City moves forward with phased plan to protect palms from invasive weevil
By CLARA BEARD
Dana Point is moving ahead with a phased plan to protect its Canary Island date palms from an invasive beetle that has already been detected in the city, though City Council members want more community feedback before committing to the program’s growing long-term costs.
The City Council on Tuesday (Sept. 1) approved a framework that prioritizes 331 city-maintained Canary Island date palms for preventive treatment against the South American palm weevil, an invasive pest that can kill palms once larvae burrow into the tree’s crown.
The city has already begun the first phase of treatment, covering 98 heritage palms along Camino Capistrano and Avenida Las Palmas in Capistrano Beach. Council members previously approved that work in July at an annual cost of about $68,745.
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Photo by Clara Beard
Dana Point is moving forward with a phased treatment plan to protect city-maintained Canary Island date palms
Tuesday’s action lays out three additional phases that could eventually expand treatment to all 331 city-maintained palms.
Phase two would bring the total number of treated palms to 166 at an estimated annual cost of $116,994. Phase three would cover 248 palms for about $173,087 per year, while treating all 331 palms under phase four would cost approximately $227,314 annually.
Rather than immediately committing to each phase, the council directed staff to move toward phase two as the threat warrants and return through the city’s annual budget process for funding. Council members also requested outreach to determine how strongly residents value preserving the palms before making further spending decisions.
Mayor Pro Tem Mike Frost urged the city to slow down before making a larger financial commitment, asking where palm preservation ranks among residents’ priorities.
“I would just like to pump the brakes for a little bit,” Frost said during the discussion.
Assistant City Manager Jeff Rosaler said the South American palm weevil has now been confirmed at the Dana Point Nature Interpretive Center and Sunset Park. The pest has spread north from San Diego County over the past decade, with University of California researchers estimating it has killed more than 20,000 palms across Southern California.
The Canary Island date palm is particularly vulnerable. Female weevils lay eggs in the crown, where larvae bore inward and destroy the palm’s single growing point. Because much of that damage occurs internally, an infestation can go unnoticed until the crown begins collapsing. By that point, according to the staff report, the tree cannot be saved and can become a source of additional weevils.
For palms not yet receiving preventive treatment, the city plans to use inspections and pheromone-baited traps to monitor for weevil activity. If activity is found near a city palm, staff would inspect the tree and either treat it or remove it if it is too heavily damaged. An optional citywide trap network is estimated to cost about $6,780 annually.
Staff developed a scoring system to determine which palms receive treatment first. Trees are ranked based on their historic or community significance, size and age, visibility, potential public safety risk and proximity to confirmed weevil activity.
The council discussion also focused heavily on whether continually treating the trees is more cost-effective than eventually removing and replacing them.
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Tall ships return to Maritime Festival next weekend
The Ocean Institute is bringing tall ships, cannon battles and hands-on maritime experiences back to Dana Point Harbor for the 42nd annual Maritime Festival, happening September 11-13.
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Photos courtesy of Ocean Institute
A tall ship fires its cannon during a previous Maritime Festival
The three-day event celebrates Dana Point’s maritime history with historic sailing ships, educational programs and family-friendly activities that let visitors experience California’s seafaring past.
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Visitors explore artisan booths and festival offerings
Visitors can board historic ships like the Spirit of Dana Point, Bill of Rights, Curlew, Mayflower, Irving Johnson and Exy Johnson. The festival also features live cannon battles, sailors showing traditional skills, pirate camps, mermaid encounters, artisan vendors, live music and local cuisine.
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Families enjoy some of the entertainment on offer at the Tall Ships Festival
“Ocean Institute was founded on the belief that the best learning happens through experience,” Robyn Takeshita, the institute’s director of education, said in a statement. “The Maritime Festival embodies that philosophy by inviting guests to experience our maritime heritage where it happened. Whether they’re climbing aboard a historic tall ship, watching a live cannon battle, exploring our marine science exhibits, or seeing their children become pirates for the day, every experience is designed to spark curiosity, celebrate our coastal heritage and inspire the next generation of ocean stewards.”
