Orange County Elections : Laguna Niguel Vote Favors Cityhood as Part of Dana/Capo

Residents of the subdivisions and gated communities near the beach in Laguna Niguel decided Tuesday that they would much rather identify with the coastal community of Dana Point/Capistrano Beach than with inland Laguna Niguel.

They voted 2 to 1 in favor of Dana Point/Capistrano Beach on a measure put before them to get their advice on which community they would want to be a part of should those communities elect to declare their independence next year from county control.

In May, the county’s Local Agency Formation Commission called for the special advisory election after an informal poll of coastal Laguna Niguel residents showed that a majority would prefer to be incorporated with Dana Point, rather than Laguna Niguel.

The election is expected to help the commission decide incorporation boundaries for the proposed cities of Laguna Niguel and Dana Point/Capistrano Beach during a special meeting Nov. 18.

The voting area included 3,444 registered voters living in the 13 communities stretching from Camino del Avion in the east to the Pacific Ocean and from Chula Vista Avenue south to the northern end of the Emerald Ridge community.

Some residents believe that the coast is part of Laguna Niguel’s overall identity, while others fear that if they incorporate with the inland city, their tax money will be used to build roads and support sprawling inland residential and commercial development.

With talk of luxury hotels in the coastal area and the accompanying tax base, much is at stake for the two proposed cities.