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Dinosaur Statue In San Juan Capistrano Petting Zoo Gets Eviction Notice

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO (CBS) — Add a 13-foot-tall, 40-foot-long apatosaurus replica to the list of endangered animals in San Juan Capistrano.

The statue at Zoomars Petting Zoo in the heart of the city's historical Los Rios District has gotten an eviction notice in the form of three options issued by the city to the owner of the zoo, Carolyn Franks, according to the Orange County Register.

The Register says Franks' three options are to get rid of the dinosaur within 15 days, appeal the eviction decision or submit a proposed amendment to the Los Rios Specific Plan, which guides land use and development in the historical district, a move that would cost $5,000 in fees.

Franks has said she will choose to appeal the eviction decision to the Planning Commission.

The dinosaur first came under fire when the Capistrano Historical Alliance Committee complained it didn't fit the historical character of the Los Rios District and that it made a "mockery" of the history of San Juan Capistrano. The dinosaur's height also exceeds the tallest building on the property, a violation of municipal code.

»RELATED STORY: San Juan Capistrano Historical Committee Decries Petting Zoo Dinosaur

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