LAGUNA NIGUEL : City to Issue Alert Over Ridgeline Law

Officials will take the unusual step of notifying all city residents of a hearing next month on the proposed ridgeline protection ordinance because of the “far-reaching economic impacts on all taxpayers,” City Manager Timothy J. Casey said Wednesday.

Officials also began searching Wednesday for a hall to accommodate hundreds of residents they think will attend the hearing, which probably will be held on a Saturday.

On Tuesday, the City Council voted 2 to 1 to postpone action on the ridgeline initiative, which was signed by more than 4,000 voters. Rather than place the initiative on the ballot or simply pass an ordinance putting it into effect, the council agreed that a public hearing was warranted because of the potential financial impact on the city.

After that vote, council candidate Eddie Rose presented recall notices to four of the five council members.

Councilmen Larry A. Porter and Thomas W. Wilson, who voted in favor of postponing action, were put on notice, as were Mayor Patricia C. Bates and Councilman James F. Krembas, both of whom abstained. Councilman Paul M. Christiansen, who cast the dissenting vote, was not targeted.

The initiative calls for a 300-foot setback on both sides of ridgelines and would require that grading within 500 feet of hilltops be consistent with the slope. City officials say any ridgeline property within view of a “scenic highway,” such as Crown Valley Parkway or Coast Highway, could be affected. The city could be placed at staggering financial risk if the ordinance is approved and the city is later forced to repay property owners for land rendered undevelopable, officials argue.

Recall proponents said they will begin collecting signatures in about a month at shopping centers throughout the city. They will need about 5,000 valid signatures of city residents to force a recall election.

Wilson, a recall target, said Wednesday: “Things are so cloudy, so murky. I just wanted to give the people of Laguna Niguel, especially the 4,000 who signed the petition, a chance to see both sides of the issue.”