Recommended Approval of Ralph's Center Great for Southwest San Clemente Infrastructure
Posted on March 20, 2009 by Matt.
As shown in this article from the San Clemente Times, the Planning Commission voted 4-2 in favor of recommending that the San Clemente City Council approve plans for a 68,000 square foot development that will include a new Ralph's shopping center, a tri-level parking deck, retail shops and restaurants. The Planning Commission had rejected the plans in early December but ultimately decided that the revamped Ralph's and the center's additions would bring much-needed revitalization to the 900 block of S. El Camino Real and Southwest San Clemente in general. The center will back to the 5 freeway near the El Camino Real exit and provide coastline views from the top level while blending into the area near the freeway and avoiding the obstruction of nearby residents' views.
Opponents of the plan have stated that the project is too gaudy for San Clemente's overall village feel and opine that this center will set an unwelcome precedent for future developments in San Clemente (according to this Orange County Register article from yesterday). As supporters point out, there are a lot of properties from Avenida Pico to the Carl's Jr. at the south end of El Camino Real that are vacant and for sale/lease, so this project will greatly improve the retail conditions in this vital corridor of Southwest San Clemente.
From my perspective, this is a much-needed facelift to S. El Camino Real and is something the residents of the South San Clemente areas really deserve. As anyone who lives in San Clemente knows, the downtown area and El Camino Real shopping in Central San Clemente is the most lively part of the city due to the amount of businesses and overall comfort and ambience of the shopping centers in the area. Once you travel south on El Camino Real, this "village feel" that opponents of the plan fall back on greatly diminishes and, to put it frankly, provides an eyesore in some areas. El Camino Real in the Central and Southwest areas is the infrastructure hub of San Clemente - it is where residents go to eat and meet with friends at the various shops and bars, and where tourists flock year-round to enjoy all that San Clemente has to offer as a coastal community. If you look at the plans for the center, yes it is large, but it is completely within the beautiful Spanish architecture designs seen throughout San Clemente. It would be one thing if this shopping center was an eyesore and did not blend in to the environment; however, the planners have gone to great lengths to ensure that the new center does not disrupt the views of the surrounding homes and in fact creates new ocean views for residents and visitors to enjoy. Southwest San Clemente is in great need of infrastructure, especially with the newer centers of Talega and the planned Target center in the Rancho San Clemente area. Southwest is mostly known for having some of the best beaches and surfbreaks in San Clemente; it is time for it to become a focal point due to its infrastructure and retail/eating options.
I applaud the efforts of the Planning Commission to push these plans through and hope that the City Council listens to the voice of the supporters (which far outnumber the opponents - as stated in the San Clemente Times article, the Planning Commission received 891 cards in support and only nine opposing the project). Another full-service grocery store in San Clemente can only be positive for the residents, and the additional shops and restaurants will create more jobs and options for residents and tourists alike. In these tough economic times when no one seems willing to build, it is nice to see the owners of this land willing to develop infrastructure for this vital area of San Clemente.
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