51 minute read
EYE ON SJC
City Takes First Steps on Street Pavement Maintenance Project
BY COLLIN BREAUX
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The San Juan Capistrano City Council approved plans and specifications for a pavement rehabilitation project scheduled to begin on Camino Capistrano, in what is intended to be a start for addressing a long-standing need for road maintenance.
The unanimous approval was given during a meeting on Tuesday, April 5, and also authorizes city staff to take the project out to bid for construction. City staff expects to come back to the council to award a construction contract in June. Work is then expected to begin in July or August, and finish in the fall.
Construction work will include the removal of existing failed pavement and construction of new pavement surface for Camino Capistrano between Dana Point at the southern city limit and Laguna Niguel at the northern city limit, according to an agenda report.
City Manager Ben Siegel said the project is a “very significant capital project and investment.”
“This is really the start of a conversation about continued investment in the city’s roads,” Siegel said. “We plan on coming back to the council in May (during a budget workshop) with more information and recommendations for continued residential and arterial projects to occur following the Camino Capistrano project.”
City Engineer Joe Parco gave an overview of the project and recapped how the City Council approved funding for the project this past October, using $7 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.
“I think we can all agree that Camino Cap is a major backbone arterial of the city,” Parco said. “It services major business including Costco, auto dealerships, the downtown business district, the Mission, and a variety of schools. Next to Ortega (Highway), Camino Cap is our city’s busiest street—carrying over 22,000 vehicles per day.”
Construction work will also be done on portions of Stonehill Drive, Avenida Aeropuerto, and Ortega Highway near Camino Capistrano. The length of the resurfaced pavement will be more than six miles.
“We are estimating over 25,000 tons of asphalt to be placed on this project,” Parco said. “The deeper section of asphalt removal will occur in the southern portions of the Camino Capistrano project limits.”
Construction on southern portions will be done at night due to the amount of work required and to minimize traffic disruptions. The northern portion will be done during the day. Work on the project will be done in phases.
“Staff will be coordinating the work with businesses and schools to minimize traffic impacts to those constituents,” Parco said.
The total project budget is estimated to be $10.3 million. To put that cost into scale, the city’s annual budget tends to be around $32 million.
“I just want to point that out as to why people ask why we don’t pave all the roads right away,” Mayor Derek Reeve said. “Roads are extremely expensive in terms of our annual budget.”
Councilmember Sergio Farias said
City officials are planning to begin repairing and replacing portions of Camino Capistrano, after years of neglected maintenance led to poor road conditions. Photo: Collin Breaux
while it will be “odd to see” the project, pavement maintenance is “worthwhile.”
“I’m excited about it,” Farias said. “Again, this is one of those things I didn’t think I would get to see on my time on this council—spending $10 million on roads.”
Mayor Pro Tem Howard Hart said he is excited about the project, and used a football metaphor to explain the importance of maintaining roadways.
“This is really kind of the blocking and tackling of city government. … Our city staff turned a budget deficit into a budget surplus and got the grants that allowed us to address this issue,” Hart said. “Frankly, our streets are the result of years of neglect due to structural budget deficits. We just couldn’t do it. The problem with not doing it is the fix gets more expensive over time until we find ourselves digging up 17 or 18 inches worth of asphalt in order to do something which perhaps wouldn’t be that expensive if we (had) been able to take care of it sooner.”
In other news, the council approved a code amendment and rezoning measures to accommodate construction of the town’s long-awaited skate park near The Ecology Center. The skate park has been discussed for at least a decade, and highly anticipated by residents—some of whom spoke in favor of the project at Tuesday’s meeting. Construction is expected to begin in July, and the project could be finished by this winter.
Tuesday’s meeting was dedicated to Diane Carter, a longtime local equestrian and co-owner of equestrian shop American Horse Products who recently died. Diane Carter opened American Horse Products with her husband, Jim Carter, in 1999.
“Diane was a tremendous advocate for the equestrian community and a true lover of San Juan Capistrano,” Reeve said. “Diane will be truly missed.”
Legislation on Bike Safety Raises Concerns over Local Control
BY BREEANA GREENBERG
A bill that aims to get more Californians out of their cars and instead onto bicycles and electric bikes has been introduced in the California State Assembly.
Assembly Bill 1909, introduced by Assemblymember Laura Friedman of the 43rd Assembly District, hopes to increase bicycle ridership and decrease CO2 emissions by increasing safety measures and modifying local government authority on bikes and e-bikes.
The bill passed the Assembly’s Transportation Committee in an 11-2 vote on March 28.
“The goal for this legislation is to make it safer for cyclists operating on the road and to remove barriers local governments can currently impose that may make it harder for people to choose to ride a bicycle,” Allison Ruff-Schuurman, Friedman’s chief of staff, said in an email.
Among the provisions, the measure proposes to allow riders to cross an intersection displaying a “walk” or “walking person” symbol as long as they yield the right of way to pedestrians or vehicles lawfully within the intersection. Cyclists, however, would still be required to follow bicycle control signals if otherwise directed.
The bill would also require that a car move over to an adjacent lane, if one is available, before passing a cyclist. Current California law requires that motorists leave at least 3 feet between their vehicle and a bicyclist when passing.
And if the bill is enacted, municipalities, where cyclists are required to register and license their electric bicycles, would no longer have the authority to prohibit the operation of unlicensed e-bikes.
Pete Van Nuys, the executive director of the OC Bicycle Coalition (OCBC), said the Coalition opposes AB 1909—which, he noted, has been revised a few times since its introduction.
“The idea of removing local control of a burgeoning transportation mode on paths and trails—‘trails’ being too varied, too broad a description, of local recreational, educational, and scenic assets—is irresponsible,” Van Nuys wrote in an email.
The bill was recently revised after the Sierra Club, the environmental nonprofit, and other similar groups raised concerns about allowing all e-bikes on recreation and hiking trails, Ruff-Schuurman explained.
The latest version of the bill allows local laws to prohibit e-bikes on equestrian trails and hiking and recreation trails, but it bars the cities from banning e-bikes from bicycle paths.
