LAGUNA BEACH : City Wants to Keep Eye on Tollway Work

While insisting that the city is still not resigned to the idea that the San Joaquin Hills tollway will be built, the City Council has asked its staff to explore how the road’s construction could be monitored and its design changed to lessen the environmental impacts on Laguna Canyon.

At least two council members, however, made it clear they are not willing to spend much, if any, money on the effort, meaning volunteers would likely be needed to do most of the work.

The action is one of a flurry of recent moves involving the six-lane thoroughfare, which is supposed to be under construction within weeks. On March 11, corridor agencies gave contractors a green light to move forward.

Laguna Beach has remained opposed to construction of the 17.5-mile roadway, which would cut through Laguna Canyon as it links the Corona del Mar Freeway near the John Wayne Airport to Interstate 5 near San Juan Capistrano. As part of that opposition, the city has refused to join the corridor agencies.

Admitting that it may be too late to influence the design of the road, the council decided Tuesday to explore the city’s options anyway.

At the same time, Councilman Wayne L. Peterson, the dissenter in the 3-1 vote, said he will add an item to next week’s council agenda asking members to finally agree to become part of the Transportation Corridor Agencies, the group charged with building the road.

“We are not participating; we are fighting them,” Peterson said. “And we are running out of time.” Councilman Robert F. Gentry, who is recovering from open heart surgery, was absent.

Mayor Lida Lenney said the vote should not be construed as an indicator that the city has accepted the project and reminded residents that a number of lawsuits waged by environmental groups are still outstanding.

“Don’t interpret this as a resignation,” Lenney said. “We’re not sort of rolling over by doing this, but we are trying to be far-seeing.”

Laguna Beach is the only city in the corridor’s “area of benefit” that has not joined the 12-member Transportation Corridor Agencies.

Agency spokesman Mike Stockstill said Wednesday that for Laguna Beach to join the agency at this stage, all members of the group would have to approve. Regarding the city’s ability to influence the design of the toll road at this point, Stockstill said, the design is already “substantially complete.”

Lenney and Councilwoman Ann Christoph had suggested that the city explore hiring a consultant to monitor construction of the road to ensure all required mitigation measures are adhered to. They suggested that the consultant might also review plans for the project and suggest design options that would lessen the environmental impact of the road on the canyon.

The council agreed to explore options that might allow the city to achieve these ends, but it was clear that the panel would not have the votes necessary to spend money on a consultant.