Laguna Resort Envisioned in 3 Years

Now that voters have approved the project, construction of a luxury resort hotel and 34 homes on the Laguna Beach coast might be completed within three years, city officials said Wednesday.

“The people have spoken, and the will of the people is absolutely clear,” Laguna Beach Mayor Steve Dicterow said.

Laguna Beach voters Tuesday approved the controversial Treasure Island development plan 55% to 45%. The resort still needs approval from a joint design review board, the Planning Commission and City Council as well as a state coastal development permit. All of those are expected.

Some opponents see their defeat as a blow to the city’s charm, which they felt would be hurt by the 275-room resort development. They also foresee continuing battles over preservation and the lure of lucrative development, especially as the city begins reviewing downtown redevelopment plans.

“The community will mend itself, because time heals all wounds,” said Ron Harris, who chaired the opposition group, Laguna for a Better Resort. “But at this point, I don’t think the city is terribly unified. I think that there is some fundamental difference in values in this town.”

Among other things, the city is considering where to put more parking in the tourist town, where finding a space can be frustrating.

“The city is divided into two different camps,” Harris said. “One has an eye toward financial exploitation, and the other looks first at the people and their quality of life.”

Private property should be considered differently than city property, said Dicterow, who, along with most of the City Council, supported the development. Government shouldn’t regulate private property rights, he said.

The project, on the site of a former mobile-home park, already had won conceptual approval from the City Council and the state Coastal Commission when Harris and other residents formed a group to oppose it. They gathered enough signatures to force the issue to a vote.

Opponents claim the development on 30 acres sets aside too little land as park space and would generate too much traffic. They also object to the city’s agreement to waive fees and pay for certain improvements.

Supporters pointed to the money the hotel would bring in to both the city and the town’s cash-strapped schools. In addition, they said, the development would open the land to the public and add another coastal park.

“It was one of the most important decisions the community faced in the decade,” Councilwoman Kathleen Blackburn said. “In Laguna Beach, everyone has an opinion. We’re passionate people.”

The arguments are likely to continue, city officials said.

“At each stage, there will probably be appeals,” City Manager Kenneth C. Frank said. “But the ball is rolling.”