LAGUNA NIGUEL : Binion Open to Offers, Aides Say

One day after Las Vegas casino owner Jack Binion won final approval for a controversial hilltop development here, his representatives said Wednesday that they would listen to offers to buy the property.

After fighting the project for five years, South Laguna residents living below the proposed development urged the City Council at Tuesday’s meeting to delay approval while they negotiated to purchase the 22-acre site for use as a wilderness park.

“The door is always open,” said project manager Philip Bettencourt. “We are just waiting and listening . . . and moving forward” with the project.

The council approved the 22-home development on Tuesday by a 3-1 vote, with Councilwoman Patricia C. Bates abstaining.

Mike Beanan, vice president of the South Laguna Civic Assn., said the group proposed that as a starting point, both sides agree on an assessor to determine the value of the property.

Meanwhile, the group plans to appeal the project’s approval to the California Coastal Commission. If that fails, “we will have no choice but to litigate,” he said.

Bettencourt called the threats of legal action “saber rattling.”

“If there is litigation involving the City Council’s decision, we will mount a ferocious defense of Mr. Binion’s property rights,” Bettencourt said.

The residents below the hilltop project say the development would cause flooding and landslides. The council sided with Binion and the city staff, who maintained that adequate drainage measures are planned.