MISSION VIEJO : Del Taco to Ease Trash, Vandal Woes

The management of a Del Taco franchise told the Planning Commission this week that it would install video cameras and help hire security to ease vandalism and trash problems caused by teens loitering in a shopping plaza.

Merchants in the Mission Viejo Village Shopping Center had complained about trash, graffiti and other vandalism, and particularly about teens who etched designs into shop windows with razor blades.

Representing the shop owners, Sue Decant said Del Taco management had not responded to concerns in the past several months about the teen loitering.

But Tahir Ayas, a Del Taco area manager, said the company “would like to participate to solve the problems. It is an area of huge concern to us.”

Decant said the trash and vandalism problems started last year, when Del Taco began staying open 24 hours.

Although the problems eased in August when merchants complained to the city, Decant told the council that “there was trash in the parking lot all over the place” on Monday morning.

City officials said, however, that they had checked the area that day and found no signs of a major littering problem. Sheriff’s deputies also had told the city that the shopping plaza did not appear to be a teen hangout.

The Planning Commission on Monday said it was pleased that Del Taco would help police the area and tabled the issue for 90 days.