LAGUNA BEACH : Scaled-Down Project Puts End to City Suit
The city of Laguna Beach has dropped a lawsuit it filed two years ago to block construction of a Laguna Hills business center because the proposed development plan has been reduced by more than 1 million square feet.
The scaled-down development, which now calls for an 18-hole golf course but less office space and fewer parking places, was approved by the County Board of Supervisors in December.
“The city was satisfied with the way the project was downsized,” said Stephen Coontz, the lawyer representing the city. “That’s really what the city was asking for in the beginning, and now it’s been worked out.”
The project, known as Rossmoor Business Park, will be built at the intersection of Moulton Parkway and El Toro Road in neighboring Laguna Hills.
The city had objected to the project, largely because of concerns about the impact the development would have on Laguna Beach, according to a statement issued by the city.
The initial project included about 1.4 million square feet of office and commercial space and about 5,400 parking spaces. The new plan calls for less than 400,000 square feet of building and about 2,500 parking places.
In December, 1991, the city filed suit against the developer, Rossmoor Partners L.P. and the county, challenging the environmental reports and the county approvals gained by that time.
The suit was put on hold as the project was modified.
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