Supervisor Dooms Resort’s Plan

Orange County Supervisor Tom Wilson on Monday rejected a controversial proposal by the Montage Resort & Spa, effectively killing the luxury hotel’s hopes of building a championship golf course in a protected wilderness park.

“I’ve come to a very strong conclusion,” Wilson said in a statement released late Monday afternoon. “The concept ... is one I simply cannot personally support.”

Although they never formally presented a plan to the county, officials at the luxury Laguna Beach resort had met several times with Wilson, whose district encompasses the Montage, and other Orange County officials.

The Montage had hoped to build an 18-hole golf course along Aliso Creek, a plan that would require the county to sell or lease a swath of the public Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park.

The project also would have needed to clear a complex approval process, including state and federal environmental permits that would have sought concessions from the developer. Montage and county officials suggested that the resort help clean polluted Aliso Creek and provide wilderness areas elsewhere.

But the plan met immediate opposition from some environmentalists, community groups and Laguna Beach city leaders who said it would set a dangerous precedent and jeopardize conservation efforts elsewhere.

On Monday, several of those critics praised Wilson and said they were surprised by the resounding -- and definitive -- rejection.

“Wow! Good for Tom,” Laguna Beach Councilwoman Toni Iseman said. “This has drawn the attention of all the major environmental groups in Orange County. I think [they] made it clear what an important precedent this would be.”

Claire Schlotterbeck, a consultant with the Laguna Greenbelt and Laguna Canyon Foundation, agreed: “I am very pleased with his thoughtful response.... While most of us wish it could have been out the gate, ‘No,’ it ultimately came out to be the right decision.”

The Montage proposal sparked controversy last summer as the community learned that resort investors had bought nearby properties -- the Aliso Creek Inn and Golf Course, and the 240-acre Driftwood Estates -- leaving them wondering what the resort’s owners planned for the area.

But Monday, Montage spokeswoman Marguarite Clark said resort owners had not completely abandoned their plans for a championship-caliber golf course.

“We don’t know how or if 18 holes will work,” Clark said, “but at the very least, we will certainly continue to have nine holes.”

In recent months, many criticized the Montage, saying it was not being open about its plans.

“We were not trying to cut any deals or do things behind closed doors,” Clark said. “The good news is, we can now restart the process of reaching out to all concerned stakeholders, which is what we’ve been wanting to do from the get-go.”

In his statement, Wilson did not detail his reasons for rejecting the proposal. But he said he had thoroughly reviewed the concept, toured the canyon and researched the permit process and the public benefits.

He met with Montage officials late last week, he said, to “formally reject” the concept. He said it is still within their discretion to continue presenting alternatives to county staff, the city and the community.

Despite Wilson’s statement, many critics said they remained wary.

“We will remain vigilant,” said Penny Elia, chairwoman of the Sierra Club’s Hobo Aliso Ridge Task Force.