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Tall ships sail off the Dana Point coast
Now in its 42nd year, the festival supports the Ocean Institute’s mission to preserve and share Dana Point’s maritime heritage, while inspiring future generations to care for the ocean and coastline. Festival Adventure Passes include tours of the tall ships, entry to the Ocean Institute campus, touch tanks, interactive marine science exhibits and other educational activities.
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A young festivalgoer dressed as a pirate takes the helm of a historic sailing ship
During the festival weekend, visitors can use the expanded morning service on the Dana Point Trolley, making it easier to get between the Ocean Institute, Dana Point Harbor and festival events.
The Maritime Festival takes place September 11-13 at the Ocean Institute, 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive. Festival Adventure Passes, cannon battle experiences, tall ship sails, escort cruises and other ticketed activities are available. Visit www.maritime-fest.org for tickets and more information.
Planning Commission approves Ohana Festival parking plan
By CLARA BEARD
The Dana Point Planning Commission unanimously approved a coastal development permit allowing the Ohana Festival to reserve 600 spaces in the Dana Point Harbor parking structure during the three-day music festival later this month.
The permit covers festival parking from September 25-27 at the 984-space public structure at 799 Harbor Way. Ohana Festival will take place nearby at Doheny State Beach.
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Photo by Mary Hurlbut
The Dana Point Harbor parking structure will provide 600 reserved spaces for the 2026 Ohana Festival under a coastal development permit approved by the Planning Commission
Senior Planner Alyssa Gonzalez told commissioners the festival used the same number of parking spaces last year, but city officials later discovered an additional permit was required.
“In 2025, the Ohana Festival applied for and obtained a special event permit through the Community Services Department,” Gonzalez said at the August 24 meeting.
She said the department was unaware at the time that Dana Point Harbor regulations also required a coastal development permit for temporary use of the structure.
Gonzalez added that city code enforcement received no complaints connected to the festival’s use of the parking structure in 2025.
Under the newly approved permit, festival spaces will be placed on the structure’s second and third levels. The first floor is intended to remain accessible to the public, including customers of harbor businesses that will remain open during the event.
“The request is still for 600 spaces,” Gonzalez said, adding that the first floor would be maintained for public access under Condition 13 of the permit.
Several commissioners questioned how parking operators would prevent festivalgoers without prepaid passes from occupying spaces intended for harbor customers.
Festival representatives said parking passes would be sold in advance for $55 per vehicle plus a transaction fee. Signs will direct prepaid festival traffic to designated lanes, where attendants will scan electronic passes.
Dan Conley, director of operations for the Ohana Festival, said organizers are working with a traffic-management company that has assisted the event for the past decade. The company has also coordinated with the city and its Public Works Department on plans intended to reduce traffic impacts on surrounding neighborhoods.
Conley said different entrances will be used for festival traffic and for members of the public visiting Dana Wharf businesses. Attendants will guide prepaid vehicles into assigned portions of the upper floors.
“We’ll have traffic attendants that, almost Disneyland-style, if you will, park them as they enter into the parking structure,” Conley told the commission.
The operation will also include temporary directional signs, parking personnel and security personnel. Any lane closures or temporary traffic-control measures must receive city approval.
Parking data from the 2025 festival showed that demand peaked between 5 and 7 p.m. The highest occupancy was recorded on Friday, Sept. 26, when 678 spaces were occupied between 5 and 6 p.m. At that level of occupancy, approximately 306 spaces remained available in the structure.
Staff said current construction in the harbor’s Commercial Core has reduced demand because several former businesses have closed or been demolished. Some businesses that remain open will close during the afternoon or early evening on festival days.
