7/31/2019 Zoomars Press Release

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On August 14th, 2012, we at ZOOMARS Petting Zoo went before the San JuanCapistrano Planning Commission to appeal the decision of Planning Director GrantTaylor that our dinosaur should be removed from the Los Rios Historic District.

Over the last two months the dinosaur has become a hot topic among the members of

our city. While a small group of people find his presence disagreeable, many more havestood in his defense. We would like to thank those who went before the commission andvoiced their support of the dinosaur and of ZOOMARS. It is reassuring to know that somany in our community are behind us and wish to see the dinosaur stay.

Although the Planning Commission ruled to uphold the decision of Mr. Taylor, we willcontinue to pursue a course of action that will hopefully allow us to make San JuanCapistrano and ZOOMARS the dinosaurs permanent home. While we are disappointedthat the Planning Commission was not able to assist us in our goals we were preparedfor such an eventuality and have already begun the process of making an appealdirectly to City Council.

We believe strongly in the mission of this project, which is to unite children withremnants of the prehistoric past in a way that is enlightening, educational and fun.ZOOMARS has long stood for the joy that making a meaningful connection with naturebrings to the lives of our guests and we will stand strong in our efforts to show that thisproject will bring another layer of depth to that joy and will enhance the history of SanJuan Capistrano.

To ensure the safety of the children and families that visit ZOOMARS on a daily basiswe have moved forward with a geotechnical survey of the soil on which the dinosaurstands. With these engineers and geologists we are working to create documentation of

the security of its anchoring. The results of their testing should be available within thenext week or two but upon initial investigation both teams were satisfied with theirfindings.

In regards to the concerns that the statue may lead to a reversal in the efforts topreserve the Los Rios Historic District we would like to give reminder that no historicbuildings or structures were moved or changed in the placement of this dinosaur. It istucked back into the center of our property, barely visible from Los Rios Street andcamouflaged by its color and the surrounding hills and trees. In the words of PlanningCommissioner Roy Nunn, [The dinosaur] does not degrade or lessen the historic valueof Los Rios Street.

It is our sincere hope that we may come to a conclusion of this issue that is satisfactoryto the city as well as beneficial to our zoo. The city of San Juan Capistrano has alwayshad an eclectic mix of old and new and Los Rios Street has long been an example ofthat. Our community has evolved slowly with intermittent periods of rapid change. In atime of economic hardship for all, it is important to encourage this growth spurt andevolve once again, allowing local businesses to flourish and bring fresh interest to ourbeloved city.