CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : LAGUNA BEACH : Irvine Co. May Shift Disputed Project

The Irvine Co. said it will consider moving its controversial Laguna Laurel residential project out of Laguna Canyon, marking a possible breakthrough in the long-running dispute over development in the environmentally sensitive canyon area. The company’s new proposal, which calls for the Laguna Beach project to be relocated to the city of Irvine if a number of conditions are met, was greeted with optimism by some officials who have long sought to derail the 2,000-acre residential development. Laguna Beach Mayor Robert F. Gentry, a leading opponent, called the proposal a “breakthrough.” “Even if this proposal itself doesn’t work, it can be the basis for other alternatives or modifications.”