After years of negotiations, the San Juan Hills Golf Club and the city of San Juan Capistrano have collaborated on a project to bring a brand-new park to the community.
The San Juan Capistrano City Council unanimously approved a plan to lease a 3.3-acre of city-owned property off of San Juan Creek Road to the Golf Club to create the La Novia Passive Park on Tuesday, June 6.
This new park, on the corner of San Juan Creek Road and La Novia Park Avenue, will have many unique features for the community to enjoy such as a native pollinator garden, bench seating, oak shade trees, a boardwalk, 50 citrus trees and a hitching post for horses as well as a corrugated water trough that will have a windmill to circulate the water.
There will be a white vinyl fence that will run through the park to differentiate the San Juan Hills Golf Club from the park’s property.
“It is going to be a great attribute to the community and neighborhood,” said Mayor Howard Hart. “Everyone involved has really turned this project into an attractive design while maintaining the rustic character of the neighborhood.”
The City Council approved a 30-year initial term lease with a 20-year available extension. The lease comes at a cost of $50,000 annually to fund park maintenance and supplement other nearby city-constructed improvements.
“The San Juan Hills Golf Club is committed to being an important resource here in San Juan Capistrano,” said Ryan Brown, general manager of the Golf Club. “Be it our beautiful golf course, upbeat lighted driving range, exciting sports bar, live entertainment weekends or banquet facilities enabling the community to celebrate what is important in their respective lives, we are a welcoming place for golfers and guests of all ages and abilities, and for events valued to our neighbors and friends.”
The park, Brown said, will replace a “less appealing weeded area” and “will ‘green up’ and beautify this area, and the passive park will provide a serene environment for residents.”
“This idea has been in the works for years, and we are delighted to be able to bring it to fruition at this time,” said Brown.
A yet-to-be-determined third-party landscaping company will survey the property to determine the proper action items needed before construction begins.
A San Juan Hills Golf Club project around this specific property has been in the works for many years, dating back to 2014 when the City Council initially approved a funding agreement through 2016.
Since, the City Council has been extending its funding agreements as construction and new developments on the Golf Club, such as changes to the clubhouse and various landscape projects, have progressed.
The new park will “add so much to the community,” said Councilmember John Taylor, who was part of a subcommittee that oversaw the creation and execution of this project.
There is not yet a projected start date for the construction to begin.