The San Clemente City Council recently received a presentation from city staff on AB 1909. According to the staff report, “adoption of e-bikes increased by 145% from 2019-2020 in the United States, double the number of electric cars.”
The staff report further explained that the demographic of e-bike riders tends to be older adults, “choosing e-bikes over conventional bikes due to physical limitations. Restricting the use of e-bikes on bike paths significantly limits the ability of older adults to
Cultural Heritage Commission Rejects Proposed Designs for New City Seal, Extends Deadline for Additional Submissions
BY COLLIN BREAUX
Suggestions on a new city seal design for San Juan Capistrano will continue to be accepted from the public through July 15, per the direction of the Cultural Heritage Commission.
The commission agreed to extend the deadline for public submissions during a meeting on March 22. The City Council recently decided to undertake updating the city seal, which currently features Saint Junipero Serra and a Native American boy.
Any new seal design is required to depict aspects of Mission San Juan Capistrano and Native American culture. City officials are looking at adopting a new design by the end of this year.
Commissioners, who are tasked with making recommendations to the City Council, reviewed proposed designs that were submitted to the city, but didn’t approve any one of them.
“I’m not impressed with any of the ones I’ve seen,” Commissioner Lorie Porter said.
What should go in the design has been discussed and debated by community members, with swallow birds and horses coming up as potential features. Commissioner Paul Lopez said San Juan Capistrano has many different features that make the town what it is, and the new seal should reflect that.
“We have the history with the Juaneños and the Acjachemen. We have the rancho life. We have the Mexican period. These are all important parts of our culture. We have equestrian culture,” Lopez said. “I would love to see all of that incorporated into a seal. I don’t know if all of that can fit in there, but if there is some way that we can get more of what our city is about into a seal, I think it would better represent who we are as a city.” Commissioner Anna Dickinson said some of the current submissions that have lots of details “get a little bit too busy.”
“I think what the city was looking for, from the meeting I was in when they first brought forward the first seal, was to simplify our seal from what it currently is—also update it and make it easier to be seen on cell phones and mobile devices,” Dickinson said.
Councilmember Troy Bourne—who brought forth the idea of updating the seal, along with Councilmember Sergio Farias—said the current seal does not show up well on a smartphone, and wants a new and simpler design to be legible when looking at it on a mobile device.
A default design proposed by Bourne and Farias featuring a bell—a symbol associated with Mission San Juan Capistrano, which has historic bells—has been
Saint Junipero Serra is likely coming off San Juan Capistrano’s city seal. City officials are working through bringing about a new seal design, which is required to depict aspects of Mission San Juan Capistrano and Native American culture. Photo: Collin Breaux
proposed to mixed reactions.
While visibility on a smartphone is the given reason for updating the city seal, Serra’s legacy has come under scrutiny in recent times because of his interactions with Native Americans—the subject of tense discussions among councilmembers during a recent meeting.
Commissioners also discussed reaching out to stakeholders in the community about appropriate details to include in the seal, and giving direction on guidelines to residents who might submit a potential design.
A subcommittee of city officials will work with a graphic designer on refining visual details for a new seal.
(Cont. from page 4) choose bicycling as an alternate mode of transportation to enjoy more mobility, autonomy, and social connection.”
During a March 15 meeting, San Clemente Mayor Pro Tem Chris Duncan commented on a since-removed provision in the bill that would have banned local governments from prohibiting any class of e-bikes on trails, bikeways and bike lanes, equestrian trails and hiking trails.
“That’s kind of problematic,” Duncan said. “We just passed our own prohibition on the Beach Trail, because it’s just not conducive to having a motorized vehicle on it, electric or not. That’s going to be interesting to see how that comes out as it pertains to us. I don’t see us supporting that.”
San Clemente’s councilmembers passed an ordinance earlier this year prohibiting e-bikes on the city’s beaches, Beach Trail and municipal pier.
Duncan also mentioned Assemblymember Boerner Horvath’s legislation, Assembly Bill 1946, as an e-bike safety measure that the city could potentially support.
Horvath’s bill, which was introduced in early February, would establish safety standards and training programs for e-bike users. That bill was passed out of the Assembly Transportation Committee on March 21 in a 15-0 vote, and it is now in the Appropriations Committee.
“We do need to make sure that we have more measures in place to have, particularly, our youth operating e-bikes more safely, and if there was state legislation that helped us get there, that might be helpful,” Duncan said.
In San Juan Capistrano, the city said it has emphasized education in its response to the rise in e-bikes.
The city has installed advisory signs along high-use areas along the San Juan Creek Trail and Las Vaqueras Trail that establish “no passing” zones, instruct bicyclists to “yield to pedestrians and equestrians,” and warn of “bike crossing(s) ahead.”
“While the City’s trail system currently allows for different types of bicycles, including e-bikes, City staff is continually evaluating policies and regulations related to trail safety, and monitoring various legislation involving e-bikes,” San Juan Capistrano Senior Management Analyst Matisse Reischl wrote in an email.
“However, restricting e-bikes or even imposing speed limits is very difficult to enforce,” she continued. “As a more viable alternative, we have enhanced efforts to educate e-bike users in the community.”
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the City of Dana Point have not taken a position on the legislation.
Over the past year, each of the three South Orange County cities of Dana Point, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano has held community events to promote safe riding.
In Dana Point, Dana Point Police Services hosted an information session to educate riders on e-bike safety this past November.
That same month, San Juan Capistrano also hosted a free e-bike safety course taught by League of American Bicyclist-certified instructors at City Hall. City staff plans on offering another safety course in the spring or summer of this year.
The San Juan course offered hands-on skills training in the City Hall parking lot, lectures and discussions, and a onehour guided ride to test participants’ newly learned skills.
Additionally, the City of San Juan Capistrano offers trail safety education materials on its website.
The City of San Clemente is scheduled to host a Bike Rodeo on May 26 in recognition of Bicycle Safety Month. The event will take place from 3-5 p.m. at the Vista Hermosa Sports Park, and it will be split into two age groups.
The Bike Rodeo will run from 3:15 p.m.-4 p.m. for kids 5-8 years old and from 4 p.m-4:45 p.m. for those 9-17 years old. The event is free, but pre-registration through the city’s website is required.
