Resolution Number 21-10-19-01Exhibit “A”
GPA 20-003 Markup of
Public Services and Utilities
Element
EXHIBIT "A"
Public Services & Utilities Element.
Table of Contents
Section Page
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1
Purpose of the Public Services & Utilities Element ....................................................................... 1
Scope and Content of the Public Services & Utilities Element...................................................... 1
Related Plans and Programs ................................................................................................................ 2
Relationship to Other General Plan Elements .............................................................................. 3
Issues, Goals and Policies ........................................................................................................................... 5
Law Enforcement and Fire Protection........................................................................................... 5
Public Education ............................................................................................................................ 6
Community Centers/Civic Uses .................................................................................................... 6
Libraries ......................................................................................................................................... 6
Water and Sewer Services .................................................................................................................... 7
Power, Communications and Solid Waste Disposal Service ......................................................... 7
Related Goals and Policies................................................................................................................... 8
Public Services & Utilities Plan ........................................................................................................................... 10
Law Enforcement and Fire Protection ........................................................................................ 10
Public Education ........................................................................................................................... 12
Community Facilities/Civic Uses ....................................................................................................... 13
Libraries ............................................................................................................................................... 13
Water and Sewer Service .............................................................................................................. 13
Power, Communications and Solid Waste Disposal Service ....................................................... 15
December 14, 1999 San Juan Capistrano General Plan
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Public Services & Utilities Element
List of Tables
Table Page
PSU-1 Related Goals and Policies by Element ............................................................................... 9
List of Figures
Figure Page
PSU-1 Schools, Library and Fire Station ...................................................................................... 11
PSU-2 Water Service ..................................................................................................................... 14
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Purpose of the
Public Services &
Utilities Element
Scope and Content
of the Public Services &
Utilities Element
Introduction
The Public Services & Utilities Element addresses the
community need for public services and utilities. The majority of
San Juan Capistrano is developed and sufficiently served by
existing public services and utilities. Future development of the
remaining vacant land within the City ·will require expansion of
public services and utilities to meet the increase in demand for
service. Planning for this future increase in demand will ensure
that the needs of future residents for public services and
infrastructure are met, while avoiding adverse impacts to the
existing community.
The purpose of the Public Services & Utilities Element is to
ensure that sufficient levels of public services are provided as
S an Ju an Capi strano develops. Working in conjunction with the
Growth Management Element, the Public Services & Utilities
Element plans for the needed expansion of public services and
infrastructure to coincide with new development. Many of the
public service provider are agencies or utility providers that operate
independently of the City or are contracted by the City to provide
services such as law enforcement, fire protection, electrical
service, gas service, and telecommunications service . To ensure
a sufficient level of public services, the City will work with these
agencies or providers to ensure that service to existing
residents does not diminish with any future development and t h e
resulting increase in population.
The Public Services & Utilities Element is not a state-mandated
element. The issues addressed within the Public Services &
Utilities Element closely relate to the Growth Management
Element which is required by the County of Orange to qualify
for voter approved Measure M sales tax funding. The Element
is comprised of three sections: 1) Introduction, 2) Issues, Goals
and Policies and (3) the Public Service & Utilities Plan. In the
Issues, Goals and Policies section, major issues related to the
provision of public services and utilities are identified and related
goals and policies are established to address these issues. The
goals, which are overall statements of the community's desires,
are comprised of broad statements of purpose and direction. The
policies serve as guides for working with local and regional
agencies for planning infrastructure and facility improvements
to provide sufficient levels of service. The Plan explains how the
goals and policies will be achieved and implemented, while the
General Plan Implementation Program, contained in
Appendix A,
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1919991999
identifies the specific implementation programs for
this element.
Related Plans and
Programs
A number of existing plans and programs exist thatwhich
directly relate to the goals of the Public Services & Utilities
Element. Enacted through state and local action, these plans and
programs are administered by agencies responsibleileity for their
enforcement.
Capistrano Unified School District Master Plan
The Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) has a Five-Year
Master Plan to primarily assist and enhance the facility planning
efforts of District staff and the Board of Trustees. The Five-Year
Plan addresses educational programs, existing facilities,
demographic data, state school construction programs and future
educational planning issues.
San Juan Capistrano Open Space Master Plan
The City of San Juan Capistrano adopted an Open Space Master
Plan in 1992. The purpose of this Master Plan is to implement
Measure D which was passed by the voters allowing for the
purchase and enhancement of certain open space and
recreational areas within the City. As part of this Master Plan,
the City incorporated the need for multi-use facilities and other
recreational opportunities. Implementation of the Master Plan
will provide a range of community facilities and recreational
opportunities.
