A Matter of Opinions on Laguna Beach : * With the Landslide Question Still Unresolved, the City Is Wise Not to Rush Anything

The news that Laguna Beach would seek yet another geological opinion on the fire-damaged neighborhood of Mystic Hills provides an irresistible opportunity for comparison with getting a second or third medical opinion from a doctor. The patient has been found to suffer the affliction of an ancient landslide, in addition to all the chronic problems associated with last year’s wildfire damage.

Homeowners understandably are eager to rebuild, and some have questioned whether an old landslide could pose much of a hazard nowadays. But the city continues to take the prudent course by insisting that rebuilding will require stabilization, and it has taken steps to establish an assessment district to raise money for the work.

In an apparent gesture of goodwill to those who have suffered much in the neighborhood and want to move forward, the city agreed last week to get yet another outside opinion on whether the landslide exists at all. That followed a long meeting the previous Saturday between residents, geologists and city staff members.

The last couple of weeks haven’t done much to ease the anguish of the beleaguered homeowners of the battered neighborhood. But the city is right to stand firm. It is refusing to issue building permits until a decision is made on who will pay for hillside stabilization.

That is expected to cost from $25,000 to $50,000 per homeowner, depending on the number of properties included in the zone, and the figure could drop once the city’s part of the project is figured in.

Homeowners’ eagerness to go forward is understandable. But Laguna Beach does not need any more surprise disasters. The city is doing what it should in telling people what their options are so that they can make their own best informed financial decisions.

The city’s stake, which it cannot abandon, is in a safe future for its neighborhoods.