MISSION VIEJO : City Clears Track for Train Station

The path was cleared for a new rail station in South County on Monday night when the Mission Viejo City Council agreed to let a train station be built in neighboring Laguna Niguel.

Although Mission Viejo was the first to seek the station more than 18 months ago, city officials bowed to relative newcomer Laguna Niguel for political and economic reasons, said Mayor Robert D. Breton.

Both cities wanted the rail station, but “we had to face the reality that if there was going to be any chance of designing and developing a station platform this year and have it up and running, it had to be (at) the Laguna Niguel site,” Breton said.

Mission Viejo was the lead agency in applying for and winning about $3.3 million from county, state and federal transportation funds to help build the station. The train stop will be on a six-acre site owned by the county on Forbes Road.

Consultants being paid by both cities estimate the three-phase project will cost about $6.2 million. City officials say they will apply for additional transportation grants to pay for the difference.

Breton said that Laguna Niguel seemed convinced it had the best site. Laguna Niguel also hopes to acquire county land inexpensively, while the Mission Viejo sites would have commanded fair market value.

“I still feel our site was better strictly from a transportation point of view,” Breton said. “But I can live with this decision.”

Monday’s vote takes away a major obstacle to the station project, which appeared certain to be located in Mission Viejo until Laguna Niguel began expressing an interest last fall.

“Mission Viejo deserves recognition for taking the leadership role,” said Laguna Niguel City Manager Tim Casey. “They were willing to wait while we caught up” and gathered information on which site would be best for the commuter station.

Mission Viejo had proposed three sites of about four acres within about a quarter-mile of each other.

Although the landowner, the Mission Viejo Co., was willing to donate two acres of land for the station, it wanted the city to pay fair market value for the other two acres, Breton said.

Laguna Niguel and Mission Viejo officials hope the county property on Forbes Road can be acquired free or at low cost.

“We’re glad it’s Laguna Niguel” where the station will be located, Casey said. “But there’s lots of work ahead.”

For instance, coming up with the name of the station. At Monday’s meeting, council members directed staff to negotiate with Laguna Niguel to include Mission Viejo in the station’s name.

“I like ‘the Mission Niguel station,’ ” Breton said.

Asked for his choice, Casey thought the “Laguna Viejo” station sounded good.