LAGUNA NIGUEL : Binion Project Up for Council Vote
After almost five years of debate and delays, the so-called Binion Project tonight will go to the City Council for approval or rejection.
Jack Binion, a Las Vegas casino owner with holdings in South County, approached the city in 1990 with a plan to build ocean-view homes on hilltop property. Since then, the proposal has been opposed by citizens and homeowners groups, challenged legally and revised a number of times.
The city staff said Binion’s latest proposal for 22 custom homes near Monarch Beach meets all requirements of the city’s general plan and has recommended approval. An earlier plan called for 32 residences.
One of the main opponents, the South Laguna Civic Assn., appealed the Planning Commission’s April approval of the development, citing environmental and other concerns about the 22-acre project. The group argued that the tract would violate state coastal land-use laws dealing with preservation of ocean views.
But city staff members indicated that the project as proposed now would include adequate safeguards and would not affect environmentally sensitive areas.
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