Back in June, San Juan Capistrano's Zoomars Petting Zoo brought in a 40-foot-long Apatosaurus statue it'd found in an Anaheim warehouse (originally from a Romanian shopping mall); the dino, who is now named Juan the Capistrano Dinosaur, was meant to complement the petting zoo's new fossil hunt, reports the LA Times. Unfortunately, Zoomars is in the very old Los Rios neighborhood, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, and some preservationists "say he threatens the integrity" of the area. Plus, "considering that the region was probably underwater when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, no apatosaurus, T. rex or other outsized lizard would have come through San Juan Capistrano unless lost at sea." A few weeks ago, the city's cultural heritage commission voted in favor of Juan, approving plans for an educational area with the dinosaur, shade structures, a fossil dig area, and kiichas huts. That's despite a neighboring business owner claiming the dinosaur "has brought too many visitors to the area" (the petting zoo owner said attendance nearly doubled over the summer), according to Patch. Next up, the planning commission will review the plan.
· Dinosaur statue in San Juan Capistrano not loved by all [LAT]
· Zoomars Dinosaur Clears First Hurdle [SJC Patch]
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