No standoff in the solution to runoff

The relationship between developers and environmentalists is not a

pairing necessarily looked to for sugar-coated and cozy stories. In

fact, the relationship between the two seems inherently

tension-filled, and that’s probably the way it should be.

But the unlikely partnering of the developer, Irvine Co., and the

environmental group, Orange County CoastKeeper, to create a

water-reclamation plan for the Irvine Co.’s 168-unit Pelican Hill

resort is a significant step in cooperating and maintaining the

area’s precious coastline resources.

The multimillion-dollar strategy calls for trapping rainwater and

pumping it into storage reservoirs that irrigate the nearby Pelican

Hill Golf Club.

At its core, the plan is an effort to prevent the development from

generating any more debris-laced runoff than the not-yet-developed

site already sends into Morning Canyon and the beach at Crystal Cove.

But it’s really much more. It helps set a precedent for cooperation.

And as CoastKeeper Executive Director Garry Brown said, the plan,

which took more than a year to create, sets a higher standard for

other developers who often fight efforts to control runoff. We don’t

expect this pairing to be a panacea, but conflict can lead to

cooperation. The Irvine Co. came up with an environmentally friendly

plan for the Crystal Cove development only after CoastKeeper, in

2001, filed a lawsuit over the developer’s original plan, which Brown

said did not adequately address runoff to the cove’s beach.

The lawsuit led to an agreement, and we hope CoastKeeper remains

vigilant about such matters. Since the agreement, CoastKeeper and the

developer have formed a cooperative relationship, which shows an

awareness, on the part of a powerful developer, that the ocean is a

resource to be protected, not a dumping ground for unwanted runoff.

The partnership also shows that environmentalists are willing to work

with a developer for some real benefit, not simply to oppose them.

“People come to this area for the ocean,” said Sat Tamaribuchi,

Irvine Co.’s vice president of environmental affairs.

Granted, his company still wants to make a buck, but through the

partnership, an awareness seems to have dawned that a coastline that

is not polluted can be helpful in making that buck.

“They’ve been doing this a long time, and they’re at a point now

where probably legacy is as important as profit,” Brown told the

Pilot.