Rancho Mission Viejo LLC, environmentalists and the county on Tuesday detailed a pact that should clear the way for development of the largest vacant swath of land left in Orange County.
Rancho Mission Viejo, which is based near San Juan Capistrano, is set to build the same amount of homes as originally planned,14,000,along the county’s southern foothills.
But it’s setting aside more open space,17,023 acres,a 12% increase from the initial plan.
Now 75% of Rancho Mission Viejo’s acreage is set to be open space and protected habit, versus 66% previously approved by the county.
“Today’s settlement agreement is a formidable achievement for the people of Orange County,” county Supervisor Tom Wilson said. “I appreciate the leadership demonstrated by Rancho Mission Viejo’s President and Chief Executive Officer Tony Moiso and the conservation groups in working through a significant number of complex issues with the Ranch, which has resulted in this settlement agreement.”
The environmental groups on board include Endangered Habitats League; Laguna Greenbelt Inc.; Natural Resources Defense Council; Sea and Sage Audubon Society; and the Sierra Club.
The groups filed suit in December, challenging the county’s approval of the basic development plan.
Rancho Mission Viejo is the development arm of the Moiso, O’Neill, and Avery families, longtime farmers here who own 22,815 acres in the county’s southeastern corner. They are set to continue farming and ranching there, under the agreement.
The agreement also states more than a mile of uninterrupted coastal sage scrub in Chiquita Canyon, home to the threatened California gnatcatcher, will be preserved. Habitats of other species, such as the arroyo toad, also should be protected.
In all, 12,000 acres of open space in the heart of the San Mateo watershed will be protected.
