Treasure Island Provides Model

From the days when mobile homes covered the seaside hills to the years of court battles over the property’s future, the saga of Treasure Island in South Laguna has been convoluted. Last month’s apparent end to the fighting was remarkable for the tempered comments that resulted.

One reason for the relative harmony was the outcome. The developer of the 30 acres won permission to build, but opponents of the original building plans won significant concessions. If the development succeeds in providing housing, a resort and, importantly, increased public access to the shore, it could be a model for other California communities.

The Treasure Island Mobile Home Park began in the 1930s and at one point contained nearly 300 homes. Some were year-round residences; others were vacation trailers. Some were owned by senior citizens on fixed incomes, others by people of means.

At one point, the city considered buying the land in order to provide stable rents for residents facing increases. It’s just as well that did not come to fruition, given the problems of negotiating with an owner who did not want to sell and then having City Hall as a landlord.

The City Council’s 1991 passage of rent control for three mobile home parks was overturned by a referendum later that year. Not long after, the park closed amid more wrangling over relocation payments to tenants. Last year voters approved a development of houses, condominiums and a resort hotel.

Environmentalists, a civic group and two individuals asked the California Coastal Commission to review the plans. Last month the commission’s staff recommended approval, but set forth several conditions.

One important one given the problems of earth movement in Southern California was setting back all development at least 45 feet from the top of graded or existing bluffs. That was coupled with a requirement to relocate access to the bluff tops if erosion, storms or other natural hazards threatened the development.

The commission also demanded year-round diversion of runoff from the development and from 60 acres above the site to a waste water treatment plant. That’s sensible, especially in view of the perennial closings of nearby Aliso Beach because of pollution.

Laguna Beach residents concerned about the development’s impact on water quality deserve credit for persuading the Coastal Commission of the validity of their worries while also recognizing the developer’s right to build on the property.