South Laguna Beaches To Fall Under City Control After $22M Offer

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — Laguna Beach leaders are hoping to take full control of all the coastline in the city, with the help of a $22 million offer from the county to help with future costs, the Orange County Register reported.

City officials have been vying for control of the south Laguna beaches for years in order to provide more oversight and uniformity, as well as a greater quality of service and more attention to protecting the marine habitats.

The beaches are currently owned by the county, and city and county leaders are currently discussing how a transfer of beaches could be handled.

With the recent $22 million offer from the county, the Laguna Beach City Council directed city staffers on Tuesday to move forward with writing an agreement to take ownership of the additional 11,000 linear feet of sand, according to a city report.

"I'm a big fan of this," Council member Bob Whalen told the Orange County Register. "I think it will be a real benefit to our community and make beaches better in South Laguna."

Laguna Beach City officials estimated that start-up costs would range from $700,000 to $1 million, and annual operational costs are projected to be $2.25 million in the first year, the city said.

To read more about the City of Laguna Beach attaining full control of the city's south beaches, view the full article on the Orange County Register.