Big bucks for unbuildable lots

There ought to be a better way for the city to control problematic development in hillside areas than forking over cash for “unbuildable” lots.

Last month, it was announced the City Council agreed to pay $600,000 to a builder for 12 lots on “paper streets” -- streets that don’t exist except on paper.

We can presume that, when the lots were purchased, they were at a bargain rate since they could not be used for anything -- until the day a street was built to serve them.

That never happened, and new street grade rules are making it less likely that streets on steep hillsides will ever see pavement.

These lots were sold for $50,000 apiece, which may seem like a small amount to some, but it’s a hefty price to pay for unusable land.

The city’s open space fund was used as the piggy-bank, in violation of its real purpose: to increase the number of parks in the city.

We have to wonder whether these lots -- many of which are not even contiguous -- will ever get be used much by the public. Are they really for “open space” purposes, or was it simply a way to get the builder off the city’s back?

This property owner had been at loggerheads with planning officials over plans for what amounts to a subdivision in the Arch Beach Heights district. He had filed a lawsuit to press his claim, as is his right.

With property values in Laguna Beach at an apex, the pressure is on to build, build, build. And in this built-out city, the only place to go is up.

One 17,000-square-foot single-family home in the Mar Vista hills was reinstated -- in response to a legal filing -- this week, after questions brought the project to a screeching halt. Neighbors of this gargantuan project are aghast at the prospect of months of grading that will be required for this multi-multi-million dollar domicile.

These problem projects put the city in a bind.

After the Bluebird Canyon landslide, city officials can’t afford to go to court every time a developer disagrees with city actions that may affect the value of a project.

But the landslide is a lesson in the dangers of hillside development and the need to be cautious. It’s not just a matter of neighborhood views -- it’s a question of safety.

With the design review process now under revision, it’s a good time to make provisions for hillside development. The City Council will take up the design review task force recommendations again on Tuesday, and we hope the issue of hillside development will be addressed.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Should development on steep hillsides be curtailed for safety reasons? Write us at P.O. Box 248, Laguna Beach, CA, 92652, e-mail us at [email protected] or fax us at 494-8979. Please give your name and tell us your home address and phone number for verification purposes only.