There’s a vision for refreshing Dana Point’s aging Doheny Village and now, with the support of the California Coastal Commission, the city can design the zoning environment that will help projects happen and create the welcoming, walkable village that city officials hope will become a destination for locals and visitors.
The 80-acre village next to Doheny State Beach is home to a mix of dusty strip mall, industrial and commercial businesses interspersed with residences, some in apartment complexes and mobile home parks. Residents and shop owners have said they feel unsafe walking the streets and some business have closed because of a lack of pedestrian traffic. The area, especially in more recent years, had become a magnet for homeless and transient people, they said.
But on Feb. 9, the Coastal Commission approved the city’s plan for how to adjust zoning in the area to encourage development and investment while preserving, and even enhancing, officials said, the area’s eclectic combination of uses.
City officials said they are especially proud the commission’s staff had no tweaks for what the city is proposing.
“That is a significant feat and testament to the success of everyone’s hard work and dedication,” said Belinda Deines, the city’s senior project on the plan, which has been under development since 2018. “Our collaboration made a difference and this vote from the Coastal Commission confirms the crucial value of public participation. Now we can put our plan into action.”
Dana Point Mayor Mike Frost also applauded the collaboration, adding that “the spirit of the community makes Dana Point a great place to live and work. It’s evident in so much of what we do here and is why this city has a bright future.”
Discussions about the need to revitalize Doheny Village go back more than a decade. In 2015, city planners took a first stab with the help of a Northern California consulting group that most agreed missed the mark and offered…
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