.

[1:36:07] I think we have a question right over here.

[1:36:11] hello.

[1:36:12] welcome.

[1:36:13] I had to smile when you said you'd worn your shirt here to be in the meetings.

[1:36:16] I'm surprised it's not worn out by now after 13 years.

[1:36:20] my question is, this is the first evolution or change in the project where the

[1:36:25] affordable housing has been taken from being integrated to being

[1:36:30] isolated in one building.

[1:36:32] I guess I'd like your perspective, your organization's.

[1:36:35] in the past, I always thought that the theory was that it was best to have people

[1:36:38] with varied incomes live together and be

[1:36:40] integrated.

[1:36:41] as opposed to being segregated, to avoid things like, you know, stigmas or, "that's

[1:36:44] where the poor building is," you know.

[1:36:48] isn't that a consideration?

[1:36:50] I agree with you.

[1:36:51] I think it is a good idea to try to integrate a little affordable housing.

[1:36:55] if you go through irvine, they have affordable housing in all those big, beautiful

[1:36:58] buildings around there,

[1:37:00] and you can't tell what the affordable apartment is from what the market-price

[1:37:04] apartment is.

[1:37:05] I do agree with you.

[1:37:06] however, I feel if we wait for that to happen,

[1:37:09] for the amount of years that we're hearing that this is going to take to accomplish,

[1:37:13] at least by putting this building,

[1:37:16] and it is true what elizabeth said, seniors are the number one growing demographic

[1:37:21] for needing affordable housing.

[1:37:25] and so I think if we can get that done in the first phase,

[1:37:27] at least we know it's being accomplished in a timely manner and will help those

[1:37:31] people.

[1:37:33] it'd be nice to have the best of both worlds and be able to do both.

[1:37:37] but if we have to make a choice, I think this is probably a very good decision.

[1:37:41] thank you.

[1:37:42] any other questions?

[1:37:44] okay, thank you very much.

[1:37:46] next.

[1:37:47] we are, by the way, going to go about another 10 minutes or so, and then

[1:37:53] I'm going to ask for a motion to continue this to 6 o'clock.

[1:37:59] so we're going to take about a 20-minute break.

[1:38:02] everyone use the restroom, and then we'll continue right where we left off. And so,

[1:38:08] the next speaker, ana gromis,

[1:38:12] and the next will be collin powers. Good evening, mayor caskey, mayor pro tem mathis,

[1:38:17] and members of the council. Ana gromis here,

[1:38:21] representing the building industry association, specifically the orange county

[1:38:24] chapter. I really agree with all the other comments that were made this evening

[1:38:28] regarding

[1:38:29] the economic benefit to the city and

[1:38:31] with the added retail, the added commercial space, the restaurants, and of course the

[1:38:35] two hotels.

[1:38:36] but the main focus of our association and the thing I want to talk about tonight is

[1:38:40] the significant impact that this project is

[1:38:43] going to have for housing in the city of laguna hills.

[1:38:48] this project alone is going to reach

[1:38:50] 73.4% of your rhna allocation, which is 1,985 units.

[1:38:53] and the 1,457 units, including the 200 deed-restricted units, are going to make a

[1:39:00] significant impact.

[1:39:03] really, the solution to the housing crisis is more supply.

[1:39:06] so if we have more demand, we need to increase supply.

[1:39:09] that helps to address the affordability issues and a number of other issues for

[1:39:13] workforce housing surrounding this neighborhood.

[1:39:17] the project includes a diverse mix of multifamily apartments, for-sale townhomes, and

[1:39:21] single-family detached homes, providing housing opportunities for individuals,

[1:39:26] families, seniors,

[1:39:27] and first-time homebuyers of all income levels and stages of life.

[1:39:32] as you know, california continues to face an unprecedented housing crisis across the

[1:39:36] region, not just orange county.

[1:39:38] orange county's population is aging at a rate that is faster than all the other

[1:39:42] surrounding counties, so I'm really happy to see

[1:39:45] that this project is addressing senior housing as well. Biaoc is committed to working

[1:39:49] collaboratively with local jurisdictions, and we're really happy to see

[1:39:53] that laguna hills is forward-thinking and helping to address housing needs for all

[1:39:57] income levels and all stages of life.

[1:40:00] thank you for your time.

[1:40:01] thank you. Any questions? Okay, thank you very much.

[1:40:06] oh, wait a minute, erica.

[1:40:08] yes, I just have a question for you.

[1:40:11] so I understand you mentioned that we have a housing crisis because of numbers of

[1:40:18] units.

[1:40:21] how, I mean, recently we've had a population decline in california where we've lost

[1:40:28] representatives, and I am wondering how those two facts relate.

[1:40:35] they work together, so we have had the mass exodus out of california, as we say, but

[1:40:40] we've also had increased costs

[1:40:42] of housing, and there just isn't enough housing available for the income levels that

[1:40:46] are represented across the region. And I'd be happy to share

[1:40:49] more data with you via email, if that would be appropriate. Okay,

[1:40:53] so are you rescinding the comment that the crisis is because of the inventory, or

[1:40:58] that...? No, I'm not. I just want to make

[1:41:01] sure I back it up with the exact data, and I don't have that in front of me at this

[1:41:03] time.

[1:41:05] okay, all right.

[1:41:06] I wasn't expecting questions.

[1:41:07] I apologize.

[1:41:09] no worries.

[1:41:10] thank you.

[1:41:12] all right, dave.

[1:41:13] yeah, this may not be a question you can answer off the top of your head either,

[1:41:16] but the places that are being offered in this particular, you know, rendering of the

[1:41:22] village there, we have the affordable housing, which is, as I

[1:41:27] said, very, very low.

[1:41:29] have you studied the levels that they're going to be in the whole project, or did you

[1:41:33] sort of look at it generally?

