DANA POINT : Residents Support Parkland in Survey

Most Dana Point residents who are aware of the resort proposed for the bluff-top Headlands want to preserve the undeveloped land but do not want to tax themselves substantially to do it, according to a recent survey.

In a survey of 402 Dana Point residents recently commissioned by the Capistrano Bay Park and Recreation District, three-fourths of those questioned were aware of the 121-acre Headlands parcel and that 28.5 acres of it will be designated for public use. Of those, 61% want more of the privately owned land to be bought for public use, according to the survey conducted by San Diego-based CIC Research Inc.

But only 47.7 of those who want to buy more of the land said they were willing to pay $50 per month more in property taxes to pay for it, the survey indicated.

The survey was conducted as part of an annual update of the master plan of the park district, an independent district that oversees parks and recreation programs in the city of Dana Point. The city is considering conducting its own survey to test local voters’ sentiment about buying some of the Headlands property.

The Headlands’ landowner, the M.H. Sherman Co. and Chandis Securities Inc., has proposed building an $800-million resort including 396 homes and a 400-room hotel on the bluff-top acreage overlooking Dana Point Harbor. It is one of the last major undeveloped properties along the Southern California coast.

Under the current proposal, a total of 28.5 acres of public parkland--including Dana Strands Beach--would be provided by the developer. An additional 15.1 acres of land, including the bluff faces, is slated for open space.

Bob Wilberg, a parks district trustee, said the survey results were a pleasant surprise. “I thought it was great that people wanted to buy more parkland . . . and would like to acquire part of the Headlands,” Wilberg said, adding that he is confident people would agree to being taxed if they knew how the money would be used.

“Taxes in general are negative, but there is a lot of support for parkland,” Wilberg said.