Ruff-Schuurman recently explained that with AB 1909’s recent passage out of the Transportation Committee, the bill will next move on to the Appropriations Committee.
NEWS BITES
COMPILED BY STAFF
CD |San Juan Business Owner Recognized as Woman of the Year for 73rd Assembly District
Assemblymember Laurie Davies selected San Juan Capistrano business owner Julie Beeman as the area’s Woman of the Year for her leadership in South Orange County.
“I am proud to select San Juan Capistrano business owner Julie Beeman as my Woman of the Year for 2022,” Davies said in her announcement. “Julie has been an integral part of the 73rd District for many years and has made invaluable and far-reaching contributions to the welfare and improvement of her community.”
Beeman has served as a charter member of the California Women’s Leadership Association and has served the organization as president for six years. Over the past 25 years, Beeman has advised other women entrepreneurs and mentored students and other professionals entering the workforce.
Davies, in the release, noted that Beeman is a lifelong county resident and entrepreneur who founded VCS Environmental, an environmental firm that specializes in CEQA, biology, regulatory and cultural services for the building and transportation industries.
VCS, Davies added, “provides its municipal and private clients with exceptional service, guiding them through the complicated requirements of local, state and federal agencies,” since 1996, and “now staffs 25 individuals in San Juan Capistrano.”
According to Davies’ announcement, VCS will provide $25,000 in scholarships to students interested in entering the environmental, transportation and/ or planning fields in celebration of its 25th anniversary.
CD |Annual Weed Abatement Requirements Underway in San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano
Property owners in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano have until May 15 to get weeds under control on their grounds, according to public notices sent out by the weed abatement administrator for the two towns.
San Clemente property owners must keep all weeds at a height no higher
Assemblymember Laurie Davies honored San Juan Capistrano business owner Julie Beeman (above) as Woman of the Year for her leadership in South Orange County. Photo: Courtesy of the Office of Assemblymember Laurie Davies
than one inch for the rest of the year, while San Juan residential owners must maintain lawns up to three inches and trim all edges. All weeds above six inches must be removed from San Juan lawns.
San Juan residential properties should also be clear of rubbish.
Weeds on undeveloped parcels in San Juan cannot go higher than two inches. Tumbleweeds must be removed.
Notices sent out about the weed control program said precautions must be taken to reduce fire risks.
“For those properties that remain unabated after that date, the City’s Weed Abatement Contractor will clear the lots as required, and then bill the cost of removal to the property owners,” the notice for San Clemente said.
Similar penalties are in place in San Juan.
If you have questions or want more information call 949.498.9250 if you’re in San Clemente or 949.498.3359 if in San Juan, or email ed@estewartinc.com.
CD |Shea Center Hosts Equine Training Sessions for OC Fire Authority
A San Juan Capistrano-based equine therapy nonprofit has stepped up to help prepare regional authorities for horse rescue measures in the future.
The J.F. Shea Center for Therapeutic Riding hosted equine training for the OC Fire Authority’s Urban Search & Rescue’s team this past week, with approximately 90 first responders attending a session on a given day.
“During the training sessions, the OCFA and The Shea Center will share facts and details about equestrian realities that came out of an OCFA rescue that saved the life of Choco, a Shea Center therapy horse who became trapped in San Juan Capistrano’s open space,” a news release said. “OC fire officials used a helicopter to airlift Choco to safety after digging him out from under concrete and exposed rebar, in an extraordinary and extremely technical horse rescue.”
A reunion was also held to thank the firefighters, veterinarians, and equestrian community members who helped in the rescue.
“Our commitment to provide exceptional emergency support services does not stop with the nearly two million people we serve or the structures in which they live and work,” OC Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy said. “It also includes the pets, service animals, and livestock that bring tremendous value and joy to our communities, and we are proud to partner with The Shea Center to build upon that commitment.”
CD |Unidos South OC Receives Nonprofit Recognition from Assemblymember Davies
Unidos South OC, which works to raise the voices and concerns of underprivileged community members in San Juan Capistrano, is being spotlighted for its advocacy efforts.
Unidos has been selected as a 2022 California Nonprofit of the Year by Assemblymember Laurie Davies.
“Unidos is one of more than one hundred nonprofits that will be honored by their state senators and assemblymembers for their outstanding contributions to the communities they serve,” a news release said.
The nonprofit was founded in 2017 and offers a homework club and other enrichment activities. It provided groceries to families during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has recently facilitated community members speaking during city council meetings about the need for more affordable housing for local residents.
“We are humbled to be recognized by Assemblymember Laurie Davies as a 2022 Nonprofit of the Year,” said John Chapman, co-executive director for Unidos. “Everything that Unidos is doing, we are doing hand-in-hand with low-income residents, their allies, our donors and volunteers. It takes working together to see both individual and systemic change that will ultimately benefit all of South Orange County.”
COMMUNITY MEETINGS
SATURDAY, APRIL 9 Citizens’ Climate Education 10:45 a.m.-noon. This nonpartisan climate action group holds monthly meetings on the second Saturday of the month through Zoom video conferences. Email larrykramerccl@gmail.com to receive a link to join.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13 Planning Commission 5 p.m. The San Juan Capistrano Planning Commission will hold a scheduled meeting open to the public. City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. sanjuancapistrano.org.
THURSDAY, APRIL 14 Design Review Committee 4:30 p.m. The San Juan Capistrano Design Review Committee will hold a scheduled meeting open to the public. City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. sanjuancapistrano.org.
FRIDAY, APRIL 15 Coffee Chat 8:30 a.m. A spirited town hall forum on community issues. The first Friday session of the month will be held virtually via Zoom video conference; all other Friday forums will take place in person at Hennessey’s Tavern in San Juan Capistrano, 31761 Camino Capistrano. Follow Coffee Chat SJC on Facebook for information.
TUESDAY, APRIL 19 City Council 5 p.m. The San Juan Capistrano City Council will hold a scheduled meeting open to the public. City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto. sanjuancapistrano.org.