Civic Center Master Plan
In 1990,the City of San Juan Capistrano adopted a Civic Center
Master Plan for the future relocation of civic offices to a site on
Camino Capistrano, adjacent to the San Juan Capistrano
Library. Since the Master Plan's adoption, many changes in the
operation and providing of municipal services have occurred.
This Master Plan will need to be revised to reflect these
changes in operations and reduced personnel requirements.
Water Master Plan
The majority of San Juan Capistrano receives water service from
the Santa Margarita Water District, which annexed the City’s
water utilities into its District in 2021City. A small portion of
northwestern San Juan Capistrano and the Sphere of Influence
is located in the Moulton Niguel Water District (MNWD). The
City of San Juan Capistrano recently acquired CVWD. San
Juan Capistrano has entered into
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3 D ecember 14, l999 San Juan Capistrano General Plan
an agreement with MNWD to provide water service to the
portion of MNWD located in the City and the Sphere of
Influence. A W a t e r Master Plan was completed in February
1999 which addresses the future water needs of the community.
This Master Plan is based on the anticipated buildout population of
the service area.
Sewer Master Plan
The City of San Juan Capistrano Santa Margarita Water District also
provides the sewer service to the community. The City has
adopted a Sewer Master Plan for San Juan Capistrano. The
Sewer Master Plan describes the backbone collection system
needed to serve the community.
Integrated Waste Management Plan
The California Integrated Waste Management Act (AB 939) of
1989 ch anged the focus of solid waste management from landfill to
diversion strategies such as source reduction, recycling and
composting. The purpose of the diversion strategies is to reduce
dependence on landfills for solid waste disposal. AB 939
required a 25 percent reduction in the solid waste stream by
11995 and requireds a 50 percent reduction by 2000. In 1991, the
Cities of San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point and San Clemente (Tri-
cities) adopted a Source Reduction and Recycling Element (SRRE)
to implement AB 939. In addition, the Tri-cities adopted a
Household Hazardous Waste Element- (HHWE) to develop
programs to address household hazardous waste in compliance
with AB 2707, a companion bill to AB 939.
Relationship to
Other General
Plan Elements
According to state planning law, the Public Services & Utilities
Element must be consistent with the other General Plan
elements. While all of the elements are interdependent, they are
also interrelated to a degree. Certain goals and policies of each
element may also address issues that are primary subjects of other
elements. This integration of issues throughout the General Plan
creates a strong basis for the implementation of plans and
programs and achievement of community goals. The Public
Services & Utilities Element is most directly related to the Land
Use, Growth Management, Safety, and Conservation & Open
Space Elements of the General Plan.
Land use policies contained in the Land Use Element determine
the pattern and intensity of future population growth, and this in
tum determines the type, size and location of certain public
facilities. The Growth Management Element establishes
standards for the level of public services provided to assure that
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4 San Juan Capistrano General Plan December 14, 1999
future needs for expanded public services and utilities can be
met before new development is allowed.
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· Issues, Goals, and Poli cies
Public services and utilities are necessary to support urban
development. The quality of life experienced by residents of
the community is directly related to how effectively these
services are provided.
The following six issues are addressed by the goals and
policies of the Public Services & Utilities Element:
availability of sufficient (1) law enforcem ent and fire
protection; (2) public education; (3) community
centers/civic uses; (4) libraries; (5) water and sewer service;
and (6) power , communications and solid waste disposal
service. Each issue and the related goals, policies and
implementation actions are i denti fi ed and discussed in the
following section.
Law Enforcement
and Fire Protection
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department provides law
enforcement to San Juan Capistrano. This service is essential
to the safety of the population of San Juan Capistrano. Since
law enforcement is a contracted service, the City must be
involved in close coordination with the Orange County Sheriff
to ensure that appropriate levels of service are provided to the
community.
Public Services &.Utilities Goal 1: Work with the Orange
County Sheriff's Department to provide a sufficient level of
law enforcement.
Policy 1.1: Work closely with the Orange County
Sheriff’s Department in determining and meeting
community needs for law enforcement services and services.
Policy 1.2: Peri odi call y eval uat e t he l evel of l aw
enforcement service to ensure that San Juan Capistrano has
appropriate levels of law enforcement services.
The Orange County Fire Authority provides fire protection
to San Juan Capistrano. This service is essential to the safety
of the population of San Juan Capistrano, especially with the
threat of wildfires. Since fire protection is provided by a
separate agency, the City must be involved in close
coordination ·with the Orange County Fire Authority to
ensure that appropriate levels of service are provide d to
the community.
