FOCUS : Controlled Growth

San Clemente won international renown as the home of the Western White House and lost the Richard M. Nixon presidential library when city controlled-growth policies hindered a developer’s demands. But the first planned community in California, started by politician-turned-developer Ole Hanson and populated by retirees and executive commuters, seems to be on the founder’s course. Hanson had managed growth in mind when he formed the village 62 years ago. Streets followed the contour of the land and houses were topped only in red tile and clad in white plaster in Hanson’s “Spanish Village by the Sea.” In 1925 he predicted an eventual population of 50,000--and city estimates show he was about 15,000 shy of current projections. Without annexing more land to the 10,945-acre city, consultants said population would probably swell to 64,900. It appears that voters hope to maintain Orange County’s southernmost coastal community as Hanson envisioned it in the ‘20s when he said: “This is just a painting. . . Its foreground is the sea. Its background is the hills. . . We believe beauty to be an asset as well as gold and silver, or cabbages and potatoes. . . We will perserve for all time these hills from the heterogeneous mixture of terrible structures which so often destroy the beauty of our cities.”

Government

City Council: Holly Ann Veale (mayor), Thomas Lorch (mayor pro tem), William C. Mecham, Brian Rice, Robert D. Limberg

City Manager: Jim Hendrickson

Fire Chief: Tom Dailey

Chief of Police: (acting) Al Ehlow

Statistics

Population: (1986 est.). . . 31,240

Area:. . . 17.2 square miles

Incorporation:. . . Feb. 29, 1928

Median household income:. . . $31,109

Median home value:. . . $136,769

Racial/ethnic mix: . . . white, 95.1%;Latino, 10.2%;black, 1.0%;other, 3.9%

(Total is morethan 100% because racial/ethnic breakdowns overlap)

City Services City Hall. . . 361-8200

100 Avenida Presidio Police (business). . . 361-8201

100 Avenida Presido Fire (business). . . 361-8241

100 Avenida Presido Post Office. . . 492-3494

520 Avenida del Pico

In Emergency, Dial. . . 911

Employment status Employed persons:. . . 13,295

Unemployed:. . . 597

Not in labor force:. . . 8,293

Per capita income:. . . $10,517

Travel time to work

0-14. . . 4,694

15-29. . . 4,078

30-59. . . 3,003

60+. . . 1,180

Neighborhood mobility Household moved in

Most recent year:. . . 2,069

Last 5 years:. . . 5,039

6-9 years ago:. . . 1,816

10-14 years ago:. . . 1,388

15+ years ago:. . . 972

Population

Median Age:. . . 36.8 years

Education Adults over 25 Years of school completed:

0-11 years. . . 13.5%

12 years. . . 33.3%

13-15 years. . . 28.1%

16+ years. . . 25.1%

Median years completed: . . . 13.3

Statistics: Donnelley Demographics