SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO : Panel OKs Business Uses for Two Houses

Over objections of people who fear that their tiny neighborhood could become a business area, the Planning Commission has recommended allowing two houses in the Los Rios Historic District to be used exclusively for commercial operations.

The City Council, which has the final say, is to consider the matter Tuesday, said Tom Tomlinson, the city’s planning director.

The Planning Commission voted 3 to 1 this week to approve exemptions for houses at 26711 Verdugo Street and 31911 Los Rios Street from a requirement that commercial use of the houses include on-site residents.

The requirement is part of a zoning code for Los Rios Historic District, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Owners of the Moonrose gift shop want to move into the house on Verdugo Street, and Decorative Arts Study Center leaders want to move their administrative offices to the house on Los Rios Street.

Both the business and the arts group are temporarily without places to operate.

A handful of residents of the Los Rios neighborhood told commission members they are worried that the zoning exemption will bring noise and traffic to the area, and open the door for more businesses.

As part of their recommendation, commission members said that employees of the two concerns would be required to park outside the historic district.

Delivery trucks would have to park in a loading zone near the train depot, with goods to be brought in by hand.

“All the objections they put forth were dissolved, in my opinion,” Planning Commissioner John Greiner said Wednesday.

“I don’t think the action we took would open the door or cause a domino effect of converting the whole district to commercial.”