A Decade of Patience. 2 Years of Broken SCWD Promises.

Still No Park.

South Coast Water District promised our neighborhood a park. Now, they are pushing for a new industrial building on a derelict lot. It is time to hold them accountable.

31762 Coast HWY: A Case of Legal Non-Compliance.

A Decade of Construction, A Broken Promise

For ten years, the residents of South Laguna patiently hosted a massive, disruptive tunnel construction project on 4th Avenue. We endured the noise, the traffic, and the eyesore because we were given a clear, legal promise by the South Coast Water District (SCWD): once the tunnel was finished, the site would be fully restored per CEQA filings and the neighborhood would finally get a community asset—a pocket park and open green space.

In 2024, the tunnel project officially concluded. The SCWD filed their Notices of Completion (Doc #2024000132963 & #2024000240413). Yet today, the site sits as a derelict dirt lot, devoid of the neighborhood-compatible fencing, landscaping, or restoration required by their original permits.

Rather than honoring the existing restoration mandate, SCWD has introduced ‘Scheme II’—a maneuver that seeks a new CUP for industrial expansion while bypassing the legal requirement to restore the site first.

The Receipts: Our Legal Right to Open Space

The So Laguna Neighborhood Association is requesting that the SCWD honor its original commitments. The public record and the District’s own environmental filings are clear:
The “Small Portion” Commitment
In the original 2013 City Staff Report that granted the SCWD their permits, the District formally promised that the utility access would only utilize a “small portion of the property” and that “the balance of the 15,000 square foot property will be available for other community-oriented uses such as Open space…” New Renderings consume nearly 100% of the lot, violating this foundational condition.
Mandatory CEQA Restoration
The District’s environmental filings legally defined the 4th Avenue location as a temporary construction site.

By law, the SCWD is mandated to “fully restore” the lot to a condition compatible with the surrounding neighborhood now that construction has ended.

Leaving it derelict is a direct failure of CEQA mitigation measures.
The “Good Faith” Garden Promise
During the original Planning Commission hearings, SCWD staff explicitly promised a “good faith effort to work with the neighborhood for an open space use,” 

Specifically identifying a community garden as a compatible use.

They also hosted a public workshop in 2018 to gather our input on the design of this exact “pocket park”.

Demand Accountability: Email the SCWD District

The community was promised a restored pocket park, not a non-compliant vacant lot. Help us hold the South Coast Water District (SCWD) accountable for their legal obligations.

Alternatively, you can copy/paste this address: info@scwd.org

Street view of the derelict SCWD site at 31762 Coast Hwy in South Laguna, showing a dirt lot, chain link fence, and unmaintained structures, April 20, 2026. Non-compliant with CUP and CEQA requirements.
Status as of April 20, 2026: The promised pocket park at 31762 Coast Hwy remains an eyesore and non-compliant with legal restoration standards.
3D conceptual aerial rendering showing the proposed SCWD warehouse, paved parking lot, and housing structure covering the 4th Avenue site.
The “Scheme II” conceptual design paves over nearly 100% of the 15,000 square foot property for industrial use and parking, completely abandoning the SCWD’s written commitment to provide a community park.

Our Stance:  No New Building Until the Site is Restored

We care deeply about the District’s long-term success, but a solution must begin with honoring the promises that secured their original permits.

We are asking the SCWD to halt any consideration of a new Conditional Use Permit (CUP) or industrial building at 4th Avenue until the site is fully restored to the neighborhood-compatible open space required by their original permits.

Take Action Today

We need every neighbor’s voice to ensure the SCWD doesn’t sweep this broken promise under the rug.

Join So Laguna: Add your name to our growing coalition to show the City Council and SCWD Board that South Laguna is united.

3D aerial rendering showing the newly approved Laguna Beach Fire Station 4 on the left, sitting directly adjacent to the massive proposed SCWD duty housing building on the right.
The compounding loss of open space: The approved Fire Station #4 sits on the left, while the SCWD’s proposed industrial duty housing building is shown on the right. If the District is allowed to abandon their promise of a pocket park, this entire stretch of the neighborhood will be paved over with massive, high-density structures.