Are you curious, or maybe concerned, about the work you see going on along Laguna Canyon Road? Come Zoom with us and learn more! The Laguna Canyon Conservancy (LCC) is a volunteer environmental group dedicated to saving Laguna Canyon and preserving it as natural.

The next public program will be via Zoom on Monday, April 17, 2023 at 7:00 P.M. Laguna Canyon Foundation Executive Director Hallie Jones will discuss the Caltrans safety project along Laguna Canyon Road and El Toro Road and comment on environmental issues and concerns.

The Zoom link is https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87576498321   TheThe public is invited; however, attendance is limited to 100.

The Caltrans project at Laguna Canyon Road and El Toro has 4 components: the “Safety” project, which extends the merge lanes north and south from the El Toro intersection, making outbound Laguna Canyon Road past El Toro into two lanes; a Drainage project, which involves the building of a check dam and the channelizing of an area of (now natural) drainage; The undergrounding of utilities along LCR from El Toro Rd to the Toll Rd;  and the widening of the road shoulders to add bike lanes in that same stretch.

As originally planned, the merge lane extension southbound would have involved significant grading into the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park natural hillside with loss of native oak trees and scenic rock outcrops. Local environmental groups (including Laguna Canyon Foundation and CANDO) working with the City and Annaliese Schools, negotiated hard, and Caltrans agreed to modify that plan.

Caltrans will now use the existing pavement - taking what is now the center turn lane width to allow for the extension of the merge lane. With this change, alternate access to Anneliese’s School will be provided by a driveway, lined on both sides with a 6' chain link fence, from El Toro Road across the meadow to the School. (The existing access to Anneliese School from LCR will be limited to a right-in and right-out only.)

What did we win and what did we lose in that negotiation? What concerns about the public process and the outcome for the Canyon we love might we have moving forward?

To suggest questions, send to Gene@Felders.Net; by a day prior to the meeting or use Chat during the meeting.

The April 17th schedule is:

• 7:00 PM – Open meeting – time for announcements; LCC President Gayle Waite introduces speakers
• 7:15 PM – Presentatioin by Speakers
• 7:45 PM – Time for Q&A; questions from Gayle Waite using LCC Board questions and suggestions from Chat Room
• 8:15 PM – Meeting Concludes 

The Zoom link is https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87576498321   TheThe public is invited; however, attendance is limited to 100.