Developer of Empty Dealership Wants to Take Proposal to the Voters

Having failed to convince the City Council that the former Nissan dealership should be rezoned for a commercial center, the owners have filed a notice they will take their case directly to the registered voters in Rancho Santa Margarita.

“The public interest is not served by waiting around forever for one of the auto manufacturers to change its mind and decide to open another new car dealership on the former Nissan dealership property in RSM,” says the notice, filed with the city Feb. 13.

Theory R Properties bought the former Family Nissan site in 2012. It wants to rezone the 4.75-acre property to allow a retail center, anchored by 24 Hour Fitness.

Both the Planning Commission and the City Council have passed, relying on staff recommendations that say even waiting years for another dealership to move in would be worth the extra tax dollars that type of business generates in a short period of time.

So now Theory R Principal Joe Daichendt, who signed the notice of intent, wants to make his case directly to the public.

A zone change would “enable a long vacant and underutilized property in a prominent location of the city be returned to productive use,” says the proposed ordinance. It would also “eliminate the blight,” supply jobs and generate tax revenues.

On Friday, the city attorney signed off on the title of the ordinance, as it will appear on a future ballot. It is to be called:

An ordinance of the people of the city of Rancho Santa Margarita, California, changing the zoning classification of the former Nissan automobile dealership property from auto center/auto center overlay to commercial general/auto center overlay and amending the city’s general plan to confirm the property’s general plan land use designation is general commercial.

“The November ballot is what we’re going for, the general election,” Joe Daichendt said.

WOULD YOU VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE ZONE CHANGE, CLEARING THE WAY FOR A COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT? TELL US IN THE COMMENTS.