The Mission Viejo City Council has approved what officials said was the first significant housing proposal considered in the city since 2020, a six-story apartment building that redevelops part of the Vista Del Lago apartment community on Marguerite Parkway.
Equity Residential, which owns Vista Del Lago, plans to demolish 68 of the 608 existing units in the complex and some amenities to make way for the building with 418 new apartments, including 53 affordable units, and a seven-level parking structure with 658 spaces. The parking structure is set to begin below grade, with the apartments wrapping around.
Opponents, including nearby homeowners, raised concerns over traffic, parking and change to the neighborhood’s character with critiques over the scale of the six-story building. The divided council approved the project 3-2, with references to the state’s mandate that Mission Viejo plan for 2,217 new homes by 2029 to help meet housing needs in the region.
“This isn’t our legacy that’s gonna happen, this is the state’s legacy,” Mayor Wendy Bucknum said.
City officials have said the project is consistent with the housing element approved to meet those state mandates and also, state laws, including the Housing Accountability Act and the Housing Crisis Act of 2019, have limited cities’ ability to block projects aimed at increasing housing, especially affordable housing.
“Even though cities have traditionally controlled land use, today we find ourselves in a much different position,” said Cliff Jones, the city’s planning manager.
Equity Residential’s Drew Sullins tried to address concerns about the project’s scale and visibility to the neighboring community.
“The project site plan is very intentional,” he said. “By centralizing the new building on our 33-acre campus, it will be set hundreds of feet back, largely unseen by the community, behind existing buildings and mature landscaping.”
He also emphasized that the development’s future residents would help contribute to the city’s economy through new tax revenue.
“We’re pleased to present an opportunity to improve on (Vista Del Lago) and provide new housing options for Mission Viejo residents, including 53 income-restricted apartments where none exist today,” Sullins said.
Several people also spoke in favor of the project and advocated for more affordable housing elsewhere in the city, which would help, some said, address a shortage of housing for younger residents and workers.
“Change is hard, but I support this project,” said one longtime Mission Viejo resident. “We need more housing in Mission Viejo.
“Our schools are closing due to declining enrollment, and bringing younger families in helps rebuild the youth of our community.”
Built in 1986, the Vista del Lago complex at 21622 Marguerite Parkway has units across multiple two-story buildings. The property is mostly surrounded by single-family homes, with the Portola Plaza shopping center to its west.
This project would increase the total number of units at Vista del Lago to 958, adding a net total of 350 new apartments.