RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE

Landscapers Honor Builder: Residential builder Kathryn Thompson, chairman and chief executive of the Kathryn G. Thompson Development Co. in Aliso Viejo, has been honored by the Long Beach and Orange County chapter of the California Landscape Contractors Assn. for her commitment to integrating landscaping into the overall design of her projects.

Thompson is the developer of the Laguna Audubon planned community as well as a major apartment builder.

She most recently made news by breaking ranks with the local development industry’s predominantly Republican hierarchy to co-sponsor a campaign appearance by Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Clinton.

Thompson also has raised eyebrows by holding an Orange County fund-raiser for Sonny Bono. Although a Republican, onetime pop music star Bono, now the mayor of Palm Springs, has irked party leaders by seeking the GOP nomination for one of California’s two U.S. Senate seats.

Thompson received the landscapers’ Meridian Award at ceremonies in Newport Beach earlier this month.

The annual award is the association’s highest honor. Last year’s recipient was Irvine Co. owner Donald L. Bren.