2 South County Cities Want Rail Station in Their Back Yard : Transportation: Mission Viejo and Laguna Niguel argue about location, but they agree facility will benefit the area and are asking Laguna Hills to help fund it.

First, Mission Viejo wanted it. Then, Laguna Niguel got interested. And now, Laguna Hills is trying to decide whether to join in.

There’s room for only one more commuter rail station in South County, and as traffic congestion gets worse on Interstate 5, city officials are trying to decide which community will get the station and who will pay for it.

“It doesn’t take much to realize that this is a badly needed facility and that time is of the essence,” said Mission Viejo Mayor Robert D. Breton. “It doesn’t need to be put off.”

Last month, the three cities took the unusual step of holding a joint meeting to put the issues on the table. Most officials agree that many problems were aired, but the major issues remain unresolved.

Both Mission Viejo and Laguna Niguel argue they have the best location.

The Mission Viejo City Council, with Breton leading the way, began looking for ways to finance the station about two years ago. City officials have gotten the county to commit $1.3 million to help build the station and have a good chance of securing another $1.4 million from the state.

The council is leaning toward three sites of about three acres each, two of them near Paseo de Valencia and Cabot Road and the other at Oso Parkway and Cabot Road. All three parcels are about halfway between existing stops at Irvine and San Juan Capistrano.

Laguna Niguel, which began showing interest in the station about two months ago, favors a parcel two miles farther south at Forbes Road near Avery Parkway. That site is the right size--about six acres--but is located on a flood plain and is only about 3.5 miles from the San Juan Capistrano station.

“We’ve convinced ourselves that this project isn’t going to be an economic catalyst for the city,” said City Manager Tim Casey. “I think what it comes down to is that there needs to be another train stop in South County and this is the best location going.”

Both Mission Viejo and Laguna Niguel officials agree that the station will benefit the Saddleback Valley, which is why Laguna Hills was asked to help fund the project.

Mission Viejo officials estimate that the station could be built for about $2.7 million, including land costs. Estimates for the Laguna Niguel site are higher, about $3.2 million. Development contractors speculate that it could cost $100,000 per year to maintain the facility.

At the joint meeting, Laguna Hills officials said they would need time, possibly several months, to decide whether to invest in the project. Council members said public hearings were needed to see if Laguna Hills citizens want to participate.

Complicating the picture is the bad blood that exists between Mission Viejo and Laguna Hills. The rail sites in Mission Viejo are also near a proposed auto mall, which Laguna Hills has opposed because it’s close to homes.

The dispute has led to lawsuits being filed by Mission Viejo against Laguna Hills for allegedly trying to obstruct the auto mall project.

As the neutral city, Laguna Niguel may be the logical choice, Laguna Niguel Councilman Mark Goodman said at the joint meeting.

“But, to not make a decision on the station because of petty political maneuverings or short-term financial decisions would be fatal” to the proposed station, Breton said. “We owe it to (Laguna Hills) to give them enough time to make a decision. However, we can’t afford to wait forever.”

The Orange County Transportation Authority, which has pledged $1.3 million toward the project and has the final say over where it will be built, wants the cities to work it out among themselves.

“The main issue is putting a site in that South County area; where it is, is not specifically a concern to us,” said Lisa Mills, OCTA director of planning. “Time is really of importance here. We had hoped to see it built by December, 1993, but that apparently isn’t going to happen.”

Which could mean trouble for South County commuters.

Starting in spring, 1994, the county plans to widen the infamous El Toro Y, where the San Diego Freeway meets Interstate 5, causing massive congestion in both directions.

“The project will turn the San Diego Freeway into a parking lot between the El Toro Y” and the Avery Parkway exit, said Breton, who commutes by rail into Los Angeles. “Mass transit is the only solution out of our transportation mess.”