11,000 new homes southeast of San Juan Capistrano (Los Angeles, San Diego: affordable apartments, lofts)

[bob-jenkins]

Rancho Mission Viejo plans to add up to 11,000 new homes in the San Juan Capistrano area within the next 8-15 years (about twice the size of Ladera Ranch). Up to 5,000 single family homes, 2,000 condominiums, 2,500 apartments, 1,500 affordable apartments/senior apartments, a high school, a middle school, and 3 elementary schools. Personally, I think this is a horrible idea, and will push the county over the edge as far as traffic capacity (and tolerance), and will destroy the precious remaining space in the county. Do you think this is necessary or a ticking time bomb that will destroy OC? (Remember, that is approximately 35,200 new residents, 33,755 new cars, and almost a million additional miles per day traveled on the counties roads).

I think this is ridiculous becuase housing is not needed in this county. Imagine what 1,000,000 additional miles per day traveled by these residents' cars will do to our pollution levels? Our infrastructure simply cannot house any more tracts of this size.

[missionhome]

I think it is a ridiculous idea. It will just hurt the south Orange County home market by having there be to much housing and not enough demand. Everyones home values will slip even more too! Also, it is a really beautiful area and should not be destroyed and good luck getting San Juan Capistrano city council who still thinks it is 1920 to widen Ortega Highway from one/two lanes to three or four lanes to handle the new amount of cars.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by missionhome

I think it is a ridiculous idea. It will just hurt the south Orange County home market by having there be to much housing and not enough demand. Everyones home values will slip even more too! Also, it is a really beautiful area and should not be destroyed and good luck getting San Juan Capistrano city council who still thinks it is 1920 to widen Ortega Highway from one/two lanes to three or four lanes to handle the new amount of cars.

It says its over the next 8-15 years. With the housing market the way it is, there's no way they'd build anything now unless they wanted to lose their shirts. They'll wait to build until 1 bedroom condos in Ladera Ranch are 600k+ so they can make a killing on the project.

The traffic is a major issue though. Look at all of the traffic backups getting on and off the freeway in Mission Viejo since there's way more people living up against the hills than the roads down the hill can handle. They're not going to stop building until south county looks like LA with hills. Hopefully I'll be gone by then because its already bad enough.

[bob-jenkins]

I was enraged when I heard this. And San Juan does not actually own this land (it is not in their limits) because the developer will not consent to putting it in the city. The project is largely up to the county (which they approved the preliminary plans in 2003).

Why does anyone think this is necessary? It is not. This is not the boom of the 1960's or the boom of the 1990's-2000's-this is a housing depression for this county. Bad, bad idea.

[Unkllars]

Wow, that's a ton of homes! Its like we talked about in a recent seminar, by about 2030 the entire county of Orange will be used for housing and commerce. Building will only go up from there as it can't go out any more. The only green will be master planned. We discussed that most investors and buyers won't be from/in California or even in the US. I wonder what the Manhattan residents said when the city told them everyone will live in expensive lofts and penthouses? That's happening here. the IE and San Diego will be our 'New Jersey' to escape the city. I wonder what it would be like if there were no Camp Pendleton maintaining uninhabited land and photosynthesis? We shall see...

[missionhome]

I am pretty sure they will not tear down the thousands and thousands of single family homes that make up Orange County and turn them into sky scrappers and lofts. We may see a few taller developments, but the few that have started have not done so well and the planned ones are being canceled due to the market recession. Los Angeles will probably go a lot more vertical and have a very different skyline in the future, but I doubt Orange County will look like anything other than concrete sprawl.

[Unkllars]

Exactly! It's just interesting to think how much of the county will look like Irvine in 20-30 years. No, we won't be a complete concrete jungle, but more and more we will see up instead of out. There are new condo complexes that took a few homes, smashed them, and turned them into condos. We'll see with time what happens. It sure won't be the orange groves it was years ago. So, you like the concrete too huh? ;-) What about the planted trees that are up rooted when they get to big? Its still a nice place to live though!!

[bob-jenkins]

The remaining land in the county is precious, especially the unspoiled parts. Why do we need to develop them. Irvine Company has been a blessing becuase 40% of the open space in this county is owned (and supposedly protected) by them.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by missionhome

I am pretty sure they will not tear down the thousands and thousands of single family homes that make up Orange County and turn them into sky scrappers and lofts. We may see a few taller developments, but the few that have started have not done so well and the planned ones are being canceled due to the market recession. Los Angeles will probably go a lot more vertical and have a very different skyline in the future, but I doubt Orange County will look like anything other than concrete sprawl.

It'll happen a little at a time. You'll see a small 2 story apartment complex with 100 units torn down and replaced by an apartment or condo building(s) with 500 units. Some parts of town with single family homes will turn into suburban blight and eventually be redeveloped into mid and high rise condos. I'm not saying Mission Viejo is going to look like Manhattan in 20 years but that's the way things are slowly going to creep once the buildable land is gone as long as 50 million people want to live here. If there's a buck to be made cramming more housing into OC, you better believe developers will find a way.

[califantastic]

The high density development (condos, high rises) will be contained to places that could handle it like Irvine CBD, Irvine Spectrum, South Coast Plaza area, Anaheim CBD. It won't be in Mission Viejo and San Clemente.