Laguna Beach Wins OK on Annexation of South Laguna

The Local Agency Formation Commission on Wednesday approved Laguna Beach’s annexation of the unincorporated community of South Laguna, a move that will add 5,000 residents to what is now a city of 18,000 people.

“As you know, the citizens of Laguna Beach overwhelmingly support the annexation,” Laguna Beach Mayor Neil Fitzpatrick told the commissioners. “The people of South Laguna overwhelmingly support the annexation.”

Although the county Environmental Management Agency asked the commissioners to impose six conditions on the expanded city, commission members refused to do so when Fitzpatrick and other city officials said they had not been told of the conditions until midday Wednesday and were not certain of their effect.

“I am upset with EMA for not having the ability to explain (these conditions) to the other commissioners,” said Roger R. Stanton, a member of the county Board of Supervisors as well as a commission member.

He said he would be “speaking to someone in EMA about this.”

The conditions included provisions on flood control, operation of public beaches and a master plan for roads.

Move for Control

“The county is going to have to give up control of South Laguna,” Fitzpatrick said after the commission hearing. He interpreted the conditions as a county bid “to maintain control” of South Laguna “after the fact” of annexation.

In 1982, South Laguna residents were divided about whether to be annexed by their northern coastal neighbor. But this year’s support came after proponents of making Laguna Niguel a city included South Laguna within its proposed boundaries. Most of Laguna Niguel is inland.

In anticipation of LAFCO’s favorable action, the Laguna Beach City Council approved a $1.6-million tentative budget Tuesday night that would provide police, fire, capital improvements and other services for residents in the 2.1 square miles of South Laguna.

The money would be in addition to the city’s 1987-88 budget of $18.8 million and would be balanced by revenues from South Laguna property taxes, transient occupancy taxes, sales taxes, licenses and permits and other sources, City Manager Ken Frank said.

Laguna Beach plans call for adding up to five new police officers and possibly several other employees, such as an animal control officer and a police dispatcher, as well as new vehicles to handle the increased population.

Three Fire Stations

Laguna Beach has its own fire department operating out of three stations within the city. Paramedics are provided under contract with the county and work out of a fire station in South Laguna. The city proposes to shift the paramedics to its station on Glenneyre Street nearer the population center.

Frank and his assistant, Rob Clark, said the need for public improvements in South Laguna is greater than originally believed, and includes extensive street repairs, correction of a serious drainage problem and refurbishing of a community park at Aliso School that has “completely deteriorated.”

Fitzpatrick said there will be a July 23 “protest hearing,” as required by law, to hear South Laguna residents opposing the annexation.

If, as expected, fewer than 25% of the registered voters in the area to be annexed protest, the City Council can adopt a resolution ordering the annexation and setting the date for it to take effect, which Fitzpatrick said could be as early as Jan. 1.

If 25% to 50% protest, then an election would be held. A protest vote of higher than 50% would kill the annexation.