San Clemente : Vote Is Due Wednesday on Marblehead Phase 1

The City Council is scheduled to vote Wednesday on Phase I of the Marblehead coastal plan, a 253-acre development that includes the Richard M. Nixon Presidential Library.

The Planning Commission unanimously adopted Phase 1 of the project July 16, which calls for the Lusk Co. of Irvine to fulfill several conditions before it can begin developing the oceanfront property near Avenida Pico.

The City Council is considering the Planning Commission’s recommendation, which includes waiving part of the city’s open-space requirement if Lusk will agree to add four acres to a proposed six-acre public facilities site that would become a new civic center.

Lusk would also be required to pay for improvement costs to build a 12-acre, bluff-top park.

But Lusk representatives have said they will not comply. They contend that their project does not shortchange the city on open space, and that the city should pay for the improvements if it wants a park.

Wednesday’s council meeting is the third in a series devoted solely to the Marblehead project. The council will be considering certification of the project’s environmental impact report, adoption of an amendment to the city’s general plan, and approval of its coastal land use and open-space plans.

If Phase 1 of the project is approved, the Planning Commission and the council would still have to approve specific development plans, such as zoning and building design, for Phase 2.