Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in San Juan Capistrano public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
5 issues with high priority
Compass Energy Storage Project litigation
The city announced that NG North America asked the California Energy Commission to suspend the Compass battery storage project proposed at the Saddleback Church property. The city will pause its lawsuit for 90 days and reassess.
Legacy Ranch Project at Northwest Open Space
The city is negotiating with Legacy Ranch Partners LLC over the price and terms for land at 30291 Camino Capistrano, known as the Northwest Open Space. What the city pays — or doesn't — could shape future open space in town.
Rosenbaum Road vacation and land sale to St. John Chrysostom Church
The city is moving forward with plans to vacate parts of Rosenbaum Road and Trabuco Creek Road and sell a small city parcel to a nearby church. Residents raised concerns about losing access to bike and walking paths and increasing traffic congestion.
Paving the Camino La Croix trail for emergency evacuation
A resident testified she couldn't reach her family during the fire because there is no cell service in parts of the city, urging the council to act — a resilience gap the fire made impossible to ignore.
French Hotel project and historic adobe restoration
A 70-room boutique hotel will restore the Domingo Yorba and Casa Manuel Garcia adobes on Camino Capistrano, opening a public courtyard between them for the first time in decades. Supporters see it as saving century-old buildings and boosting downtown tourism; the trade-off is tight on-site parking relying on a mechanical car lift and the city's park-once model.