SOUTH LAGUNA/DANA POINT, WHERE CONTRASTS COLLIDE

There is a portion of Coast Highway, beginning at Country Club Road in South Laguna and ending just north of the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Laguna Niguel that is a study in contrasts. The area is a combination of the old and the new, the densely populated and the barely developed, all in close proximity.

Heading south from the northernmost end of this stretch, the driver will notice that the road undergoes a sudden, subtle transformation. It becomes hillier and curvier, and the surrounding terrain becomes denser in just about every way imaginable. The homes appear to be more tightly packed than they are almost anywhere else in the county. The trees and bushes seem to grow thicker here, the hills and cliffs press much closer to the road and reach much higher into the sky.

Yet the atmosphere is not claustrophobic. This is due in part to the varied architectural styles of the homes and businesses--they’re typical of beach communities in Southern California and are a constant reminder of the ocean’s presence. Even driving through the area on a dark, moonless night, with the windows rolled up tight, you can sense the ocean is near.

The coast is dotted with beaches of all kinds: sandy and rocky, small and large, public and private. Consider Aliso, a public beach parallel to one of the few parts of the highway that dips to sea level. The part of the beach just north of the 1,800-foot pier is wide and sandy and, on a clear day, has a spectacular view of Santa Catalina Island. South of the pier, however, it becomes rockier and narrower as the cliffs press closer to the shoreline. The rocks are covered with a fine, bright green moss and the air is pungent with the moss’ scent. For a moment, one could forget this is Southern California, much less Orange County. It feels alien yet comfortable.

Then there is Three Arch Bay, a sequestered beach below a private community south of Aliso. The Three Arch Bay community association is extremely protective of its private beach, which is open only to residents of the gate-guarded community. In 1974, for example, the association petitioned the South Coast Regional Coastal Commission to build some beach lockers for its residents. The commission said it would approve the lockers only if the association opened the strand to the public. The association decided it didn’t need the lockers after all.

This part of the highway undergoes another, more drastic, transformation. The buildings here are newer and less tightly packed than they are farther north, and the architecture conforms more closely to the style found throughout most of the south county. The land here is also far less developed, but new buildings are rapidly appearing.

Until recently, the area surrounding this stretch of highway lay on unincorporated county land. Last year the northern half was annexed by Laguna Beach; the southern section will go to Dana Point, which voted to combine with Capistrano Beach as one city.

These annexations are themselves studies in contrasts. The merging of South Laguna with Laguna Beach went smoothly, almost happily. Residents of South Laguna had been clamoring for years to be allowed to join with their northern neighbors. The incorporation of the southern half of this area, however, has involved a considerable amount of acrimony between unincorporated Laguna Niguel, which itself is preparing for cityhood and had long claimed the section, and Dana Point. Residents of inland Laguna Niguel claim that losing the coastal strip to Dana Point would deprive Laguna Niguel of its identity as “sea country.” But residents of the disputed area, which includes several gate-guarded communities and extends south to the posh Ritz-Carlton hotel, voted overwhelmingly to join Dana Point.

NEIGHBORHOOD PROFILE: SOUTH LAGUNA

Population

Population: (1988 est.): 4,227

1980-88 change: +11.7%

Median Age: 40.4

Racial/ethnic mix: White (non-Hispanic), 95%; Hispanic, 3%; Black, less than 1%; Other, 2%

By sex and age:

In hundreds

MALES

Median age: 40.2 years

FEMALES

Median age: 40.6 years

Income

Per capita: $32,460

Median Household: $59,141

Average Household: $73,421

Household Distribution:

Less than $25,000: 18%

$50,000-74,999: 24%

$25,000-49,999: 23%

More than $75,000: 35%