Contact Us

info@ranchoortega.com
@Rancho_Ortega

Announcements

Rancho Ortega Blog discusses matters of public interest in South Orange County, including the communities of San Juan Capistrano, Ladera Ranch and Rancho Mission Viejo.

The writings of Don Juan Ortega on the Rancho Ortega Blog are the personal views of the author. This blog is not authored by nor does it have any affiliation whatsoever with any other person, place or entity using the name "Rancho Ortega" (or any similar name).

We have installed some new anti-spam software, and we are going to try again with open registration. Registration and sign-in information are available at the bottom of the far right column. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, you may email us at info@ranchoortega.com.

Categories

Archives

http://www.ranchoortega.com/blog/archives/5057

La Pata Gap Closure Project Update

As reported in the OC Register here, the La Pata Gap Closure project is on schedule and making progress:

OC Public Works reports that construction of a $73 million, four-lane highway linking Ortega Highway with San Clemente is on schedule to open for cars by fall 2016. Thirty percent of the earth work between the [...]

http://www.ranchoortega.com/blog/archives/4916

Register Article on “Taking Out the Trash” for La Pata

The La Pata Gap Closure Project proceeds. While one crew starts road construction in the center of the gap, another crew works to excavate, move and re-bury trash that lies in the path of the roadway. The Register describes this process:

Amid heaps of tires, wine bottles, plastics, wood and other decaying, blackened garbage, excavators [...]

http://www.ranchoortega.com/blog/archives/4438

OC Weekly Article on Talega Mello Roos Refund Dispute

The OC Weekly published an article — one admittedly written with a distinct viewpoint — about whether Capistrano Unified School District ought to refund a portion of Talega’s Mello Roos tax assessments. We wrote extensively about Mello Roos in this article, wherein we cited the Franchise Tax Board on Mello Roos as follows:

In 1982, [...]

http://www.ranchoortega.com/blog/archives/4398

La Pata Gap Closure is Underway; Construction Update

The La Pata Gap Closure project is underway. Here is our first construction update:

La Pata Gap Connector Phase Begins!

The contractor for the La Pata Extension Project has begun the construction of the La Pata Gap Connector Phase that will extend the existing La Pata Avenue just south of Vista Montana to Calle Saluda [...]

http://www.ranchoortega.com/blog/archives/4350

OCTA Seeking Comments on its Draft Long Range Transportation Plan at Public Meeting Tonight

There is a ton of construction going on in South County right now. For the next few years, South County residents will need to deal with construction on I-5 at Avenida Pico, Ortega Highway and El Toro just for starters. We will also watch as the Rancho Mission Viejo transportation infrastructure is built out over [...]

http://www.ranchoortega.com/blog/archives/4207

Toll Roads Scrap I-5 Connector; Refocus on Tesoro Extension

The under-resourced and under-staffed Patch is still able to break some local news, such as this story:

Officials overseeing the 241 Toll Road in Orange County said today they have moved to scrap federal environmental reviews of an extension of the major arterial to San Diego County because they have languished for about a decade. [...]

http://www.ranchoortega.com/blog/archives/4178

Fifty Years in the Making: The La Pata Gap Closure Has Broken Ground!

It’s been a long time coming, but the much anticipated, much needed La Pata Gap Closure project broke ground on April 4th. Below is a picture from the groundbreaking ceremony that was tweeted by various participants and news outlets:

image source: Twitter

There have been signs of progress even before Friday’s groundbreaking. Anyone driving [...]

http://www.ranchoortega.com/blog/archives/4113

La Pata Gap Closure May Break Ground This Month

The long anticipated La Pata Gap Closure project may break ground early as this month. We’ve previously reported on the OC Board of Supervisors approving the funds and selecting a contractor for the road construction project, and now the dirt will start moving.

According to a recent letter to the community:

In Spring 2014, the [...]

http://www.ranchoortega.com/blog/archives/4040

OC Public Works Schedules Two La Pata Gap Closure Project Open Houses

The OC Public Works Department has scheduled two upcoming open houses for the public to learn more about the La Pata Avenue Gap Closure product and related construction. One open house will be held on either side of “the Gap.” The San Juan Capistrano/Ladera Ranch open house is scheduled for Tuesday, March 11, 2014 from [...]

http://www.ranchoortega.com/blog/archives/3566

Board of Supes Hire Contractor for La Pata Gap Closure

The Patch has some of the details here, but the short story is this: the project will take four years and cost $72.7 million. The end result will be a four lane road between San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano through the Prima Deshecha Landfill. Sukut Construciton Inc. won the bid, in spite of not [...]