Because I Love You (BILY) 6:30-8:30 p.m. The organization Because I Love You (BILY), which helps parents navigate through whatever parenting challenges they may be facing (e.g., failure to launch, drug abuse, disrespect), will continue conducting its weekly meetings on Tuesdays via Zoom video conference. For detailed instructions on how to participate, email bilysanclemente@gmail.com.
FRIDAY, APRIL 22 The next print issue of The Capistrano Dispatch publishes.
SEEN ON THE RANCH Photos from Rancho Mission Viejo
PHOTOS & TEXT BY COLLIN BREAUX, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH
Rancho Mission Viejo offers plenty of outdoor space where people can walk on trails and enjoy views of lush green hills. Community residents often ride their bicycles and take their children walking in these designated pedestrian areas. CD
EVENTS AT THE RANCH
APRIL 13 VIRTUAL VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION AND TRAINING 7-8:30 p.m. Take the first step in becoming an official volunteer at The Nature Reserve. Participants will get to learn about the outdoor area’s history, purpose, and other relevant information, as well as how to communicate that to the public. The event will be held over Zoom. Sign up at rmvreserve.org.
GUEST OPINION | A Bit About San Juan by Jessica DiCostanzo
A Tribute to Joyce Hoffman, Equestrian and Surfer
Joyce Hoffman and her father, Walter Hoffman, pictured here at Joyce’s statue unveiling in Dana Point on January 27, are considered one of the first families of surfing. Photo: Breeana Greenberg
The purpose of this column is to shine a spotlight on people you may know of but not know their connection to San Juan Capistrano’s equestrian lifestyle. Recently, local surfing legend Joyce Hoffman’s contributions to surfing have been immortalized with a life-sized bronze statue unveiled at Waterman’s Plaza in Dana Point and a new mural celebrating the local surfing culture at Doheny Village. For decades, the World Champion surfer could be found at Poche Beach and other spots, but her day job was running the other family business, TAR Farms Stables.
Joyce grew up around horses. Her family moved to Capo Beach when she was 13. Joyce’s parents purchased a farm and named it TAR Farms, for Tricia & Robin. They quickly got Hoffman a “crazy Arabian” horse that would take off and run home every time she got on. This led Hoffman to appreciate horses from the ground, rather than on their backs. So, the horse bug passed on to her sister, who became a show jumper, and her mother had a sale barn for jumper horses. Over time, TAR Farms grew into multi-discipline stables and was recently purchased by a local equestrian, and it is now known as Shady Maples Farm.
While Joyce’s sister spent time at the barn, Joyce spent her time at the beach perfecting her skills. In her teens, Joyce went on to win a World Championship, which led to endorsements, world travel and more accolades. Life came full circle when Joyce became the manager of TAR Farms, and oversaw operations for more than 30 years.
As far as living on the farm, Hoffman expressed, “You don’t have to ride horses (or even want to ride horses) to appreciate the equestrian community. Horses are central to San Juan Capistrano.”
We could not agree more. Horses provide a unique character to our town, from our multi-use trails and open spaces to our world-class Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park. Whether you surf, ride horses or just enjoy seeing horses in a crosswalk, you can appreciate the fact that San Juan Capistrano without horses is simply unimaginable.
Jessica DiCostanzo is a San Juan Capistrano Equestrian Coalition Board Member, lifelong equestrian, and co-founder of equivont.com. CD
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WHERE DOES SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY GET ITS WATER?
BY SHAWN RAYMUNDO
Welcome TO THE GREEN ISSUE R oughly 90% of the water that South County residents use comes from imported sources. The other 10%, according to the Orange County Water District—the local authority on groundwaThe sound of the beating drum for the nations of the world to ter—comes from the area’s small groundwater basins and local water recycling projects.act on climate change only grows louder each passing year, as Our water supply, brought down to us by communities around the globe continue to face rising sea levels, the Metropolitan Water District, comes from drought, record-setting wildfires, floods and heat waves. two primary sources: the Colorado River, via the Colorado River Aqueduct, and the Sac-
Those threats are expected only to We also catch up with Ryan Hick- ramento and San Joaquin Rivers in Northern worsen, as nations haven’t yet done man—now 12 years old—to see how his California, through what’s referred to as the enough to offer cities, coastlines and recycling efforts have taken him around State Water Project. farmlands protection, the latest scientific the world. In addition, we list locations The Municipal Water District of Orange report authored by 270 researchers from where residents can take their bottles County (MWDOC) purchases that imported 67 countries concluded last month. and glass for recycling, as well as explore water from Metropolitan and then distributes
The somber findings should serve as a where South Orange County gets its it to its more than two dozen member agendrastic wake-up call. water supply. cies comprising both city water departments
This month, as the U.S. and other na- And as the state continues to inch and water districts. tions observe Arbor Day and Earth Day— closer toward its goal of having only Water districts including South Coast two holidays meant to create changes in zero-emission vehicles sold in California Water District, Santa Margarita Water District human behavior, promote better policies by 2035, we look at some of the progress and Moulton Niguel Water District, largely to address the warming planet, and that’s been made to reach that ambitious serve South Orange County cities, including inspire hope for our collective future—we target and show how some local auto areas of Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano. publish our annual “Green Issue.” dealers are embracing the transition. The water districts provide the retail water
This yearly special section serves as a Lastly, the issue also offers a look at services to ratepayers within their jurisdicreminder of the various ways we in South the new arts-based campaign that the tions. Orange County can help take better local environmental nonprofit Wyland But some cities—and that includes San care of the planet and leave our corner Foundation started, to remind residents Clemente—largely manage their own water looking a little better than before. that trash and debris collected in storm utilities, distributing the imported water and
In this year’s edition, we talk to one drains ultimately make their way to the billing residents. local business owner who’s operated oceans. Up until last year, when the Orange County without the use of plastics while helping We hope this 2022 issue informs Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFothers in the community maintain a readers of ways to be more in tune with CO) approved plans to transfer water utilities plastic-free lifestyle—all in the hope of nature and inspires them to practice over to Santa Margarita Water District, the reducing waste that can be harmful to environmental stewardship in any form City of San Juan Capistrano similarly managed marine life. that takes. its own. Ongoing environmental concerns exacerbated by drought, as well as worries of supply disruption from potential earthquakes, have encouraged agencies, municipalities and elected officials to diversify the area’s water supply and consider alternatives to reduce reliance on imported water. In late 2020, Santa Margarita Water District opened its Trampas Canyon Dam and Reservoir on land acquired from Rancho Mission Viejo, south of Ortega Highway, where the agency will maximize recycled water use. Santa Margarita Water District will use its reservoir to store water in the winter months for use during the summer, and supply irrigation water for San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente. And other agencies, such as South Coast Water District, also utilize water desalination plants, which adds local groundwater into the distribution system.
