South County Troupe Loses Bid for Site : Theater: The group is refused San Juan Saloon but gets vow of help from the City Council in search for new home.

South Orange County Community Theatre lost a battle for a permanent home here this week but won some promises from city officials to help with the ongoing search.

The theater group, whose sets have been plagued by vandalism during outdoor productions, lost out to a Western-wear store for the right to occupy the historic San Juan Saloon, a 70-year-old former brothel whose lease is owned by the city. But after voting unanimously to award the lease to the clothing store, the City Council directed its staff to help theater representatives find another site within the city limits.

“We’re not saying yes to one thing and no to another; we’re saying yes to both,” Councilman Gary L. Hausdorfer said. “It’s only a matter of time and place. The time for the theater is the near future.”

In the interim, the nearly 3-year-old theater group, which has bounced among several open-air sites around the South County in the process of mounting four plays, will continue to stage productions, said troupe president B.J. Scott. It will also keep looking for a home in South County, be it San Juan Capistrano or elsewhere, Scott added.

Several alternative local sites for a community theater were suggested by Councilman Gil Jones, who told Scott he admired “her tenacity and courage.” He suggested the historic Blas Aguilar Adobe and Love House in downtown San Juan Capistrano and an outdoor amphitheater that has been proposed in a stretch of orange groves in the northwest portion of town.

“If I can help you I will,” Jones said.