Housing Could Replace Fading Dove Canyon Plaza

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, CA — William Lyon Homes thinks they have the answer for the Dove Canyon Plaza, which has seen as many businesses leave as have arrived in recent years.

Though hundreds of residents and business owners cried foul at a recent city council meeting, the company continues to spin ideas for how to better utilize the key real estate near the entrance of the gated Dove Canyon community.

"William Lyon Homes is still meeting with the neighbors to determine what plan would fit best with the community," they said in a released statement. "We'll be conducting additional outreach before a proposal and application is submitted to the city."

Ideas have included 135 town homes or 174 senior condos in the area that residents still believe would be better served with the shopping center. Any proposal could take up to 18 months to complete the vetting process, the City of Rancho Santa Margarita has said.

The retail space has evolved since the inception of the plaza, according to Lyons.

"In the 80s, families moved into the Rancho Santa Margarita planned community and needed places to shop and dine," the company said online. Recently, as other shopping became available, Dove Canyon Plaza has declined in sales and traffic, they said.

The developer is still floating ideas in the "conceptual phase," getting neighborhood input for their future efforts.

"No proposals have been submitted to the city," they said. "We will continue to plan alternatives after meetings with community stakeholders."

For more information on the evolution of Dove Canyon Plaza, visit: palomasquare.info