Driftwood dialogue continues

Barbara Diamond

After 10 Planning Commission meetings and a public tour of the

property on Saturday with the City Council and staff members, one

might suppose there would be little left to be said for or against

the proposed Driftwood Estates development.

One would be wrong.

“This project is breaking my heart,” choked-up neighbor Penny Elia

said.

More than 85 people showed up Tuesday for the hearing on the

proposed subdivision of the 228-acre South Laguna hillside parcel

into 15 lots zoned for single-family residences on 10 acres and the rest zoned for open space in perpetuity. Driftwood Drive is proposed

as the main access to the development, with an emergency access road

planned to Ocean Vista Drive.

“We’d all like to see no building there,” said Sharon Larimer, a

resident of Driftwood Drive for 21 years. “That won’t happen, but we

need a reduction to seven lots. This is a nice neighborhood, and we’d

like to keep it that way.”

The council listened to about 1 1/2 hours of testimony Tuesday --

another half-hour was taken up with procedural questions -- before

calling a halt to the hearing shortly after midnight. The hearing was

continued to 6 p.m. Feb. 25, when it will be the only item on the

agenda.

Most of the 25 speakers Tuesday opposed the project.

“A packet delivered to the city listed names of people supporting

the project,” said outspoken environmentalist Kimberly Leeds of

Bluebird Canyon. “I wondered why anyone would do this. Ten were not

even residents, and others live on Loretta Drive.”

Loretta Drive resident Richard Leo said the Porto Fino

neighborhood sees the dedication of 218 acres of open space as an

enormous benefit to the whole town. Mayor Toni Iseman has made the

point that projects affect all the residents, not just those within

the 300-foot noticing radius.

“You need to look at the larger issues,” said architect James

Conrad, a resident on Barracuda Drive whose home overlooks the

proposed project and the open space that approval would bring to the

city.

Asked what discretion the council has in the project, City Atty.

Philip Kohn said state law defines the legal restraints, but options

include approving the subdivision, denying it or modifying the

proposal. Under state law, the council must able to justify their

decision, whether in favor or in opposition to the subdivision,

according to Kohn.

“You have to make findings that meet the applicable requirements,”

he said.

Christopher Koontz of the Sierra Club conservation staff said that

the project could be denied because it requires general plan/local

coastal plan amendment.

“You can deny any general plan amendment on the grounds that there

is no need to amend it,” Koontz said. The Planning Commission has

recommended that the council approve the subdivision as proposed and

approve a request to delete a portion of a watercourse from the city

map, as well as certify the environmental impact report required for

the project.

Substantial changes have been made to the proposal since it was

first submitted to the commission, said Morris Skenderian, architect

of record.

“We started with 19 lots and we are now down to 15,” said project

manager Todd Skenderian.

Other changes included an increase in the open space, deletion of

a variance request for indirect access, drainage improvements and a

reduction from 33,000 to 8,000 cubic yards of dirt to be exported.

Driftwood Drive neighbors remain concerned about the effects of

construction and traffic on their homes. The homes were built and the

streets laid under county jurisdiction.

“The narrow streets have always been a problem,” said resident

Larimer, who lives on the ocean side of Driftwood Drive. “The other

side of the street has little, short, postage-stamp driveways. Most

cars don’t fit, so they have to park on the street. That’s not going

to change.”

Sally Wilde said the city should not make the Driftwood Drive

resident endure the “hell” that Diamond Crestview residents have

endured.

“This project needs a specific plan,” Wilde said.

Specified staging areas are essential, she said.

“I hope you can learn from the mistakes you made with us.” Wilde

told the council.

Council members made specific requests of the staff for the Feb.

25 meeting.

Councilwoman Elizabeth Pearson asked staff to review whether the

California Environmental Quality Act considers views and for an

analysis of the size of homes on Driftwood and Marilyn drives.

Cheryl Kinsman wants the staff to identify the proposed trail head

location in relation to the trail into the open space, an explanation

of the requirements for the maintenance of common areas in the

development and what kinds of gates could be used for the emergency

access road that would make it possible for people to get out of the

area without driving through the gates.

Wayne Baglin asked the staff to look into the trail head habitat

for evidence of large leaf crown beard, a plant unique to South

Laguna; a traffic study of the effect of using the access road as the

main entry point to the development and evaluation of the city’s

noise element, which could be inadequate and might be crucial to the

project.

Mayor Iseman asked for an evaluation of the Design Review Board’s

ability to solve neighborhood concerns, such as views, privacy,

drainage and the effect on homes below.

Public comment at the Feb. 25 meeting will be limited to those who

did not speak Tuesday.

* BARBARA DIAMOND is a reporter for the Laguna Beach Coastline

Pilot. She may be reached at 494-4321.