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6 San Juan Capistrano General Plan December 14, 1999
Public Services & Utilities Element
Public Services & Utilities Goal 2: Work with the Orange
County Fire Authority to provide a sufficient level of fire
protection.
Policy 2.1: Work closely with the Orange County Fire Authority in
determining and meeting community needs for fire protection
services and facilities.
Policy 2.2: Periodically evaluate the level of fire protection
service to ensure that San Juan Capistrano has appropriate levels
of fire protection services.
Public
Education
Community
Centers/
Civic Uses
Libraries
San Juan Capistrano is located within the Capistrano Unified
School District (CUSD). Many of the existing schools are
impacted by high numbers of students and some existing schools
are located near areas with high traffic volumes which affect the
safety of the students attending those schools. In addition,
school funding to assist with the issue of overcrowding and
demand for additional facilities may be limited by the passing of
SB 50.
Public Services & Utilities Goal 3: Work effectively with the
Capistrano Unified School District to provide a sufficient level
of public education.
Policy 3.1: Work closely With Capistrano Unified School
District in determining and meeting community needs for public
education and related activities.
Policy 3.2: Work with Capistrano Unified School District in
investigating potential locations and funding sources for new
schools, including a future high school.
San Juan Capistrano provides a mixture of community center
facilities, including City Hall and the Community Center. The
available community facilities should reflect San Juan
Capistrano's diverse community.
Public Services & Utilities Goal 4: Provide sufficient
community facilities.
Policy 4.1: Work closely with community groups in providing
community facilities which meet the needs of the community.
The Orange County Public Library system provides library
services to San Juan Capistrano. The availability of reading and
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reference material to all members of the community is an
important measure of the quality of life in San Juan Capistrano.
Public Services & Utilities Goal 5: Work with the Orange
County Public Library to provide a sufficient level of
library facilities and services.
Policy 5.1:Work closely with the Orange County Public Library
in determining and meeting community needs for library
facilities and services, including hours of operation.
Water and
Sewer Service
Power, Communications
and Solid
Waste Disposal
Service
Sewer and water service is an essential component of the
infrastructure needed to support urban development. Water
and sewer service is provided by the Santa Margarita Water
DistrictCity.
Public Services & Utilities Goal 6: Provide sufficient levels of
water and sewer service.
Policy 6.1:Provide sufficient levels of water and sewer service to
meet the needs of the community.
Southern California Gas provides natural gas to the City, while San
Diego Gas & Electric provides electricity. Telephone service is
provided by Pacific Bell and cable is provided by Cox
Communications. San Juan Capistrano disposes of its solid waste
in a County of Orange Integrated Waste Management landfill
facility. The City's solid waste is collected by SOIAG, a private
hauler. These sources of energy, communications and solid waste
management are necessary to support existing and future
developm ent in the community.
Public Services & Utilities Goal 7: Work effectively
w i t h providers of natural gas, electricity, telephone, cable
television and solid waste disposal to provide sufficient levels
of these · services.
Policy 7.1: Work closely with providers of energy,
communications and solid waste disposal in determining and
meeting the needs of the community for energy,
communications and solid waste disposal.
Policy 7.2: Encourage energy effici ent developmen t.
Policy 7.3: Encourage the expansion of telecommunications
capabilities to promote economic developm ent of the
community.
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8 San Juan Capistrano General Plan December 14, 1999
Policy 7.4: Reduce the per capita production pf solid waste in
San Juan Capistrano in concert with the City's Source Reduction
and Recycling Element .
Related Goals
and Policies
The goals and policies described in the Public Services &
Utilities Element are related to and support subjects included
within other General Plan elements. In tum, many goals and
policies from other elements directly or indirectly support the
goals and policies of the Public Services and Utilities Element.
These supporting goals and policies are identified in Table PSU-
1.
