Way past deadline

Al Treviño hoped to spend Christmas at home this year.

Not the small Laguna Niguel condo he and his wife purchased two years ago, but the Bluebird Canyon home they lived in for 40 years before it became the infamous structure perched at the top of the hill, severely damaged by the 2005 landslide.

“We always had a Christmas party at our house because with the size family we have, you need the space,” said Treviño, a father of 11 and grandfather to 20. “We don’t have the space anymore.”

“That’s one way the slide impacted us — not being as close to our grandchildren as we used to be.”

Though the city is in the final stages of renovating the hillside and officially marked the conclusion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and community picnic Dec. 15, the end hasn’t come soon enough for the 76-year-old venture capitalist.

“The city gave us a schedule last year indicating this thing was going to be completed by March and here we are eight months later and they are just now wrapping up,” Treviño said, adding that residents have no legal recourse for delays as they might in the private sector.

“I don’t understand why the engineers weren’t able to correctly forecast how much time it was going to take.”

Like Treviño, Community Recovery Coordinator Bob Burnham hoped the $30-million project would wrap up sooner, but he’s pleased with the end result, which he deemed “safer than nature.”

“I feel good about what we accomplished,” he said, adding the city will be responsible for about $1.5 to $2 million of the project’s cost, with the Federal Emergency Management Agency covering the bulk of it.

“I wish we could have done it faster and cheaper, but I think we did it as fast and cheap as possible.”

Burnham cited several factors that deferred completion, including the large amount of rubble that collected at the bottom of the canyon, the limited work area in which to move and stockpile materials, and the difficulty of working with 900,000 cubic yards of earth.

“It was a complex project that was a little more complex than we understood at the beginning,” said Burnham, who is looking to enjoy retirement a bit when the project is completed.

Building size discrepancy

A discrepancy in the total square footage of the Treviño residence as stated in city records — 1,648 square feet — versus the size of the actual structure and what’s indicated in the family’s personal records — 2,536 square feet — is further delaying the rebuilding process for Treviño, who insists he turned in plans to the city both times he expanded the house. City representatives contend there is no record of the plans being submitted.

“Somehow, someway, the existing house is about 1,000 square feet larger than what is authorized in permits,” said City Manager Ken Frank.

Treviño hoped to add approximately 240 square feet to the house when he reconstructed the damaged portion — a small area to encase water and electric meters.

City law dictates that an expansion exceeding 10 percent of the total square footage must be taken to Design Review Board, making this inconsistency in the square footage of 1015 Madison Place crucial to whether Treviño must submit his plans to the board.

“In my estimation, they are kind of nitpicking when you compare it to the loss I’ve suffered,” said Treviño, adding his family is beginning to question his steadfast commitment to rebuilding. “It would be easier just to sell, but I like the house, the quiet nature of it and the view.”

Meanwhile, the lumber and supplies he purchased to repair the home lay idle in the front yard and the delays cost the Treviños about $5,000 each month — money that goes toward the mortgage on the condo — in addition to what equity they’ve lost since purchasing the dwelling two years ago: about $55,000.

Also, Treviño has spent nearly $30,000 on structural plans and engineering assistance mandatory for the restoration of the home.

“What the city doesn’t realize is what it costs to prepare these plans and hire these engineers,” he said. “I could remodel the house for what I’m spending on the plans and support required by the city.”

Fortunately, one good thing came out of the mess left by the slide. The family discovered the large painting that hung for two decades on their living room wall was the work of plein-air artist Joseph Kleitsch, conferring it a value they had not previously realized.

After having the painting appraised at $500,000, the Treviños sought out private investors to buy the work for the Laguna Art Museum, however their efforts fell a bit short. In the end, they sold “Evening Shadow” to a private collector.

Its hefty price tag is helping offset some of the family’s mounting expenses.

“It has helped, but the thing is we’ve already blown a couple hundred thousand just trying to live and waiting for the city to finish their work,” Treviño said. “If it’s cost us this much money — and we’re pretty frugal — some of these other people must be in desperate straits.”

Despite all the expenses and hassle, rebuilding and returning to the spectacular ocean view offered by his Laguna Beach home was never a question for Treviño.

Once all plans are drafted and the permits processed, Treviño expects he’ll be able to restore the home himself within a couple months, giving him time to arrange a celebratory Christmas 2008 gathering. A former general contractor, he and his wife built the majority of the residence after purchasing the land for $7,500 in 1959.

“She can’t swing a hammer quite like she used to, but we’ll get the work done,” he said.