Gonzalez said the proposed arrangement provides sufficient parking while supporting coastal access and reducing the likelihood that festival traffic will spill into nearby residential neighborhoods.
City tweaks ADU rules, restores coastal regulations
By CLARA BEARD
The Dana Point City Council on Tuesday (Sept. 1) advanced two related zoning amendments governing accessory dwelling units, updating the city’s regulations to comply with state housing law while restoring separate standards that remain in effect within the city’s coastal zone.
The first amendment updates Dana Point’s regulations for accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, and junior accessory dwelling units (JADUs) outside the coastal zone. The changes are the latest in a years-long effort to keep the city’s rules aligned with evolving state requirements and comments from the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
Community Development Director Jonathan Lightfoot told the council that Dana Point has repeatedly revised its ordinance as state law and HCD guidance have changed.
“This is an item that has been before you in the past,” Lightfoot said, adding that the city first adopted its current framework in 2021 and later made revisions following state reviews.
The most significant change involves so-called “mandatory approval” ADUs that meet standards established under state law.
Dana Point previously applied additional review in designated Public Safety Areas where the city identified concerns about density, traffic, parking and emergency access. Under the revised ordinance, that further analysis will no longer apply to ADUs subject to mandatory approval under state law. The city will, however, retain its Public Safety Area standards for other ADUs.
Lightfoot said the change followed discussions with HCD.
“There was previously a designated, or a few designated, areas within the city where, due to density, traffic concerns, citation history, etc., we had had a discretionary process at play,” Lightfoot said. “That has been removed for the classification of ADUs that are mandatory under state law.”
A city-commissioned traffic analysis supported Dana Point’s underlying concerns, finding higher rates of parking citations associated with traffic safety problems in the designated areas. Staff nevertheless recommended complying with HCD’s interpretation rather than disputing whether the city could impose the additional requirements.
Mayor John Gabbard said an important distinction throughout the city’s negotiations over ADU regulations is that state housing requirements do not prevent Dana Point from enforcing construction safety requirements.
“The big takeaway for me on this entire process has been none of this limits our ability to enforce the building code at all,” Gabbard said.
The second ordinance addresses a separate issue inside Dana Point’s coastal zone.
When the city adopted updated ADU regulations in 2021, it inadvertently removed its older “Second Dwelling Unit” provisions from the written zoning code. Because the California Coastal Commission never approved a Local Coastal Program amendment replacing those regulations, the older standards technically remained the legally binding rules for coastal zone properties despite disappearing from the municipal code.
The council’s action restores that language to the zoning code, bringing the written code back into alignment with the city’s certified Local Coastal Program. The change does not establish new coastal regulations; it reinstates standards that city staff and the Coastal Commission already recognize as operative.
Those coastal-zone standards include requirements governing unit size, parking, compatibility with surrounding development and affordability.
Dana Point plans to consider a future Local Coastal Program amendment to bring its older coastal second-dwelling-unit rules into conformity with newer state ADU and JADU laws and recent Coastal Commission guidance.
Dana Point Trolley service rolls into September
The Dana Point Trolley will continue running daily through Labor Day before shifting to weekend-only service for the remainder of September.
Daily summer service will continue through Monday, Sept. 7, with the trolley operating from noon-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon-10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday. On Labor Day, Sept. 7, service will run from 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
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Photo by Mary Hurlbut
The free Dana Point Trolley will continue daily service through Labor Day
Following Labor Day, the free trolley will operate Saturdays from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. through the end of September.
Hours will be extended during two upcoming festivals. For the Maritime Festival, trolley service will run from 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, and 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13.
During the Ohana Festival, the trolley will operate from 10 a.m.-midnight Saturday, Sept. 26, and 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27.
Dana Point to host permitting open house for businesses
The city of Dana Point will host a free permitting open house on Wednesday, Sept. 16, aimed at helping local business owners and entrepreneurs better understand the process of opening, expanding or improving a business.
