More equestrian, community events and live entertainment spaces could come to San Juan Capistrano’s undeveloped Northwest Open Space.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Feb. 18, the City Council unanimously agreed to take initial steps potentially to turn San Juan Capistrano’s 65.5-acre open property into a community spot by adding three equestrian caretakers’ residences, 70 overnight farm stay units, an agricultural farm stand and more spaces for live entertainment and a community event facility.
The event facility would be used for wine tastings, weddings or other celebratory gatherings. Farm stay cottages would be available for people to use as a “peaceful retreat” to connect with nature.
The council’s decision on Tuesday does not mean construction will immediately begin in the space to add equestrian spaces or public event spaces. The amended plan will need to be reviewed by the city’s planning commission before it is then presented back to the council for construction approval.
The open space located near the 5 Freeway off Camino Capistrano already houses the Dr. Joe Cortese Dog Park, the Putuidem Village and the Williams/Swanner House.
San Juan Capistrano purchased the land in 1993 with money raised by the sale of bonds approved by voters to acquire more open space. However, the land originally belonged to the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians.
Councilmember Sergio Farias, a lifelong resident of San Juan Capistrano, said he has not seen the land being touched or used consistently by the community since the 2010s.
“We really want an area that is looked after and looks like someone is caring for it,” Farias said.
Proposals to transform the Northwest Open Space have been ongoing for years, but the city decided in 2022 to work with San Juan Capistrano-based developer Dan Almquist of Frontier Real Estate Investments to turn the property into a space better suited for the community.
There are discussions about bringing more native plant species back to the property, Farias said. Developers and the City Council are also considering how best to handle any Native American artifacts or remains in the area, Farias said.
Over the years, the council has avoided commercial development proposals by considering the importance of the land to the Native American community. Proposals, including using the space for glamping or a man-made wave pool, have been shut down.
Councilmember Howard Hart said adding more equestrian and community spaces would act as a deterrent to any major developments on the site.
The city is avoiding placing a timeline on the project, Farias said. Projects bringing new amenities to the city can take years, he added.
More San Juan Capistrano plans and studies
The city recently approved a new five-story mixed-use building that would include 278 apartments, with 32 of those designated as affordable housing units. The project also includes 15,268 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and 400 parking stalls.
The plaza, located at 32211-32281 Camino Capistrano, houses several businesses, including an optometrist office, dental office, photo lab, barber shop, beauty salon, physical therapy center, martial arts studio, chiropractic center, donut shop and a Domino’s Pizza.
The council last month rejected an appeal of the project’s approval brought by the Supporters Alliance for Environmental Responsibilities which argued the project would harm air quality.
City Manager Matisse Reischl said the city anticipates 18 months for review and building permit insurance, followed by 24 months of construction after the permits are issued.
However, the City Council earlier this month rejected a different plan that would have increased the number of residential units planned for a housing project located at Parcel 2 of the Capistrano Business Center on Paseo and Calle Arroyo. In the proposal, up to 134 existing commercial tenant units would have been converted into condominium units over time. The original plan called for just 69 business units to be transformed into residential units.
“It concerns me about the loss of industrial and commercial spaces in our community because we’re quickly running out of it,” Councilmember John Campbell said.
The City Council had initially approved a study related to converting 69 of those commercial tenant suites into residential apartments in June 2024. This plan is still in the works.
Mayor Troy Bourne, who voted against the expanded proposal, said that he was unclear about the exact goal of the plan.
“Historically, when people come before the council, they have at least some idea of what they’re going to do, and they don’t just ask us for more rights associated with the land use to then, sometime in the future, decide what they’re going to do and tell us when we can work on it,” Bourne said.
Councilmember John Taylor disagreed, saying he felt comfortable moving forward with a study exploring the project’s expansion. He said if it doesn’t meet what the city needs, the council could come back and later deny the project.
“Keep in mind, it’s just the initiation of a study, by no means an agreement of what finally comes out of it,” Taylor said. “I think there’s a lot of process between now and so I’m okay with it.”
The staff recommended the owner of the property “clean up” his proposal to the city. It is unclear if the study of plans to expand the project will be presented to the council again.
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