LAGUNA BEACH : Scenic Hillside to Stay as Is, City Says

The City Council on Tuesday reassured South Laguna residents that it would not allow development of a scenic, 235-acre parcel.

Several residents said they had received anonymous flyers warning that the council would be opening the hillside for development.

City Manager Kenneth C. Frank said the city had been unable to negotiate a purchase price for the land, known as the Esslinger Trust property and located in Hobo Canyon, and that the council had specifically decided not to take the issue to court. But he reassured the residents that the city would pursue negotiations. The council also attempted to pacify the residents by voting to set aside $1 million in state money for land purchases other than in Laguna Canyon.

In other action Tuesday evening, the council agreed to spend $350,000 to repair a bluff in Heisler Park.

The money will be used to construct a rock revetment to prevent further erosion of the bluff where a major landslide occurred several weeks ago.

However, the council urged the staff to ensure that the revetment be built as close to the bluff as possible so that it will not intrude in the tidal area.

This alternative may also allow for the construction of a bridge or the reconstruction of a 20-foot stretch of sidewalk overlooking the ocean near Jasime Street and Cliff Drive that slid two to three feet toward the ocean several weeks ago.

A consultant and city staff members concluded that the shuffle board area near the sidewalk was in danger of being lost if repairs were not made.

In choosing the rock revetment, the council rejected other alternatives such as construction of a seawall or installing caissons to buttress the bluff.

City officials have estimated that the bluff has eroded 5 to 10 feet during the last 40 years.