Group Sues O.C. Over Golf Plan

An environmental group has sued Orange County for approving a golf course on environmentally sensitive land, some of which is part of a preserve for imperiled species such as the coastal California gnatcatcher.

Friends of the Arroyo alleges that the county illegally gave a subsidiary of Rancho Mission Viejo Co. permission to build a 230-acre, 18-hole golf course without adequately evaluating and minimizing environmental harm.

Under the agreement with the county, the developer would set aside 91 acres of open land to get 50 acres of a preserve created in 1998 for the golf course, according to the suit filed Thursday in Orange County Superior Court.

The golf course would sit in unincorporated county area southeast of Mission Viejo, near the Ladera Ranch community.

Friends attorney Stephen Miles said the group is not trying to derail the project. “It’s not one of those things where we’re 100% opposed to the project and want to defeat it. We really want to look at improving it.”

Brian Murphy, a spokesman for the county planning department, declined to comment Monday. The developer could not be reached.

The open space switch is a primary concern to Friends of the Arroyo because the land to be developed is part of 1,600 acres of contiguous open space. Environmentalists and wildlife experts consider it crucial to have such large, contiguous pieces of land.

“While [golf] is passive, clearly it’s going to have an impact on the open space. It splinters it to a certain degree,” Miles said.

The suit also alleges that the plan fails to properly address the impact on Trabuco Creek, drainage, flooding and wildlife.

Miles said he hopes the issues can be resolved at a required settlement conference this month.