Board Supports Proposal for Coastal Development

A proposal to create more open space along the scenic ridges of the San Joaquin Hills in exchange for denser housing development in the Newport Coast area received a positive reception Tuesday from the Board of Supervisors.

The proposal is part of an amendment to the Newport Coast development plan, which covers a scenic coastal and hillside area between Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach.

The plan was approved in 1987 but is being updated in the light of new environmental policies and the county’s decision not to build several roads, including an extension of Sand Canyon Avenue from Irvine to Pacific Coast Highway.

Eliminating the Sand Canyon extension gave officials an opportunity to designate more hillside land for open space. The Irvine Co., which owns the land, agreed to cancel development plans along some ridges if it could build more homes closer to the coast, near Crystal Cove State Beach.

The number of homes, 2,600, remains unchanged under the amendment. But some coastal developments would be denser.

Some environmentalists, however, said they oppose increasing development along the coast, especially around the picturesque Crystal Cove.

Supervisor Marian Bergeson, who represents the area, said the amendments will provide for more contiguous wilderness areas and preserve more ecologically sensitive areas.

The board will take a final vote on the plan next month.