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Table PSU-1
Related Goals and Policies by Element
General Plan Elements
Public Services & Utilities Issue Area
Law
Enforcement
and Fire
Protection
Public
Education
Community
Ccnter/Civic
Uses
libraries Wat.er and
Sewer
Service
Power,
Communications
and Solid Waste
Disposal Service
Land Use 1.3, 2.1 1.3, 2.l 1.3, 2.1 1.3, 2.1 l.3,2.1,
7.2, 7.3
1.3, 2.1, 7.2, 7.3
Housing
Circulation
Safety
Conservation & Open 7.1 , 7.2, 6.6
Space 7.3
Noise
Cultural Resources
Community Design
Growth Management 1.1, l.2, l.3, 1.1, 1.2, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.1, 1.2, 1.1, 1.2, 1.1 , 1.2, 1.3, 4. 1,
4.1, 4.2 l.3, 4.1, 4.1, 4.2 1.3, 4.1, l.3, 4.1, 4.2
4.2 4.2 4.2
Parks & Recreation 1.1, 1.3, 1.3,
1.4, 1.5, 1.7,
3.1
Public Services & Utilities
Floodplain Management
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Law Enforcement
and Fire Protection
Public Services &Utilities Plan
Sufficient law enforcement and fire protection are necessary to
ensure the public health and safety. The City contracts with the
Orange County Sheriff’s Department to provide law
enforcement service within the City. The Orange County Sheriff
also serves the unincorporated Sphere of lnfluence. The Sheriff
Department 's Aliso Viejo Station, located in Aliso Viejo, serves
the City, with a small Police Services office located behind the
City Hall. The Associated Senior Action Program (ASAP) is a
senior volunteer group which assists the Sheriff with policing
activities within San Juan Capistrano. The City has adopted the
following service standards for the provision of sufficient law
enforcement within the City. Sheriff deputies should:
• Arrive at the scene of an emergency within five (5) minutes,
50 percent of the time;
• Arrive at all emergencies within eight (8) minutes;
• Arrive at all non-emergencies within 15 minutes or less,
75 percent of the time; and
• Arrive at all non-emergencies within 30 minutes.
The City also uses the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA)
for fire protection services within the City boundaries. The
OCFA also provides fire protection service to the
unincorporated Sphere of Influence. One fire station, Station
7, is located within the City on Del Obispo Street. Figure PSU-
1 depicts the location of Station 7. In addition to Station 7,
nine OCFA fire stations located outside of the City provide fire
protection and emergency response to San Juan Capistrano.
The Orange County Fire Authority has adopted the following
servi ce standards for the provision of fire protection within the
City:
• First-in fire engine should arrive on-scene to both medical
aids and fire within five (5) minutes 80 percent of the time;
• First-in truck company should arrive on-scene to
fires within 10 minutes 80 percent of the time; and
December 14, 1999 10 San Juan Capistrano General Plan
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• First-in paramedic companies should arrive on-scene at all
medical aids within eight (8) minutes 90 percent of the time.
For both law enforcement and fire protection, ensuring public
safety requires maintaining adequate staffing, equipment and
facilities. The City will work with the Orange County Sheriff
Department and the OCFA to ensure that the level of service
provided by each corresponds to the number of residents and
businesses ·within San Juan Capistrano, as well as the current fire
hazards and crime problems.
Public Education The Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) encompasses
the City of San Juan Capistrano. Four CUSD schools are located
within the City, including three elementary, and one junior high
school. The schools are: San Juan Elementary, Del Obispo
Elementary, Ambuehl Elementary, and Marco Forester Junior
High. High school students from San Juan Capistrano leave the
City to attend one of three CUSD high schools: San Clemente
High, Dana Hills High, or Capistrano Valley High. All of the
schools are either at, or over their permanent building design
capacity, with student enrollment beyond the permanent building
capacity accommodated within portable classrooms. In addition,
CUSD operates one continuation high school, Serra High
School, and one adult school, Capistrano Adult School, within
the City. Figure PSU-1 depicts the location of the school sites
within San Juan Capistrano . The funding of school facilities has
been impacted by the passing of SB 50. The new law limits the
impact fees school districts can charge to off-set the impact of
new development on the school system. No Community
Facilities Districts currently exist in the City to help fund
schools.
New residential development in the City will create additional
demand for schools. Since the current school facilities are at
capacity, additional schools will be required. The City will work
with CUSD to update information in the Master Plan, identify
future facility sites, student generation formulas, and facility
improvement plans. The City is especially interested in working
with the District to explore the feasibility of forming a new high
school within San Juan Capistrano .
The City will also review development proposals to ensure that
the proposals are consistent with school facility requirements.
The City will also review proposals to ensure that all required
fees and land dedication has been included in the proposals and
that the school district receives the fees and/or land for school
sites.
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Community Facilities/
Civic Uses
Libraries
Water and
Sewer Service
San Juan Capistrano contains a variety of community facilities to
serve its diverse population. The recently completed community
center on Camino del Avian provides space for meetings and
indoor activities, as well· as providing outdoor space for a wide
range of active, recreational activities. Other facilities include
the Old Fire Station, the Public Library, and the San Juan
Capistrano Mission.
The City wil1 work to assess the feasibility of relocating the
existing City Hall to provide a modernized operations center for
the community. City-owned historic structures will also be
assessed and prioritized to establish a maintenance and
rehabilitation schedule.