The “Road to Opening Day” open house will take place from 9-11 a.m. at the Dana Point Community Center and will give attendees an opportunity to speak directly with city staff about permitting requirements.
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Photo by Clara Beard
The Dana Point Community Center will host the city’s free Road to Opening Day permitting open house on September 16
The event is geared toward business owners and operators, entrepreneurs, architects, commercial contractors and investors who are planning projects in Dana Point.
“Navigating the permitting process can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re a small business owner, first-time applicant, or still in the early stages of planning a project,” Dana Point Economic Development & Housing Manager Jaimie To said. “Dana Point is a business-friendly city and that means doing what we can to make the process of getting your business open as easy, smooth, and efficient as possible.”
During the drop-in event, city staff will provide guidance on which departments may be involved in a project, when various reviews and approvals are required and who to contact with questions about planning, zoning, tenant improvements and engineering.
Staff will also be available to explain additional permitting requirements that apply to restaurants and other food service establishments.
Business owners do not need to have a specific project underway to attend. Those considering a future project or looking to familiarize themselves with the city’s permitting process are also encouraged to stop by, ask questions and meet city staff.
For more information, contact the city’s Economic Development Division at econdev@danapoint.org.
Capistrano Beach’s historic overlook
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Photo by Mary Hurlbut
Pines Park in Capistrano Beach overlooks the Pacific from land tied to the community’s early Doheny-era development. Originally known as Pines Bluff Park or Doheny Pines Park, the site was created in the late 1920s as a neighborhood park and once featured the “Bowl Gardens,” with a viewing gazebo, walking paths, rose gardens and stonework. The city took over stewardship of the park after Dana Point incorporated in 1989.
The Sacramento Chronicles
By ASSEMBLYMEMBER DIANE DIXON
September 4, 2026
Hello Dana Point!
The 2025-26 Legislative Session has come to a close, and I am happy to be back in the district full time.
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Courtesy of Diane Dixon
Assemblymember Diane Dixon
On Monday, Sept. 7, we celebrate the great social and economic achievements of our nation’s incredible workforce. Labor Day recognizes the labor movement and the dedicated contributions of American workers to the progress and development of the nation. Labor Day honors the value of hard work and the collective strength of the communities and labor force. A quote that I love from President Ronald Reagan states, “Let us always remember that so much of what we are, we owe to working men and women.”
As you may know, the California Energy Commission (CEC) unanimously approved a ban on the sale of roughly 70% of tires sold in the state. According to the Commission, these new mandates will phase out the sale of replacement tires that don’t meet certain energy-efficiency standards and will require drivers to purchase “more efficient” tires, which will supposedly save Californians nominal amounts of money in the long term. Consumers will certainly feel these costs as manufacturers project higher purchase prices than the CEC claims. The Commission estimated that the price of replacement tires would rise by an average of $6.50 per tire upfront, but manufacturers are concerned that the actual cost couldbe higher than anticipated. California families need real affordability, not another Sacramento mandate.
The topic of pesticides and herbicides has been a prominent issue for Orange County this year, with the effects their usage has on our environment and public health – both of which must be held to the highest standard. I joined my colleagues for a Joint Oversight Audit Hearing in the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee to get answers on the regulation, oversight and effects of pesticides in our community.
This hearing provided valuable information for the community, but it also made it clear that significant progress is needed to address pesticide safety in the state. Public health must remain at the forefront of this conversation, and the safety of our community remains a top priority. This is a complicated issue, and I will not stop working until we have assured safety for the families of Orange County.
Child marriage is a horrific practice that remains prevalent in the state. I am proud to be a lead author on Assembly Bill 1267 which will address the issue of child marriage. California has the second-highest rate of child marriage in the country, with more than 1,300 child marriages each year. Eighty-six percent of these marriages involve girls under the age of 18 marrying older men. The fight has been going on for many years, and we all must stand up today to end the reprehensible and barbaric practice of child marriage in California. I am pleased to share that AB 1267 has passed the Assembly Floor unanimously and is now on its way to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.
