DANA POINT : Redevelopment Plan on List of Priorities

Now that the initial problems of creating a city are over, Dana Point can concentrate on coming up with a redevelopment strategy, developing a general plan and increasing services, said Mayor Eileen Krause.

Monday marked the first anniversary of the incorporation of Orange County’s 28th city.

“It has been a fast year,” Krause said. “We’ve got ourselves a small foundation started. Now we’ve got to expand on it.”

Of all the tasks facing the city, Krause said, she was most enthusiastic about redevelopment.

Within 90 days, the city staff plans to complete a study pinpointing the city’s areas of decay. No specific plans have been discussed, but new housing, shopping malls and hotels are typical projects, city officials said.

“Redevelopment is a powerful tool,” Krause said. “It gives you a lot of money to upgrade a whole area of the city at once.”

In the next year, the city must also produce a general plan.

“We are required to submit a general plan to the county within 30 months (of incorporation),” Krause said. The plan will affect not only land-use and traffic, but also “the overall quality of life for citizens,” she said. “That’s why we will actively seek public input.”

Krause said Dana Point’s new autonomy helps cut red tape on small problems.

For example, shortly after city incorporation, a mini-market franchise to be built near Dana Hills High School sought a liquor license, Krause said. Before incorporation, the residents who opposed that license would have had to drive to Santa Ana to plead their case before the County Board of Supervisors. Instead they protested to the City Council, which enacted an urgency ordinance to prohibit sale of alcohol within 500 feet of the school.

“As a city, citizens can get what they want,” Krause said.

Among the services Dana Point residents will receive this year is street sweeping, which will start in March, city officials say.

In addition, residents will be able to dispose of large household items, such as sofas and refrigerators, during city-sponsored cleanup days, which will be held at least twice a year. The dates will be announced, Krause said.

“These are the little things that are nice,” she said. “These are the things that people appreciate.”