LAGUNA NIGUEL : Commercial Center Gets Council’s OK

After months of controversy and project revisions, the City Council this week gave final approval to a major commercial center on the corner of La Paz and Aliso Creek roads.

The project’s developer, Birtcher Niguel, will build a cinema complex, three restaurants, retail shops, a two-level parking structure and an office building in the first phase of construction. The complex is to be built on an empty lot across the street from two residential neighborhoods.

During Tuesday night’s council meeting, Birtcher Niguel officials presented a project that was endorsed by most residents of the nearby Lake Chateau community and approved unanimously by the council.

“The revised site plan does a couple of things to address objections of the neighborhood,” said City Manager Tim Casey. “It eliminates the health club as a use and allows the two restaurants to be increased in size. . . . It also allows the amount of retail space to be doubled.”

The original plan, which had featured a sizable health club and a movie theater, was approved last month by the Planning Commission despite months of protest by residents.

Citing concerns about traffic, parking and noise, Lake Chateau residents appealed the Planning Commission decision to the council.

In an appeal hearing last month, the council asked the developer to sit down with residents and the city planning staff to revise the project.

“We really went into meetings with staff and the community with an open mind to find the middle ground,” said Mitch Brown, executive vice president of Birtcher Niguel.

What emerged from those meetings was a proposal that expanded the size and number of retail shops and restaurants while eliminating the health club, which would have increased traffic.

“We were reluctant to lose the health club,” Brown said. “But we have to compromise.”

The project now includes a four-story office building to be placed at the north end of the property, three restaurants covering more than 15,000 square feet, and retail space totaling 21,000 square feet that will surround an Edwards Theater complex with 1,800 seats.

Birtcher may add office space In subsequent construction phases.