MISSION VIEJO : Minor Impact Seen in Building Freeze

City Councilman Robert A. Curtis’ proposal to freeze all new development in the city until its general plan is complete would have little impact on future growth, a spokeswoman for the Mission Viejo Co. said Wednesday.

“We’re still researching the issue, but 95% of our residential units have either been built or have already received approval,” said Wendy Wetzel, the company spokeswoman.

Curtis, who presented the idea to the council Monday, noted that more than 1,800 new building permits have been issued by the city in less than two years, and he says the proposal is needed to control development until the city completes work on its general plan, a land-use document that will guide growth. Curtis said he expects the plan to be finished within a year, and he advocates freezing all new permits until then.

“There are many undeveloped areas of the city, and we need to keep them intact until we can put together our plan,” he said. “Otherwise, what good is the plan?”

Curtis, who is facing the likelihood of a recall election next year, has tangled often and openly with the Mission Viejo Co. The company and the councilman split over Curtis’ support for annexing Aegean Hills, a pie-shaped community south of Mission Viejo, and the company is helping finance the recall effort.

Despite her comments downplaying the significance of Curtis’ proposal, Wetzel said the Mission Viejo Co. would not take a formal position on the idea until it came before the council. If it reaches that point, she added, the company would make its views public.

Curtis has asked the city staff to prepare an analysis of his proposal within the next several weeks, after which the councilman says he intends to press ahead for a vote on the matter.