Why is Downtown’s Canopy Being Removed While South Laguna’s Park is Being Denied?
The conversation in Laguna Beach this week has been dominated by one thing: the overnight removal of mature trees on Forest Avenue. Whether you agree with the City’s “safety and liability” technicalities or not, the visual impact is undeniable. A piece of our village character was removed in a matter of hours.
But while the City moves with ’emergency speed’ to remove assets downtown, the South Coast Water District (SCWD) is telling a very different story in South Laguna.
A Tale of Two Compliances
In downtown, the City cited technical compliance and arborist reports to justify immediate action. Yet, at 31762 Coast Hwy, the SCWD has been sitting on a state of legal non-compliance for two years.
For a decade, South Laguna residents endured the noise and disruption of the tunnel construction project. The “light at the end of the tunnel” was a legal promise: once construction ended, the site would be fully restored and we would finally receive our promised community pocket park.
The “Scheme II” Pivot
The tunnel is finished. The notices of completion have been filed. But instead of the green space required by their CUP and CEQA filings, we are left with a derelict dirt lot.
Instead of fulfilling their original restoration mandate, the District has introduced “Scheme II”—a proposal that attempts to bypass the park requirement entirely in favor of a new industrial building.
Why This Matters Today
We cannot allow a “Double Standard” to define our city. If “compliance” is the word of the week for the Promenade, then it must also apply to the South Coast Water District’s obligations to our neighborhood. We aren’t asking for a favor; we are demanding the fulfillment of a legal promise that was made to secure their permits in the first place.
Don’t let our neighborhood green space be traded for an industrial scheme.
