The Boys & Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley will remain in its current location at the city’s Bell Tower for another year, despite city officials’ recent interest in using the space for a proposed museum.
The Boys & Girls Clubs has been occupying a space in the southwest wing of the Bell Tower building since 2012. But in January, city officials said they were looking to use the space to display an extensive collection of artifacts, maps and city-related documents.
That sparked concerns within the community about where the Boys & Girls Clubs would be able to operate. The city had been providing the space at no cost, said Nicole Watson, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley’s associate executive director, and the club did not wish to be displaced.
The City Council, in a meeting that spanned more than three hours for this one item and resulted in community members being removed from the council chambers, decided on Wednesday, April 10 to let the club re-sign its lease for one year.
Related links
Future of Rancho Santa Margarita’s Boys and Girls Clubs is uncertain amid museum talks
Rancho Santa Margarita plans a historical museum in the Bell Tower. Here’s what that would entail
Rancho Santa Margarita looks for a home to display its history
Rancho Santa Margarita envisions a new entrance for the city
Part of that agreement, however, means the club must provide a report to the city in six months outlining its efforts to address a decline in attendance and the presence of attendees from outside Rancho Santa Margarita. Following the report, a determination will be made regarding the club’s future, councilmembers said.
Since 2012, according to a staff report, Rancho Santa Margarita has contributed over $1.2 million to the Boys & Girls Clubs and funds the club $120,000 per year.
The club had its peak attendance in 2018 when just over 100 kids attended daily, but enrollment dropped 40%, with just over 60 kids attending in 2023, according to the staff report.
“I am really proud to live here,” Councilmember Brad McGirr said. “We can do this, there is a reason why people want to move here. I think we should move to extend the contract per the request of one year so we can address some of these issues to see if this is going to work.”
Councilmember Anthony Beall said that in January, the council believed the museum would “better serve the community” in the Bell Tower space because the club saw such a decline in attendance while still pulling in the same amount of funding from the city.
“Some in this community may not agree with the actions this council has taken,” said Beall, “but I stand with this council’s Jan. 10 decision.”
The vote to extend the lease was approved 4-1, with Beall being the only no. The agreement and requirements of the Boys & Girls Clubs will be finalized at a future meeting.
No decision was made Wednesday regarding the next steps for the museum.
A petition circulating in the community that asks the City Council to reconsider kicking the Boys & Girls Clubs out of the Bell Tower space garnered more than 700 signatures as of Friday.
Since November, Rancho Santa Margarita officials have been in search of a proper place to display an extensive collection of historical artifacts, maps and other documents. Some of the items collected date back to the 1920s, around 80 years before the city was even incorporated.
The city has collected historical items and information for several years through efforts by a group of volunteers at the Rancho Santa Margarita Historical Society. Many of the artifacts come from Rancho Santa Margarita’s long-time master planner, Richard Reese, who died last year. After his death, numerous documents about the planning of the city were donated in his honor.
Related Articles
How will DisneylandForward affect the Anaheim resort district?
Disney plan to grow theme parks up for critical vote that will shape Anaheim for decades
Think you’re in control of your life? Think again
Not too late to check out OC Fair’s Imaginology
Newport Beach’s library board to consider placement of two contested books in new process
Items the city wishes to display include photos and documents, newspaper clippings, soil samples from the early planning days, iron brands from the original O’Neill family ranch and memorabilia from when the housing tracks were first marketed to the city — just a sliver of what the city has in its possession.
Additionally, city leaders want Reese’s meticulous records and drawings he created while envisioning Rancho Santa Margarita in the late ’90s to be available for public viewing.
The City Council has not yet made a final decision on whether to designate the space within the Bell Tower for the new museum, which would cost about $300,000, but early plans to do so are already underway.
Leave a Reply