Canyon Is Far From Saved, Despite Laguna Laurel Purchase Agreement

(In his column on) the Laguna Laurel land purchase (Orange County Voices, “Land Deal Is a Blueprint for Public-Private Cooperation,” Aug. 28), Paul Freeman speaks of lessons to be learned from the historic agreement wherein the city of Laguna Beach contracted to purchase land in Laguna Canyon from the Irvine Co.

He alludes to the happy ending to be achieved when environmentalists, developers and local governments come to the table to arrive at mutually beneficial solutions to land-use conflicts.

But, sadly, Freeman omitted one critically important fact: Laguna Canyon has not yet been saved .

The very heart of Laguna Laurel, Freeman’s “buckle in the otherwise fragmented greenbelt,” is threatened by the impending development of the San Joaquin Hills toll road.

This project promises to slice Laguna Canyon in two, bringing with it thousands of new homes, dramatically increased automobile traffic and congestion, additional air pollution, and the destruction of irreplaceable wild animal habitat.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors, while taking much credit for the Laguna Laurel arrangement, virtually blackmailed the city of Laguna Beach by vowing to withhold a promised $10-million contribution toward the land purchase unless the city agreed not to legally challenge the toll road, despite the city’s longstanding public opposition to that project.

The Irvine Co., while accepting the first purchase installment of $33 million in June, spearheaded the formation of the Corridor Business Coalition, a group which succeeded in having itself named as a co-defendant in a lawsuit filed against the toll road.

The company is also extensively lobbying Congress for an amendment to the so-called 4(f) Rule, which would strip Laguna Canyon and the rest of Orange County of environmental protections afforded to all other parklands in the nation.

By these actions, the Irvine Co. has taken irrefutable steps toward the annihilation of the canyon as it currently exists.

Mr. Freeman, I ask you: Is this the spirit of cooperation you extol?

Residents of Laguna Beach and surrounding areas rallied by the thousands against the Laguna Laurel project.

Hundreds of volunteers logged countless hours to convince the Irvine Co. that they would not tolerate the corruption of their beloved canyon by another phase in the “coral sea” of tract developments.

Through the efforts of all concerned, the sale was arranged for the expressed purpose of preserving Laguna Laurel as parkland and wildlife habitat. The citizens of Laguna Beach overwhelmingly voted themselves a property tax increase to support the $20-million bond issue necessary to get the purchase off the ground.

These good people did not give so unsparingly of their time, energy, money and good faith to save the canyon only to see it destroyed.

Laguna Canyon has been referred to as the last pristine coastal canyon between Malibu and Mexico. The intent of the Laguna Laurel purchase was clear: to protect Laguna Canyon forever from development and destruction.

The Board of Supervisors and the Irvine Co. have besmirched that intent by their actions.

The happy ending to Freeman’s fairy tale is in jeopardy. The Canyon has not been saved, nor will it be until the spirit of the Laguna Laurel Purchase Agreement is honored by all the parties thereto.

ANITA M. MANGELS, Laguna Beach