Battle Between Developers, Environmentalists Is Settled

A three-year legal battle between developers of the Ocean Trails housing and golf course project and a coastal conservation group in Rancho Palos Verdes was settled when the parties reached an agreement that allows the project to continue while taking steps to protect the environment.

Several environmental groups filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court in 1992 under the umbrella of the Rancho Palos Verdes-based Coastal Conservation group. In the lawsuit, environmentalists claimed that developer Hon / Zuckerman was ignoring serious environmental issues in the plans for the 265-acre development of luxury homes and apartments.

In the out-of-court settlement Wednesday, developers agreed to move the planned golf course back from coastal bluffs by nearly 100 feet in some areas and have agreed to use a minimal amount of herbicides and pesticides on the golf course. In addition, there will be increased public access to the coastal area, a habitat for the California gnatcatcher, and the number of hiking and biking trails will be doubled.