SJC Chamber Supports the Zoomars Dinosaur
By Mark Bodenhamer, CEO of the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce
Mark Bodenhamer
One of the best aspects of my job is frequently agreeing with the people that I’m technically “disagreeing” with. In other words, I find that people speaking in opposition to a Chamber policy usually have the same goals and big picture vision that we do; it’s subtle nuances and minor differences of perspective that put us on opposing sides of an issue.
For example, we might advocate for relaxed sign ordinances yet totally understand those who want to protect the charm of the community by avoiding too many signs, banners, etc. I take that as a sign of how good things are in San Juan Capistrano and how many people are passionate about doing what’s best for the community. The issue of the dinosaur at Zoomars fits this model exactly; I understand the spirit of the arguments against the statue but the Chamber believes it’s right to keep the statue where it is.
The three main questions that drove the Chamber’s decision were: One, what precedents have been set? Two, how will it impact the Los Rios Historic District? And three, what is best for the community overall?
“Precedent” in the Los Rios District is a little hard to pin down. It’s still a residential neighborhood but a stroll down the street obviously highlights many variances from that. I’m no historian, but I think it’s safe to say gift shops and outdoor dining weren’t part of the historic fabric of the neighborhood. Yet they’ve become a fun and welcomed facet of Los Rios Street and are a big part of what draws visitors to experience the area. More specific to Zoomars, the most obvious precedent-setter is the train ride. Its addition to the property signifies that a prior council determined that features above and beyond a “petting zoo” are appropriate.
Protecting the historic appeal of Los Rios and its special designations is very important to the Chamber. We believe efforts to preserve history are greatly valuable to the community. However, we feel that the dinosaur doesn’t significantly detract from the overall historic appeal of the neighborhood. The statue has been on the property at Zoomars for the better part of a year and Los Rios still feels like Los Rios.
The statue isn’t directly on, or even visible from, Los Rios Street. It’s tucked back in a space that actually isn’t part of the most highly restricted part of the Los Rios District’s historic zone. There have been more visitors at Zoomars but not so many that it’s substantively disrupting residents or other businesses.
The final factor in our position was the Chamber’s belief that keeping the dinosaur statue is good for San Juan Capistrano overall. Keeping the dinosaur means adding an activity for kids that is educational, outdoors and doesn’t involve a screen, such as an iPad or video game. Keeping the dinosaur also sends a message that our city supports business and economic development.
Communities, especially those like San Juan Capistrano whose economy is highly reliant on tourism revenue, are always looking for ways to bring in new visitors and create tax revenue that supports the city’s operations. The dinosaur statue has proven to do just that, at no cost to our city.
Zoomars Petting Zoo is a great local business that brings joy to children from all over the region. It attracts thousands of tourists who can experience the beautiful history of Los Rios and all of San Juan Capistrano during their visit.
We want to encourage and promote their continued growth and respectfully urge the City Council to do so as well by approving the dinosaur statue.
Note: Carolyn Franks, owner of Zoomars, is a member of the Board of Directors for the SJC Chamber. Ms. Franks had an obvious conflict of interest and therefore was not a part of the board’s discussion of or vote on a position relative to this issue.
Mark Bodenhamer has served as CEO and executive director of the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce since 2010.
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