Still fighting to stay put

Suzie Harrison

The El Morro Community Assn. has appealed the decision by a Superior

Court judge to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the environment report

prepared by the State Parks Department.

Residents of El Morro Village filed the suit claiming state park

officials had prepared the report improperly. It was denied on Aug.

15. The residents’ leases expire in December 2004.

The state appellate court will decide whether to hear the case.

The State Parks Department is moving ahead with its plan.

The Laguna Beach Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation is part of a

coalition of 17 environmental groups and individuals, including

Laguna Canyon Conservancy, Village Laguna and Laguna Greenbelt Inc.,

that supports a plan by California State Parks to convert the private

El Morro Trailer Park area of Crystal Cove State Park into a state

park campground and day use area.

The State Park plan would remove the trailers from the beach and

canyon, provide environmental restoration of the degraded creek and

canyon and provide for public access to the property.

El Morro Village is a community that has been there 80 years, said

Sandy Cooney, representative of El Morro Community Assn.

“We’ve been a significant economic benefit to Newport and Laguna

Beach, and that’s a big piece to this,” Cooney said. “More than 300

families live here.”

Rick Wilson, president of the Laguna chapter of the Surfrider

Foundation, said that naturally, the residents don’t want to leave.

However, the residents held a 20-year ground lease that started in

1979; a five-year extension will expire at the end of this year.

“Now we’re worried that they are going to try to do it again,”

Wilson said.

Crystal Cove State Park Supt. Ken Kramer , said the situation is a

joint effort to support the state parks plan. He said they need to

proceed with the state park plan to keep a promise that was made in

1982.

Californian’s were told they would have public access, use and

enjoyment of all areas of the state park of Crystal Cove, including

El Moro.

The land includes an approximate 60-unit campground and a

200-space parking area.

Kramer said that Crystal Cove State Park doesn’t begrudge every

effort by the residents to stay, but it’s hearing loud and clear from

the people of California that it’s time to implement the overdue plan

and changes.

“It’s time to keep our end of the bargain for public use,” Kramer

said. “People of the state of California purchased [this land] with

public funds with full public use and enjoyment [rights].

Cooney argues that everyone already has full access.

“The beach is absolutely public. We sit in a state park that is

public,” Cooney said.

He said it’s important for people to know that El Morro Village

occupies less than 1% of the land area of Crystal Cove State Park.

“My family has a 40-year history here,” Cooney said.

He said that the El Morro residents hope that the groups involved

come to support a lease extension and come to understand that it

makes good economic and environmental sense.

The coalition and park system said it is time to move forward.

“The project will be the last coastal campground in Southern

California,” Kramer said. “It’s the only location in Orange County

where the public can park and access inland wildlife trails and the

beach all from one location.”