Another piece of legislation that I am proud of is Assembly Bill 1918, also known as the “Ink of Hope” bill. Human traffickers will often tattoo, burn or scar their victims as a way to denote ownership. To address this, AB 1918 would require tattoo shops to post a human trafficking notice with information on the signs of human trafficking and require tattoo artists to complete training to recognize the signs of human trafficking and how to report those signs to the appropriate law enforcement agency.
In 2025, Tennessee Senator Becky Massey authored the “Ink of Hope Act,” and it passed through the legislature with unanimous, bipartisan support. It was an incredible opportunity to have Senator Massey with me on the Assembly Floor to witness AB 1918 move one step closer to becoming part of California law.
Human trafficking is a horrific crime that persists in California. We must take every step possible to help victims and their families and bring a swift end to this reprehensible practice.
I ended this legislative session as the most productive member of my party. I believe that my legislative success stems from my belief that if you’re going to make a new law, it should be one that the vast majority of California residents’ support.
My legislative package includes crucial, bipartisan solutions focusing on issues such as public safety and transparency. Stay tuned for future updates!
I enjoy hearing from you directly on how I can best represent you in Sacramento. Please keep writing! My team is also ready to assist you with any state issues like DMV, EDD, Franchise Tax Board and more. We’ve assisted more than hundreds of your neighbors so far this year!
Not receiving invitations to my events? Send an email to assemblymember.dixon@assembly.ca.gov to be added to our distribution list, or visit my website: Diane Dixon Website. Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook!
Thank you, Stu News, for keeping our local residents informed!
Diane Dixon is a two-term Newport Beach City Councilmember and two-time Mayor. She is currently serving her second term in Sacramento as Assemblymember of California’s 72nd District. She is also in a November-runoff for Orange County Supervisor, Fifth District.
Dana Point – A Look Back
Photo series courtesy of Dana Point Historical Society
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This photo shows the Quiet Cannon restaurant just after a landslide that closed Cove Road for years. It opened in 1970, later became Cannons Restaurant, and is now closed; the site will soon become a hotel.
Meet Pet of the Week Jib 
Stu News Dana Point is delighted to be working with the San Clemente-Dana Point Animal Shelter to help get the word out in search of loving homes for pets that deserve a warm, nurturing environment and a place to call “home.”
This handsome guy is Jib, a five-year-old Australian Cattle Dog who is just about the snuggliest dog around.
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Courtesy of San Clemente-Dana Point Animal Shelter
Jib is Dog currently up for adoption
Like most dogs of his breed, Jib is very smart and has energy to spare, so he likes to stay active. However, when he is not playing, Jib loves nothing more than being cuddled by your side. If you are looking for a sweet and loyal adventure buddy, Jib is ready for just about anything!
The San Clemente-Dana Point Animal Shelter adoption procedures are designed to make sure that both the potential family and the animal adopted are in the very best situation possible.
Those interested in learning more about Jib can contact the San Clemente-Dana Point Animal Shelter at 949.492.1617 or visit the facility at 221 Avenida Fabricante in San Clemente.
For more information on adoption procedures at the shelter, visit www.petprojectfoundation.org.
Taste of Lantern Village returns September 16
By CLARA BEARD
The Taste of Lantern Village returns to La Plaza Park on Wednesday, Sept. 16, bringing together bites from a dozen Dana Point restaurants to raise money for scholarships benefiting Dana Hills High School students.
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Photo by Clara Beard
The Taste of Lantern Village will be held on September 16 at La Plaza Park
Organized by the Lantern Village Association, the event will run from 5 to 8 p.m.
The Taste supports area businesses while raising money for the association’s scholarship program – which is reserved for Dana Hills High School students who live in Lantern Village.
“We have so many restaurant people here who are such good community people,” said Robin Valles, president of the Lantern Village Association.
