MISSION VIEJO : Panel OKs Storage Lot Expansion Plan

The Planning Commission has approved allowing a Mission Viejo recreational vehicle storage park to almost double in size despite objections from neighbors.

After a three-hour hearing Monday, the commission unanimously approved expanding the storage yard from 125 spaces to 222 spaces. But commissioners tried to address the concerns of nearby residents by attaching several conditions to the proposed expansion.

“It was hard to argue against (the expansion), since that has been the use of the property for 20 years,” Commissioner Sherrie Butterfield said. “Our frame of mind was to condition (the approval) so the storage yard would be a good neighbor for the residents.”

Owned by the Mission Viejo Co., the lot is located off Avery Parkway near Capistrano Valley High School.

Commissioners decided to prohibit the sale of gasoline on the premises and restrict professional repair services from being offered at the site. Also, the commission said the city would monitor an underground sewage tank to make sure that waste is flushed regularly.

Residents of the nearby Village San Juan Homeowners Assn. expressed concerns about lighting and the height of a fence separating the lot from homes in the area.

Commissioners required the construction of a 10-foot fence to protect households from light and noise from recreational vehicles coming in and out of the facility.

City staff members supported the expansion, saying more space was needed because city codes restrict the parking of recreational vehicles on the street. Code enforcement officers identified about 350 violations in the last two years of the city nuisance code relating to recreational vehicles.