Public libraries serve several community purposes including,
education, recreation and dissemination of public information.
The Orange County Public Library (OCPL) system provides
library services to the City. The San Juan Capistrano Regional
library is located on El Camino Real, near the Mission. Figure
PSU-1 depicts the location of the library. The City is fortunate
in that the regional library is a state-of-the-art facility, which has
attracted nationwide attention. OCPL also provides interlibrary
loans with other OCPL libraries and offers after school/summer
reading programs and literacy programs.
As development occurs, the City V1rill continue to work with the
Library Advisory Board to ensure that the OCPL's adopted
service standard of 1.5 books and 0.2 square feet of library
facility per capita is maintained and community needs for library
services are met.
Good municipal water and sewer service is necessary to protect
public health in urban settings. A Water Master Plan, which
identifies necessary future improvements, was completed in
February 1999. A small portion of northwestern incorporated
city, and the unincorporated Sphere of Influence, is located
within the Moulton Niguel Water District (MNWD). While these
portions are within MNWD, the City’s water purveyor, Santa
Margarita Water District ,City is under an agreement to
provide water to the area. Figure PSU-2 depicts the service
boundaries. The City obtains the majority of its water from the
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California through the
South County Pipeline and the Tri-Cities Municipal Water
District through the Eastern and Joint Transmission Mains. This
water is imported from the Colorado River and/or the California
State Water Project (SWP). The remainder of City’sCVWD's
water consist of local groundwater from the San Juan Ground
water Basin.
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Santa Margarita
Capistrano Valley
Water District
Moulton Niguel
Water District
Mission
Viejo City Boundary
I.••••" I Sphere of Influenc e
Source: Capistrano Valley Water District
Water Mlaster Plan (February 1 999)
Laguna
Niguel
San Clemente
Pacific Ocean
0 ½ 1
Mile
Figure PSU-2
Water Service
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Santa Margarita Water District also provides tThe City’s also
provides its own sewer service. I n 1990 the City purchased
additional wastewater capacity and it is anticipated that the
existing capacity will meets the needs of the projected General
Plan buildout. The existing Sewer Master Plan identifies the
backbone collection system needed to serve the City and this
Plan.
Power, Communications
and Solid
Waste Disposal Service
Ensuring good water and sewer service in the City and Sphere of
Influence will require maintaining the infrastructure and
extending new infrastructure to serve new development.
Development proposals will be reviewed for consistency with
established water and sewer infrastructure requirements. The
CitySanta Margarita Water district will also continue to
implement the Water and Sewer Master Plans and evaluate
additional funding sources for sewer system improvements.
New technologies will be utilized by Santa Margarita Water
Districtthe City to improve water and 'sewer service to the
community.
Sufficient levels of power, solid waste disposal and
communications are necessary to protect the public safety and
provide the necessary infrastructure for a successful
community. Electricity within the City is provided by San
Diego Gas & Electric, natural gas is provided by the Southern
California Gas Company, telephone service is provided by
Pacific Bell and cable television service is provided by Cox
Communications. The existing power and communication
infrastructure will be extended to serve future development.
Proposed development projects will be reviewed for power and
communication service requirements in conjunction ·with the
service providers. The dedication of right-of-way for
infrastructure will be required where necessary. Development
proposals will be reviewed for consistency with the service
providers' power and communication infrastructure
requirements.
SOLAG, a private solid waste hauler, collects and disposes of
the City's solid waste. This service will be extended as
additional development occurs in the future. The City's solid
waste is disposed at the County of Orange Integrated Waste
Management Department's Prima Deshecha landfill, located off
of Ortega Highway within the City. As a result of the conflict
resulting from the increase in the amount of trash being
imported from outside of the county to the Prima Descheca
facility, the City has entered into a Memorandum of
Understanding with the County to cap the amount of trash the
landfill can accept.
December 14, 1999 15 San Juan Capistrano General Plan
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Implementation of the SRRE and HHWE will reduce the
amount of solid and toxic waste entering landfills. AB 939,
enacted in 1989, required a 25 percent reduction in the solid
waste stream by 1995 and requires a 50 percent decrease by
2000. These reductions will be achieved through recycling and
composting of solid waste, reduction of the amount of solid
waste produced and public education. Implementation of the
SRRE and HHWE will result in other environmental benefits
in addition to reducing landfill capacity and toxicity impacts.
For example, recycling reduces the amount of raw resources
and energy used to construct new containers. The City will
also continue to monitor operations of the Prima Deshecha
Landfill to ensure that the County is able to comply with the
required plans and standards for the future recreational use of
the site.
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