South Coast Water District is currently forging ahead with its longstanding plans to develop the Doheny Ocean Desalination Plant, which would draw water from the ocean, remove all the salt and then distribute potable water to the public.
The agency is looking at potential partnerships, including with City of San Clemente, to help support the desal project that’s estimated to cost about $120 million.
Auto Dealers Embrace Electric Vehicle Market
BY COLLIN BREAUX AND SHAWN RAYMUNDO ll new cars and trucks
Asold in California must be zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) by 2035—the mandate set by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2020 to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
While automakers have more than a decade to meet Newsom’s statewide target of transitioning California’s transportation industry, local car dealers are already in the thick of embracing the electric vehicle market.
“Until recently, there have been limited options, and the percent of new cars powered solely by electricity has been less than 2% of the market,” said Miles Brandon, owner of Capistrano Volkswagen and Capistrano Mazda. “Momentum really started building in 2021. Last June, 32% of our VW store’s new car sales were EVs.”
Not just the dealerships, but automakers as a whole, including General Motors and Ford, are also embracing the transition. News outlets reported last year that GM is looking to produce only electric vehicles by 2035, and it plans to roll out 30 new plug-in models by 2025.
Brandon attributed a number of reasons for the shift, including increasing regulation. Aside from California’s mandate, countries outside the United States—including China and in Europe—are regulating for internal combustion engines (ICE) to disappear over the next dozen years.
“As environmental requirements tighten and the share of the pie shrinks, the cost to produce an ICE will continually rise at the same time that mass production—together with advancements in batteries—will continually bring down the cost of EVs,” Brandon said.
California’s shift toward an all-ZEV auto industry comes as the state continues to feel the impacts of climate change, largely brought on by carbon emissions and smog from motor vehicles.
According to the state, transportation makes up nearly 50% of California’s greenhouse gas emissions, with medium- to heavy-duty trucks contributing the most vehicle pollution despite only comprising “two million of the 30 million registered vehicles in California.”
“California has made great strides in cleaning up our air, but the Los Angeles region and the San Joaquin Valley still suffer from the worst air quality in the nation,” the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development said in its report on market strategies for zero-emission vehicles. “Greenhouse gas emissions are falling in California as a whole, led by our clean electricity sector, but transportation still accounts for nearly 50% of the total.”
As part of the 2035 mandate, the state has set intermediate goals over the next several years, such as the benchmark to reach five million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2030. The market strategies report noted that as of September 2020, there were more than 766,800 zero-emission passenger vehicles and trucks sold in the state.
In late February, the governor’s office reported that more than one million plug-in electric vehicles—cars, trucks, SUVs and motorcycles—had been sold in California.
Steve Smith, electric vehicle sales manager for the two San Juan dealerships, said consumers are driving a demand in market sales after hearing about the benefits, designs, and unique features of electric vehicles—which can include smooth vehicle turning and easyto-use screens that can easily control air condition temperatures and driving navigation instructions with the few touches of a finger.
“They are reading about the awards and accolades EVs are receiving in the market. They now see more charging locations wherever they go on a daily basis, such as at shopping centers, grocery stores, their local Walmart or Target—and usually with prime parking locations,” Smith said. “Consumers now see more of them on the road than ever before and in growing numbers, making the idea of transitioning to electric less foreign.”
The private market is also driving a shift toward EVs.
“Investors aren’t looking at manufacturers’ pasts, but rather investing heavily in companies who are taking the lead in building EVs,” Brandon said. “Investments in new battery technologies and new battery production facilities are skyrocketing as well.”
Those investments to improve battery technology—which make up the biggest portion of an electric vehicle’s price tag—are what’s needed to also help drive down the high costs associated with EVs and make them a mass-market product, according to Bloomberg.
“At current rates and pack sizes, the average battery cost for a typical EV works out to about $6,300, though the ones that go into premium models are more,” according to a November 2021 report from Bloomberg, which also noted that battery pack prices have dropped considerably—89%—over the past decade.
A previous concern regarding the mass production or adoption of EVs has been whether the infrastructure for charging stations can accommodate EVs traveling long distances. Both the state and federal government have taken steps to allay those concerns.
As another one of the state’s intermediate goals, California is looking to have 250,000 public and shared charging stations and 200 hydrogen fueling stations by 2025.
Nationally, President Joe Biden has set a goal of establishing a network of 500,000 EV chargers around the U.S. Funding for that goal is coming from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act enacted last fall.
Brandon says that the quantity of public charging stations and available home charging capabilities have already “soared” in the past few years.
