Pulling Back From the Abyss : Remarkable deal to save Laguna Canyon is unfolding

With so many lovely canyons of Southern California turning over into housing tracts these days, it’s good to hear of a deal to let the public buy land outright to preserve the open space. A tentative agreement struck this week in Laguna Beach to spare one of the last undeveloped coastal canyons has many important steps to go, but the progress so far is commendable.

The bedrock of the negotiations has been the widespread sentiment for Laguna Canyon’s rolling hills, which provide so many with solace from urbanization. The winding Laguna Canyon Road also is well-known as the scenic route to one of Orange County’s favorite cities.

Last year, as the Irvine Co.’s plans to build more than 3,000 homes in one portion of the canyon progressed, residents became more upset. The result was an 8,000-person march up the canyon last fall.

That presented a huge public relations problem for the Irvine Co., which prides itself on being a good corporate citizen. It wisely decided to work with residents to find a way to preserve the canyon from development.

There were those who would have liked the company simply to hand over the property--valued at $105 million by one appraiser. That was an unfair expectation, but the Irvine Co. did make several welcome concessions, including dropping the price significantly, to $78 million.

That’s a lot of cash to be raised by a community of 25,000 residents. Some money could come from state bond money, private donations and the county, which has offered $10 million in park acquisition funds. But a major portion would have to come from a $20-million bond measure that may be on the city’s Nov. 6 ballot. The City Council will decide this week whether to take that step--and it should take it--to give voters a chance to back environmental concerns with dollars.

These are a lot of big “ifs,” but one thing is sure: The canyon discussions replaced antagonism with negotiation and appear to have pulled Laguna citizens and the Irvine people back from an abyss.