Negotiations to Preserve Laguna Canyon Deal Begin

Negotiations began Monday to prevent the state from pulling out of a $4-million deal to buy 82 acres of wilderness in Laguna Canyon as part of a huge coastal regional park.

Representatives of the California Wildlife Conservation Board, the Irvine Co., Orange County and the city of Laguna Beach met to try to resolve objections the state has raised to a long list of conditions that the Irvine Co. has attached to its proposed sale of the land.

During the negotiations at the Irvine Co.’s Newport Beach headquarters, several of the state’s concerns were resolved, said Irvine Co. spokesperson Kathi Crowley. Other points of dispute will be tackled at a meeting yet to be scheduled.

In a widely lauded agreement, Laguna Beach earlier this year agreed to buy 2,150 acres of Laguna Canyon from the Irvine Co. for $78 million. In August, the California Wildlife Conservation Board decided to buy 82 acres of that land from the city.

But in mid-October, a few days before the deal was to close, the state agency learned of 20 pages of deed restrictions that would allow the Irvine Co. to retain key rights to the property, including water and mining rights, authority over restoration and maintenance of the wildlife habitat and rights to install utilities.

The state said these terms were unacceptable and put the purchase on hold, while the Irvine Co. contended that the conditions are standard in its land deals and would not jeopardize the state reserve.

Laguna Beach City Manager Kenneth C. Frank said progress was made at the meeting but didn’t discuss details.

Located just off Laguna Canyon Road near El Toro Road, the land known as Laurel Canyon contains several endangered species of flowering plants, two rare lizards and several rare birds.