For instance, public charging stations are available at the Walmart on Avenida Pico in San Clemente, where drivers can spend a short time charging their vehicles and may be even prone to chat with other drivers or fill a
prescription while doing so. “Most manufacturers were standing on the sidelines just a few years back, but are now all jumping in with plans of being 100% zero-emission vehicles within a decade,” Brandon said. “There are now EVs on the market that, after available rebates, cost about the same as a comparably sized and equipped ICE car.” Asked their thoughts on the state’s 2035 target, Miles and Smith both said trends tend to start in California. “However, it truly is not just a growing California or even a U.S. trend in the auto industry, but a global one,” Smith said. “I believe—based on consumer demands and auto manufacturer plans—that, at this rate, by the time 2035 arrives, most consumers will have already replaced at least one ICE vehicle in their driveway with an electric vehicle, if not two.” Advantages electric vehicles have over gas-powered vehicles, as mentioned by Smith and Brandon, include annual savings on fuel, lower routine maintenance costs, and the convenience of being able to charge an EV at home as opposed to filling up at a gas station. A recent study by AAA found that while owning a new EV was “slightly more expensive” than owning a gas-powered automobile—about $600 more annually—drivers of EVs spend less on fuel and maintenance. “MOST “The electricity required to drive 15,000 miles per year MANUFACTURERS in a compact electric vehicle
WERE STANDING costs an average of $546, ON THE SIDELINES while the amount of gas required to drive the same
JUST A FEW YEARS distance costs $1,255 (or
BACK, BUT ARE 130%) more,” AAA explained. NOW ALL JUMPING And when it comes to vehicle maintenance, EVs IN WITH PLANS OF don’t require oil changes or BEING 100% ZERO- air-filter replacements like EMISSION VEHICLES gas-powered cars. “If maintained accordWITHIN A DECADE.” ing to the automaker’s —MILES BRANDON recommendations, electric vehicles cost $330 less than a gas-powered car, a total of $949 annually,” AAA said. As for what those unfamiliar with electric vehicles should know, Smith said anyone new to EVs should consider them a “viable option.” “Yes, EVs used to be priced—and, of course, many still are—for the wealthy,” Smith said. “However, the costs have come down significantly as EV options have increased over the past few years.” People also need to look beyond the initial purchase price and instead look at the total cost of ownership over the term of the lease or loan, Smith said. “Yes,” Smith added, “you can continue to wait until the costs come down even more over time, but then the current level of EV incentives at federal, state and local utility company levels will also continue to decrease over time—making the benefit of waiting less and the opportunity for annual savings even greater over time by jumping in now.”
BY BREEANA GREENBERG he Wyland Foundation, a local T environmental nonprofit, has launched the Streams of Hope public arts and awareness campaign to bring attention to the importance of maintaining the county’s storm drains, channels, and waterways.
Streams of Hope aims “to promote good water stewardship and give people a way to have fun doing it,” said Steve Creech, president of the Wyland Foundation.
The Wyland Foundation, funded by environmental artist Robert Wyland in 1993, works to protect and preserve the world’s oceans, waterways and marine life. Through community events, educational programs and public art projects, the foundation encourages environmental awareness.
The 29-year-old foundation developed the Streams of Hope campaign to bring awareness to pollution and marine debris in California’s storm drains and waterways.
“That’s really what the Wyland Foundation is all about,” Creech said. “Our goal is clean water, healthy oceans, but when you think about it, we all live downstream from somebody else. Whatever we’re putting into our storm drains will wash into our storm channels and eventually out to sea if it’s not intercepted.”
The Wyland Foundation developed the Streams of Hope campaign in partnership with the Municipal Water District of Orange County, Orange County Conservation Corps and the County of Orange.
It’s also sponsored by other agencies and organizations, including the Metropolitan
Water District of Southern California, the Orange County Department of Education’s Inside the Outdoors, and KCAL9/CBS2.
Through Streams of Hope, the Wyland Foundation also looks to bring awareness to the county’s Adopt a Channel program.
The program is “really a way for partners across Orange County to get involved and help support the cost of maintaining the storm channels around Orange County,” Creech said. “Orange County Conservation Corps plays a big part in that, because they provide employment and retraining for people, some from tough circumstances, but they get them on their feet and give them their first jobs, and a lot of that is maintaining those storm channels.”
The Streams of Hope campaign reminds residents that the trash and debris collected in storm drains and channels ultimately make their way to the ocean and impact marine life.
“The problems really start upstream, and especially now as our communities get larger and the things that we consume are spread wider across the community,” Creech said. “It’s one thing if there’s one home and there’s fertilizer running off into the storm channel and the local watershed, but when you’ve got 20 million people doing that, you’re looking at much bigger problems, and they magnify downstream.”
Throughout April, 8-foot by 4-foot, relief-style whale murals will be painted by artists across Orange County in celebration of Earth Month. The murals will be exhibited in shopping centers, City Halls, schools and Orange County storm channels and serve as a reminder of the impact land-based pollution and debris have on the ecosystem and marine life.
The first mural of the series was unveiled at the Festival of Whales in Dana Point and was painted by Huntington Beach artist Dave Reynolds.
The foundation recently announced that there will be three baby whale murals placed around Downtown Disney. The whales were painted by a group of artists from the Laguna Woods Art Association.
“Most of the artists are going to be local to that city, and then that statuette will be sponsored by that water district, painted by local artists and displayed in that area,” Creech said. “We want to keep it really local, because that’s really how we feel like these issues are going to be addressed; it’s locality by locality, neighborhood by neighborhood. That’s how you deal with pollution.”
The Streams of Hope website will be updated with the location and pictures of the murals as they are placed throughout Orange County.
To be a good environmentalist, the Wyland Foundation believes that one needs to both care and be informed. This program brings both of those aspects together, Creech said, to remind people of “the beauty around them and also encouraging them to seek out information and ways that they can get involved and take action.”
The Streams of Hope campaign will culminate in a large coastal and waterway cleanup effort on Earth Day and coincides with Wyland Foundation’s National Mayor’s Water Challenge—a friendly competition between U.S. cities to see who can best conserve water, energy and other natural resources.
The Foundation’s website includes a pledge to make “water-wise” choices, as well as actions that individuals, groups and communities can take on to conserve water. For individuals, some of the recommended actions are conserving toilet water and taking shorter showers, whereas community actions include eliminating plastic straws, organizing hazardous waste collection drives and holding community cleanups.
The Wyland Foundation will soon announce dates for beach and waterway cleanups for the Earth Month celebrations and the Streams of Hope campaign.
“Water pollution affects us all,” Municipal Water District of Orange County General Manager Rob Hunter wrote in a recent press release. “Every piece of trash or harmful chemical that ends up in our waterways encroaches on the fragile ecosystems that support healthy communities. This campaign serves as a reminder that we can all do our part to protect and preserve our natural resources through education, good environmental stewardship, and an action plan.”
WAYS TO RECYCLE
WHERE TO DO YOUR PERSONAL RECYCLING IN SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY
BY ZACH CAVANAGH
ocations for personal recycling
Lin South Orange County have faced plenty of changes over the past few years.
