LAGUNA NIGUEL : Owner Gets OK to Divide 45-Acre Site

A Las Vegas casino owner who acquired 45 hilltop acres in the Laguna Greenbelt as a collection on a gambling debt will be allowed to divide the site--paving the way for its development.

In a 4-1 vote this week, the Laguna Niguel City Council upheld an Orange County Planning Commission decision to allowing Jack Binion to split the parcel, which is on a steep ridgeline in the southernmost tip of the Greenbelt.

The council action paves the way for eventual construction of estate-size homes on top of the 750-foot-high ridgeline, which offers a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean, city officials said.

The division was opposed by some South Laguna residents. But Mayor Patricia C. Bates on Wednesday said that she has assured Laguna Beach officials that any “eventual development” on the bowl-shaped ridgeline will be closely scrutinized.

“Yes, there will be development on that parcel,” said Bates, who voted with the majority. “But it will be dictated by the high standards of Laguna Niguel, in which we will be extremely sensitive to the residents’ concerns regarding ridgelines.”

Binion, owner of Binion’s Horseshoe Casino, acquired the parcel 10 years ago.

It lies in both Laguna Niguel and Laguna Beach. The lower portion, in Laguna Beach, is dedicated for open space and will not be developed, city officials there said. The upper 22-acre portion, in Laguna Niguel, is zoned for medium density residential.

Acting on complaints by South Laguna residents who opposed any construction on the ridgeline late last year, Laguna Beach city officials had fought the County Planning Commission’s decision to allow the lot split.

But in Laguna Niguel, only Councilman Paul M. Christiansen agreed.

“I was surprised,” Christiansen said of his colleagues’ vote. “I don’t mind on occasion being the odd man out, but I was just optimistic that all council members share the same perception that the open space issues are worth voting for.”

Greg De Santis, whose South Laguna home is located at the bottom of the steep ridgeline, said that despite assurances, the ridgeline will be spoiled by any development.

He charged that Laguna Niguel council members, most of whom campaigned on environmental issues, were “paying lip service” to slow growth and preservationist causes.

“This was the perfect opportunity for all of us to work together,” De Santis said.