Saving Open Space From Developers

Thank you for your editorial “Progress for Open Space,” June 20.

It should be noted that a significant portion of the land that is being dedicated as open space to Orange County by the Irvine Co. is the result of litigation brought by the Friends of the Irvine Coast.

The dedication of land on the Newport Coast, formerly called the Irvine Coast, which is seaward of the San Joaquin toll road, adjacent to Laguna Beach residential areas and Laguna Canyon Road, including Los Trancos and Muddy Canyons, is required by the agreement reached with the Irvine Co. as part of the settlement of our lawsuit that challenged the Local Coast Plan in 1988.

Dedication of open space serves as mitigation for the negative aspects of development.

This land will become part of the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, which will be enjoyed by thousands of people over the years.

It will serve as a constant reminder of the work and dedication of those who had the foresight and the courage to bring it about.

Additionally, the land purchased by the state from the Irvine Co. for Crystal Cove State Park includes 70 acres more of dedicated open space that resulted from the Friends of the Irvine Coast legal settlement in 1997 with the Irvine Co.

That makes a total of 77% (7,263 acres) of the Newport Coast preserved in open space.

FERN PIRKLE

Corona del Mar