Back in 2019, rePlanet, California’s largest redemption recycling operator at the time, shut down its 284 locations across the state, including locations in San Clemente, Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano. At the time, Consumer Watchdog reported that 40% of California’s redemption centers had closed over the previous five years.
Despite some of those centers being scooped up and taken over by local companies after the rePlanet closures, more redemption centers have closed around South Orange County over the past few years.
However, despite these closures, there are still ways to get your personal recycling done and redeem cans and bottles around the area.
According to CalRecycle, there is only one redemption recycling center in the tri-city South Orange County area: Ponce Recycling in San Clemente, which operates behind the Ralphs at 638 Camino de los Mares.
Ponce Recycling is the company that grabbed some of the rePlanet centers in 2019. Outside of San Clemente, Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano, Ponce Recycling also has a center in Mission Viejo at 25104 Marguerite Parkway and in Aliso Viejo at 26901 Aliso Creek Road.
There are two other redemption recycle centers just outside the local area, according to CalRecycle. In Mission Viejo, you can visit Next Generation Recycling #2 at 27771 Center Drive, and in Aliso Viejo, there is CRV Recycling Solutions at 26892 La Paz Road.
For more recycling centers outside the immediate area, go to calrecycle.ca.gov/BevContainter/RecyclingCenters.
CalRecycle also provides a list of local stores that offer in-store CRV redemption for your cans and bottles.
In San Clemente, there are two participating Albertsons locations—at 989 Avenida Pico and 804 Avenida Pico—and at the Walmart at 951 Avenida Pico.
In Capistrano Beach, check out Dollar Tree at 34077 Doheny Park Road and Smart & Final at 34091 Doheny Park Road.
In Dana Point, go to Albertsons at 33601 Del Obispo Street, either CVS location at 32575 Golden Lantern or 32900 Pacific Coast Highway, Gelson’s Market at 24 Monarch Bay Plaza or Rite Aid at 24829 Del Prado.
In San Juan Capistrano, look for the Farmers Market at 31109 Rancho Viejo Road, Vons at 32401 Camino Capistrano or either Rite Aid at 32121 Camino Capistrano or 31890 Plaza Drive.
In Rancho Mission Viejo, check out Gelson’s Market at 30731 Gateway Place or Rite Aid at 30551 Gateway Place.
If gathering your bottles and cans and taking them to any of these locations is still too much of a hassle, there are other ways to recycle.
As has been featured previously in The Capistrano Dispatch and in our “Green Issue,” including this year’s, there is the entrepreneurial spirit of 12-year-old Ryan Hickman and Ryan’s Recycling.
Ryan and his dad, Damion, operate a pickup recycling business across Orange County that has been rolling for years. To schedule a pick-up, go to ryansrecycling.com/contact.
In an ever-changing world, there are still plenty of ways to do your part for the planet.
A Helping Hand
SJC’s Own Ryan Hickman CONTINUES CAMPAIGN TO KEEP SOUTH OC CLEAN AFTER GROWING IN POPULARITY
BY COLLIN BREAUX
Ryan Hickman has been busy since he was last profiled in 2016’s “Green Issue.”
The San Juan Capistrano-based youngster is active in recycling efforts in South Orange County, and he is a champion for sanitation in the local area and beyond.
“I’ve traveled around the country and even around the world speaking about taking care of our environment. I’ve gone to Alaska with Recycle Across America and Subaru to help teach people how to take care of the environment while camping at Denali,” Ryan said. “I was in a ‘Got Milk?’ commercial, I was a TIME magazine Kid of the Year finalist, I’ve gone to Vancouver to speak at ‘We Day’ and toured so many recycling facilities across the country.”
He’s also done plenty of interviews and been on television—including the Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. Even with the newfound national exposure, though, Ryan has not deviated from his core cause of keeping the world environmentally clean.
“Now, I’m 12 years old, and I’ve recycled nearly 1.6 million cans and bottles, and I’m still doing beach cleanups every week either after school or on the weekends,” he said. “In 2021, I started a nonprofit named Project3R, and its goals are to help educate people about recycling and taking care of our environment. I’m excited to teach people about how easy it is to take care of the environment.”
Ryan donates proceeds from his online shirt sales at ryansrecycling.com to help support his friends at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, which he estimates has reached about $15,000 so far.
“My dad and I typically do a beach cleanup every week, and it’s simply walking the beach for 60 or 90 minutes with a bucket and a trash grabber, picking up trash from the sand,” Ryan said. “We find a lot of small plastic items like straw wrappers that are important to pick up, because birds and other sea animals eat our trash, thinking it’s food. I’ve done quite a few large cleanup events, and we get hundreds of people coming out to join us. It’s awesome.”
Ryan has also found toys, which he cleans up and then donates.
The young green steward regularly picks up items, because he wants future generations to be able to enjoy a clean environment.
“I try to raise awareness because when people see it’s easy enough for a 12-yearold kid like me to do it, they can do it, too,” Ryan said.
Follow Ryan Hickman on Instagram @ryans_recycling and Facebook for upcoming cleanup dates and for more information.
THE IMPORTANCE OF REDUCING DAILY PLASTIC USE
AS THE PUBLIC BECOMES MORE AWARE OF THE DANGER THAT PLASTIC PRODUCTS PRESENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT, UNDERSTANDING WAYS TO ELIMINATE THEIR USE AND THE BARRIERS THAT PREVENT PEOPLE FROM PARTICIPATING CAN PROVIDE HELPFUL INSIGHT.
BY C. JAYDEN SMITH
lastics are an essential part of daily life and are used to protect P food, medication, and beauty products that can seem hard to live without. An estimated 367 million metric tons of plastic were produced in 2020, using various types of polyethylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene resins.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimated that 14.5 million tons of plastic containers were generated in 2018, contributing to 5% of all municipal solid waste (MSW) generation.
Additionally, more than 69% of those containers and packaging products ended up at landfills, and the amount recycled has been inconsistent, spelling trouble for the environment.
Single-use plastics, which can have a lifespan as short as a few minutes, often end up in the oceans and other bodies of water, where they harm animals by blocking their digestive tracts if consumed or by strangulation.
