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Commentary : 2 Views of Laguna Laurel Project : Opposed: What is more important--red-tiled housing or a wilderness area? an official asks.

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On Nov. 11, the people made history in Orange County. About 7,500 of us walked in Laguna Canyon to protest the Irvine Co.’s proposed Laguna Laurel development: its 3,200 homes, shopping center, school, fire station, six traffic signals, and 36,700 additional car trips per day. We are people of all ages and walks of life who share a love for Laguna Canyon and the vision that it be preserved in its present natural state as an urban wilderness park.

The message to the County Board of Supervisors and Irvine Co. Chairman Donald L. Bren is clear: No development in Laguna Canyon!

We do not oppose all development. Though angered by the destructive grading of the ridges, we did not demonstrate against Aliso Viejo. Though we ache when we see bulldozers “improving” the Irvine Coast, we have not opposed it. Laguna Canyon is where we draw the line.

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We have come to love its winding rural landscape, the sandstone caves, the sycamores and oak groves, and the only natural lakes in Orange County. The canyon is a place of refuge, not only for its precious plants and animals, but for us. We have a vision that people may come here with their children and grandchildren to walk softly on the land and discover the awesome secrets of nature. We have a vision of men, women and children who will better understand their place in the world because they can escape from the man-made environment.

And we’re willing to pay. If Bren is unable to truly make a gift of the canyon, let him work with us to secure funding. Put it to a vote. Ask the people. What does Orange County need more, another red-tiled, Mediterranean housing development--or an urban wilderness park?

The Irvine Co. tells us that its project is approved. Past approvals do not guarantee future approvals. Much has changed since 1984: changes in the project itself, intensive development on all sides, Orange County’s failure to meet air-quality standards and loss of significant wetland habitat. And there is increased traffic congestion along nearby freeways as well as Laguna Canyon Road and El Toro Road.

People now recognize the impact of thousands of housing units on the quality of life in Orange County. The failure of developer-backed Measure M tells the tale. No further development should be permitted until present congestion has been alleviated.

The Irvine Co. asks, why the outcry now? The city of Laguna Beach has always opposed the project. And we now have more detailed information about the threat of flooding to downstream property owners, the threat to ground-water quality and quantity, the 4.5 million gallons per day of toxic water runoff that will end up on Main Beach and affect the health of swimmers, as well as the problem of sand replenishment. How can we accept a plan that proposes to truck sediment, undoubtedly containing a concentration of heavy metals and pesticides, from a retention basin to Main Beach, in place of the natural process?

The California Environmental Quality Act is intended to let decision-makers and the public know that the environmental consequences have been thoroughly evaluated before a decision is made. The environmental impact report is an environmental alarm, an opportunity not only to assess the environmental impacts, but to look at reasonable alternatives. The development agreement between the county and the Irvine Co. does not obligate the county to approve the EIR.

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If the supervisors care about Orange County, its people and the quality of life, then they can easily find adequate information in the Laguna Beach responses to the EIR to reverse their prior decision.

What about the democratic process? Recent workshops attracted overflow crowds to hear the Environmental Management Agency’s description of the project. Unfortunately, people could submit questions only in written form. The questions were then carefully screened. At both meetings, the public registered loud disapproval. What has happened to the unanswered questions?

Recently President Bush commended the power of people to change things. If it can happen in Eastern Europe, surely it can happen in Orange County. Our democratic system allows the people (through our elected representatives) to make the ultimate decisions. The supervisors voted one way before the public was aroused. Now that the public is aware, the supervisors need to be responsive. There is no reason why previous votes can’t be reversed in the light of aroused public opinion. Even the vote on the Constitution was not “final.” The Bill of Rights was added later.

When this issue is presented, people who care and are able to take time off from work will converge on the County Planning Commission to be heard. The Bible tells us that when Joshua fought the battle of Jericho “the people shouted with a great shout . . . (and) the wall fell down flat.” Let’s hope the people of Orange County are as successful.

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