Council May Act on Right to a View

After more than a year of grappling with the controversial subject of how best to protect ocean views, the City Council may give preliminary approval tonight to an ordinance that would outline steps residents could take to recover views blocked by trees or other foliage.

Council members last considered the View and Sunlight Access Preservation Ordinance in May and agreed to postpone action on the proposed law until tonight. If approved, the ordinance would make Laguna Beach the first city in Orange County to declare a resident’s right to a view.

The ordinance defines a procedure involving mediation and arbitration that residents would have to follow to establish their “right� to the view. The city would not be involved in enforcement.

Should disputes end in court, city leaders have said the ordinance could help those filing the lawsuits because the plaintiffs would be able to show they followed a city-prescribed method to try and resolve the dispute before taking legal action.

View preservation has been hotly debated in this city, where residents are protective of both trees and ocean vistas. The ordinance says residents have a “right to preserve a reasonable amount of the view and/or sunlight� that existed when they bought their property or when the law takes effect, whichever comes later.

City staff members are recommending that the council review and give initial approval to the ordinance, which would later return to the panel for final approval.

The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in council chambers at 505 Forest Ave. Information: 497-0705.