The overwhelmingly negative impact of plastics on the Earth has received massive media attention in recent years. Now that the public has grown increasingly aware of the problem, the next step is to find ways to mitigate these products’ effect, or to eliminate their use altogether.
Colleen Henn, a New Jersey transplant, has already helped some in the San Clemente area maintain their own efforts to live without plastic. Her business, All Good Goods, delivers pantry staples with the expectation of reusing glass jars for all orders.
Before Henn moved to California, she worked for six years with Surfrider Foundation, educating people about the impact of single-use plastics and advocating for legislation to prohibit plastic straws and Styrofoam.
She said that it is easiest for people to understand and empathize with the reality of plastic waste posing problems to marine life. From the beginning of its production stages to the end of its lifespan, otherwise known as the “cradle-tograve” process in the environmental world, there are several hazardous parts.
Fracking is the first step, in which wells are drilled into the earth to then release natural gas liquids— they can contaminate groundwater—that are then collected and sent through a pipeline that also has the potential to leak before ending up in a refinery, where the oils are used to make compounds for plastics.
“Those refineries tend to be in communities of color and have a high incidence of cancers, asthma, a whole suite of health issues due to the proximity of oil refineries,” Henn said. “And that’s all before the plastic is even being used.”
She added that there are also toxic chemicals, such as bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, to which consumers are exposed in the form of plastic storage containers and other products.
The affordability of plastics, to make them and to buy them, can overshadow the actual environmental and human health costs of production, as well as the costs of disposal, according to Henn.
Conversely, sustainable and reusable products can initially appear expensive because of the money necessary to make a product sustainably and pay fair wages to those who are a part of the process. As more options become widely available and more affordable, there is the opportunity for the general population to contribute positively.
“I think if you have the capacity and the ability to be able to afford sustainable products, it does pay off in the long run, because a lot of these are made to be used for years and years to come,” Henn said. “Choosing those more sustainable products is a really great way for people to make an impact.”
Another limiting factor that could prevent some from committing to a plastic-free lifestyle is merely access.
“Right now, when you go to the grocery store or when you go to a pharmacy to pick up something, chances are it’s going to be wrapped in plastic,” she added. “Luckily, there are companies out there that are sort of spearheading the change from a single-use plastic business model to a refill business model.”
Progress has been made, but “big wheels turn slow,” Henn cautioned.
For more individual efforts, she advised that people avoid trying to throw away every household object that contains plastic, as that can be overwhelming. Instead, identify one area where there may be too much waste, and slowly start from that point by purchasing shampoo bars to replace bottles.
Sustainability can even translate to families participating in arts and crafts activities.
When going to a craft store, avoid purchasing plastics such as glitter, or use mason jars to store unused paint at home.
Henn said that looking at all everyday actions through the lens of sustainability can help people on their journey, as they learn to think of how long they will use a certain product or whether a certain investment is worth the cost.
“I really like the lifestyle of sustainability, and it really is a lifestyle, because you become more minimal and you become more mindful,” she said.
Stores such as Sonora Refillery in Oceanside that sell home items in bulk, in addition to other utensils made out of alternative materials like bamboo, are helping the cause. Henn also recommended Eco Now and Fill Up Buttercup, both refill stations and purveyors of other goods located in Costa Mesa.
She challenged those who may be more able to purchase sustainable products from small businesses to do so, especially with larger corporations’ tendency to follow what successful, local companies do.
Henn said that such actions will go a long way and genuinely improve the lives of those who live sustainably.
“I think there is definitely something to say about just being prepared anytime you leave your house,” she said. “You want to have a reusable water bottle with you, you want to bring cutlery with you, you want to bring a reusable bag with you.”
By consistently practicing these efforts, habits will eventually form, and with the addition of planning ahead, sustainability becomes much easier to achieve, according to Henn.
THE GREEN ISSUE REDUCE AND REUSE
REPURPOSING OR UPCYCLING CAN LESSEN DEPENDENCE ON LANDFILLS
BY ZACH CAVANAGH
hile there is W plenty good being done by recycling, some argue a better way to make a positive impact on the environment is through repurposing or upcycling.
Where recycling takes materials and breaks them down for reuse, upcycling and repurposing takes items and materials out of that cycle. Instead of contributing to the stream of refuse, one can take items out of that loop and repurpose them into something that can be used around their home.
Things such as aluminum, cardboard and certain plastics can all be recycled, but there’s plenty to grab for upcycling. Upcycling and repurposing offer an alternative way to lessen the dependence on landfills.
Old or damaged furniture can be rescued from your own home, yard sales or thrift shops and the like and repurposed into different things around the home. Old dressers can become antique vanities, for example.
A popular example of upcycling is repurposing old metal trash cans. Rather than sending them to a local landfill, these metal barrels can be turned into planters for flowers or other garden-type displays.
What can and can’t be upcycled might be difficult to determine, and for some items, it might take more creativity than others.
For larger items, there are plenty of businesses and services that can take a look at things such as furniture to determine whether it should be trashed or if it could be repurposed at the home or sold somewhere else. Businesses including OC Junk Hauling can look at those items and haul them where they can be used.
While some large items such as furniture and trash cans can be obvious cases for repurposing, there are plenty of smaller everyday items that can be repurposed around the home.
As warmer weather and summer approach, you might be unearthing the pool toys from storage, and you might discover things such as pool noodles are in some disrepair. Instead of tossing the pool noodle, the foam tubes can be cut up and repurposed.
For young families, pool noodles can be excellent cheap forms of baby-proofing the home. The noodles can be cut and sliced to be affixed to sharp, hard edges. Also, as more people remain working from home, some stress can be relieved for those sitting at a keyboard all day by slicing up the pool noodle and used as a wrist rest.
When cleaning out those garages, you might find your electrical cords and other extension cords have formed quite a tangle. When reorganizing these cords, look for some ponytail bands or paper towel/toilet paper rolls to help store these coiled-up cords and not allow them to get tangled up again.
For plastics, various containers can be reused around the home. A plastic container that once housed a pile of cashews or other nuts can store nails or screws at your work bench for those summer projects. Plastic milk jugs can be sliced in half and used as scoops for items such as dog food.
In ways big and small, people can do their part to lessen their refuse and reuse items all around the home.
