Marblehead Coastal Development

By G. Wayne Eggleston

Recently, the city council voted to change the General Plan and allow the Lusk Company to construct 435 homes, an off-price shopping center, and a 21 screen theatre with 4500 parking spaces and a 4-5 level parking structure. We need to have a single land-use study for Marblehead Coastal instead of the piecemeal studies which have been done.

The developer has had piecemeal studies done, but there has never been a single land use study for the entire parcel. This type of study, paid for by the developer, would tell all of us the best usage for the entire property.

San Clemente needs sales tax revenue, but does it make sense to construct additional shopping centers when we currently have a very high retail vacancy rate and will be constructing the Walmart Center.Can we absorb all of this retail, when San Clemente has not been known as as "Shopping Town." Do we need more vacant shopping centers?

When the Target representative was asked what is the amount of population you need to sustain a Target, and he replied 150,000. Asked how far north one has to go to find 150,000 in population and he replied north to Alisio Viejo. Well, Alisio Viejo has a Target, and I just can not visualize caravans of cars streaming down the freeway from there to shop at Target in San Clemente. It doesn't make sense. Fortunately, the city council voted to delete a Target, but there are those candidates who still support a Target. Know who they are, because they will urbanize San Clemente.

We need businesses that will generate additional revenue to our existing businesses in town, not take it away.A resort hotel with an executive golf course would do that. It would bring into San Clemente the visitor with spendable income, who would shop in our stores and eat in our restaurants. The bed tax revenue would be tremendous-all we have to do is look at our neighbhor to the north, Dana Point,to see the potential for bed tax revenue (over $3,000,000 per year).

We can do the same. San Clemente is famous for its beaches and weather and small-town charm. This needs to be marketed in a manner that will bring in visitors to our city. Yes, we do not wish to become another Laguna Beach with traffic, and we will not. El Camino Real is laid out in a manner from North Beach to Del Mar that is much different from PCH in Laguna.But we need the sales tax revenue, so that we are not taxed further for essential city services. This is certainly one of the keys for our success.

The Marblehead issue needs to be revisited and this time a development needs to be proposed that will have the backing of the collective consciousness of the community. This has been a very divisive issue, but it can become an issue where all of us can have a win/win situation.

The 3 candidates who are being supported by the Chamber of Commerce and the Lusk Company have received the endorsement of the Chamber PAC (Political Action Committee). Their signs are all over the Marblehead property. The PAC has received thousands of dollars of donations from developers and business interests outside of San Clemente. It is critical for you, the voter, to know where this money is coming from and if it is in the very best interests of the residents of this community when big business and developer support comes from outside the community. What does this tell us? Become informed. San Clemente is at a crossroads and this election will determine the fate of our Spanish Village by the Sea.