Time to say goodbye to El Morro homes

All good things come to an end.

That old saying is becoming painfully true for residents of the

mobile homes at El Morro Village, but it is a painful truth that is

the best thing for users of Crystal Cove State Park, from both far

and wide, and the park’s neighbors in Laguna Beach.

Residents of the homes in the beautiful beachfront setting last

week suffered twin defeats in their attempts to stay put. First, a

state appellate court ruled against their lawsuit that claimed state

officials improperly filed environmental reports about a proposed

campground for the area. Then, the California Coastal Commission

approved plans to eliminate the mobile-home park, paving the way for

the campground’s construction next year.

As things now stand, the mobile-home residents will have to be out

of El Morro on Jan. 1, when their lease expires. And while that

sounds like a harsh ending, a look back at the sweetheart deal

residents of the park have had minimizes the hurt.

The state bought the park area from the Irvine Co. several decades

ago, and with the sale came El Morro Beach and Canyon, Crystal Cove

State Park and Beach and the historic cottages that sit on that

beach. For all this time, residents of both El Morro and the cove’s

cottages enjoyed low rents on pristine public land.

Now, that land is set to be the public’s -- no doubts, no “no

trespassing” signs, no arguments about it. And the public will be

able to enjoy a 60-unit campground, a picnic area and an

amphitheater, set to take 12 to 18 months to finish at a cost of

about $13 million.

That’s exactly what a public park should be.