MISSION VIEJO : 2 Restaurants OKd But 3rd Must Wait

Plans for two of three restaurants proposed for a complex near a busy intersection have been approved by the Planning Commission.

Concerned about the ability of the 4.9-acre site to hold three major dining establishments, commissioners Monday said they want to see what restaurants will occupy the first two buildings before they approve the third dining establishment.

“This is not a high-use site. Three restaurants won’t be able to operate for breakfast, lunch and dinner,” Commissioner Sunnie Castner said. The remaining restaurant “should be considered as a place open for breakfast and lunch,” she said.

A spokeswoman for the Mission Viejo Co., the property owner, said the firm is seeking family restaurants, and negotiations are underway to find tenants for the complex, on La Paz Road near Marguerite Parkway.

“We have some good prospects,” spokeswoman Wendy Wetzel said. “We’re optimistic.”

But neighbors said they were sorely disappointed by the commission’s decision and plan to appeal the approval to the City Council. About 15 homeowners who live near the proposed restaurant complex have opposed the project, citing concerns about traffic.

“We feel (the commission) didn’t address traffic problems adequately,” said Susan Casserly, who lives near the site with her husband, Peter Casserly. “I want that property developed. I’m tired of it being an eyesore. But the zoning should be for office buildings. Restaurants shouldn’t be its primary use.”

However, the commission found that restaurants are a permitted use on the property.

“We looked this (project) over as much as any we’ve ever done,” Castner said. “There was really no reason to turn it down.”

The commission also limited the amount of space reserved for the consumption of alcohol, slicing it from a proposed 25% of the building area to 20%. A decision on the third restaurant was postponed until March. Wetzel said the company could come back with a variety of options, including plans for a retail shop.

Whether the site winds up with two or three restaurants, Castner said the new dining establishments will be good for the city.

“These will be two quality restaurants in a central location in town,” she said. “Now people won’t have to travel as much to dine out.”