SAN CLEMENTE : City Backs Away From Rezoning

In a move applauded by business owners, the City Council this week backed away from a controversial rezoning plan for some properties in the Avenida Pico/Los Molinos commercial and industrial area.

The move came as the City Council continues its review of the proposed General Plan update, the revised document that will guide planning and growth in the city for the next 20 years.

While council members said they would still like to see the industrial area become more of a business park, they asked city planners to eliminate the proposed rezoning plan.

Had the zoning changes been approved, about 20 properties in the Los Molinos area would have become classified as “legal nonconforming” uses.

Although city officials promised that they would adopt policies protecting any business owner with a “legal nonconforming” use from having to move, the rezoning plan came under considerable opposition.

In hearing after hearing on the revised General Plan proposal, business owners in the area said they believed that they would ultimately be forced out of business.

“We did walk into (Monday’s council) meeting ready to do battle again,” said Dennis Daum, a business owner on Los Molinos who helped lead the fight against the rezoning plan. “We left saying, ‘Thanks for listening.’ ”

“We were very happy they took that action,” Daum said. “We disagreed with changing the zoning, especially in tough economic times like this.”

Daum said he believes that the action to keep the current zoning designations will also make it tougher for the city to designate Los Molinos as a redevelopment area, something the business owners also oppose.

The proposed General Plan does not call for including the Avenida Pico/Los Molinos area in redevelopment plans, although officials have said they would like to see the area renovated.

Council members asked city planners to continue meeting individually with property owners and business tenants in the Avenida Pico/Los Molinos area.

The City Council is scheduled to take final action on the proposed General Plan on April 21.