Unlike some tasting events, participating restaurants do not pay a fee to be included, Valles added.
“Restaurants come in free, and they provide bites,” she said. “They’re all only Dana Point restaurants.”
Participating businesses include Bon Appétit Bistro, Carlos Mexican Restaurant + Cantina, Casanova Ristorante, Hennessey’s, Hook & Anchor, Jimmy’s Famous American Tavern, Lúa Asian Fusion Eatery, Lupe’s Mexican Eatery, Shelter Distilling, The Coffee Importers, The White Rooster and What a Dish Café. Shelter Distilling will offer both food and beer.
The association awarded two $2,000 scholarships this spring, including one to a student who arrived in the United States at the start of high school without speaking English.
“He graduated all college-prep classes, all A’s and B’s,” Valles said. “We were delighted to give him some support.”
The scholarship program supports students pursuing technical training, two-year programs and four-year institutions. It is the Lantern Village Association’s top priority, Valles said.
“We’re hoping that this year we’ll make enough money that we can give even more,” she said.
Founded in 1991, the association continues to focus on supporting local merchants and residents, as well as projects including the preservation effort for the Blue Lantern Gazebo.
Tickets for the Taste of Lantern Village are available here.
Harwood House: A unique, new space to gather and create
By CLARA BEARD
Dana Point’s newest gathering space is meant to be more than just a coffee shop, restaurant, art studio or retail store.
Harwood House, which opened July 11, blends it all together in one space where people can work, create art, share a meal, attend a workshop or simply hang out.
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Photo by Clara Beard
Harwood House Owner and Creative Director Nicole Harwood (right) and Assistant Manager Helena Weissenberger
Owner and creative director Nicole Harwood said her idea to open the space grew from a desire to create a welcoming “third space.”
“I really just felt like there was a need for a place where people could come together, gather, slow down, create, build community,” Harwood said. “We’re kind of a little bit of everything, but we really want to be a melting pot for the community.”
Harwood House’s tagline, “Come to the table,” mirrors that sentiment, literally.
Long communal tables create a more social experience than a traditional grab-and-go café. Harwood said she wanted the space to feel like a house, where people are seen, cared for and safe.
The new space has already attracted Dana Hills students looking to study and journal, as well as residents and professionals looking for a place to work or hold an informal meeting. Harwood House offers free Wi-Fi and a more private seating area for small groups.
Another unique feature at Harwood House is the Art Café, where guests can pick a hands-on project from a set menu, with all supplies included. Current options include watercolor painting, clay projects, pot painting and seashell decoupage.
Harwood said the Art Café has been especially popular since the business opened during the busy summer season. Because of its growing popularity, workshops and group gatherings require advance registration. The business also offers reserved tables for groups of up to 10 people, while larger parties can be accommodated through private-event bookings.
Harwood House serves a selection of coffee and food, with dinner offered Thursday through Saturday. Chef Craig Whittaker, who appeared on two seasons of Chopped, is in charge of the kitchen.
The space also includes a variety of items for purchase, like stationery and games, with a gift-wrapping service planned for October. Harwood House is also joining the Sunday Letter Project, an international letter-writing initiative. There’s even a house mailbox.
Supporting local artists is another part of Harwood’s vision. Work by photographer Sharon Williams and artist Ethan Espinosa is displayed inside and available for purchase.
Harwood said she hopes to continue bringing in local artists to lead classes and is planning a fall event inviting South Orange County creatives to apply to display and sell their work.
Before opening Harwood House, Harwood worked in community outreach and event planning at Harbor Point Church in San Juan Capistrano. She said that background helped prepare her for this latest undertaking.
“We just want to grow right now with excellence in all the ways that we’re able to serve people,” Harwood said.
Harwood House is located at 34200 Street of the Amber Lantern and is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is closed on Monday. For events, Art Café offerings and more information, visit www.harwoodhouseoc.com.