[1:41:35] so we've looked at it from a general perspective.

[1:41:38] we didn't necessarily study the affordable specifically, but we do have members that

[1:41:41] specialize in affordable,

[1:41:43] and we'd be happy to take a further look at that.

[1:41:45] yeah, because my thought is, and this will be a question probably for later, is that

[1:41:48] of the affordable,

[1:41:50] my understanding is that all the affordable units that are at the lowest level that

[1:41:54] are made available are only for, like, studios, not for, like,

[1:41:58] a family, a poor family.

[1:41:59] and in the leap between that and the lowest level, I guess, townhomes,

[1:42:04] is a quantum leap, and nobody will afford those in the lower income range. But are

[1:42:09] you aware of any of those data?

[1:42:11] so, unfortunately, I'm not, but I'm sure the applicant took all of that into

[1:42:15] consideration. Later they can be prepared.

[1:42:18] thank you.

[1:42:20] thank you.

[1:42:20] thank you very much.

[1:42:21] yeah, next. We have collin powers, and the next will be jamal naim.

[1:42:31] good evening, mayor caskey, members of the city council.

[1:42:34] my name is collin powers, and I'm here tonight on behalf of the orange county realtors.

[1:42:37] I am the government affairs director there, and we are proud to represent over 14,000

[1:42:40] realtors in the orange county area.

[1:42:44] I'm here tonight to acknowledge the housing that was proposed as part of the village

[1:42:47] at laguna hills.

[1:42:48] according to the proposal, this project would add approximately 1,500 new homes,

[1:42:51] including both rental and for-sale housing.

[1:42:55] at a time when california continues to fall well short of meeting its housing needs,

[1:42:59] adding new housing opportunities is incredibly welcome news.

[1:43:03] orange county is an incredible place to live, work, and raise a family,

[1:43:06] but too many people are finding it increasingly difficult to call it home.

[1:43:09] we want teachers, first responders, young professionals, growing families, and

[1:43:12] longtime residents alike to have the opportunity to put down roots in our communities.

[1:43:17] while there are many aspects of this proposal for you to consider, we appreciate that

[1:43:20] it includes a significant investment into new housing.

[1:43:24] every community has a role to play in addressing our housing shortage, and increasing

[1:43:27] the supply of both rental and ownership opportunities moves us in the

[1:43:31] right direction.

[1:43:32] we appreciate the time and effort all parties have shown in moving this project

[1:43:34] forward,

[1:43:36] and with that, I urge your support on this project.

[1:43:38] thank you for your time and your consideration.

[1:43:40] thank you.

[1:43:40] all right.

[1:43:41] any questions?

[1:43:43] thank you very much.

[1:43:44] appreciate it.

[1:43:46] and one more, and then I think I'm going to call.

[1:43:49] just one more?

[1:43:49] okay.

[1:43:50] we have jamal naim.

[1:43:57] good evening.

[1:43:59] I wasn't expecting to be standing here tonight.

[1:44:03] don't worry about that.

[1:44:03] but I am very much in favor of this project, and I was looking to see if there is any

[1:44:11] access to the freeway

[1:44:15] somehow, at least one way, when it's going out of the shopping center to the freeway.

[1:44:21] that would make it much easier,

[1:44:26] because it's going to be a lot of traffic, I guess.

[1:44:29] so that's an idea.

[1:44:31] and the next center, the shopping center,

[1:44:37] like what mr. Galiti mentioned, I think it would be nice to have a common area in

[1:44:46] between.

[1:44:47] so it's just for—how am I going to say it?

[1:44:57] because both are different.

[1:45:00] if there is something in between, common between them, they invested—I'm sorry—they

[1:45:05] invested something in between,

[1:45:08] it makes something unique between both properties, both centers.

[1:45:16] just an idea.

[1:45:24] and I didn't present myself.

[1:45:28] I'm just retired, and I studied civil engineering.

[1:45:36] and I'm writing a book.

[1:45:40] could I say the name?

[1:45:43] it's capitalism plus corruption equals catastrophe: the story of my business life.

[1:45:50] so right now I don't have a business, I don't have anything, but I used to have big

[1:45:56] businesses.

[1:45:58] but that's very important, that's my story.

[1:46:02] for all my life, dealing with the big guys face to face without me knowing,

[1:46:09] but they come after, and they don't want me in their businesses, many businesses.

[1:46:16] so thank you very much for allowing me to speak.

[1:46:18] any questions?

[1:46:21] hearing none.

[1:46:22] okay, so...

[1:46:23] I'm fine.

[1:46:25] thank you.

[1:46:27] this is actually moving along very nicely, in my opinion.

[1:46:32] we haven't had very much of anything run over, and...

[1:46:36] appreciate everyone's ideas.

[1:46:37] we're going to get to everybody who wants to speak tonight.

[1:46:40] but I'm going to ask for a motion to continue this meeting until 6 o'clock.

[1:46:46] and then we'll come back, and we'll start right where we left off.

[1:46:51] okay, I'd like to make a motion, but can we make it 20 minutes?

[1:46:54] 15 is a little short.

[1:46:56] yeah, that's fine.

[1:46:57] okay, I'll make a motion we adjourn for 20 minutes.

[1:46:59] okay.

[1:47:04] do we have a second?

[1:47:04] second.

[1:47:05] all right.

[1:47:06] all those in favor—we won't do a roll call for this.

[1:47:09] all those in favor?

[1:47:10] aye.

[1:47:12] all right.

[1:47:12] that passes unanimously.

[1:47:14] and we'll allow a break, walk around a little bit, and we'll see you back at 6

[1:47:21] o'clock.

[1:47:32] yeah, why don't you?

City Council/Planning Agency Special Meeting

Agenda

Transcript