Top of World Trail Finally Given Go-Ahead

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After years of planning, easements for a designated hiking and mountain-biking trail connecting two hilltop communities was unanimously approved by the City Council Tuesday, officially commencing the trail’s resurrection.

Charlotte Masarik, left, along with Lisa Britt and her two sons navigate a trail that will soon be improved. Photo by Jody Tiongco.
Charlotte Masarik, left, along with Lisa Britt and her two sons navigate a trail that will soon be improved. Photo by Jody Tiongco.

The Top of the World pathway will connect Top of the World Drive to a fire road that leads to the Arch Beach Heights neighborhood above the Aliso-Wood Canyons Wilderness Park. The short path is regularly used by hikers and mountain bikers as well as parents walking their children from Arch Beach Heights to Top of the World Elementary School. The improved trail is expected to be open by October.

Two easements, vacant land abutting Top of the World Drive, will be acquired by the city at no cost, project director Wade Brown explained in a report to the council. Another easement through Aliso-Wood Canyons will also be acquired from the County of Orange at no cost.

The craggy and steep path with its earthen stairway and a nearby wood-plank bridge has been in contention for years. Homeowners on Sommet du Monde Drive have refused to allow walkers and bicyclists to use their private street for trail access. Some homeowners on Top of the World Drive, who now mostly support the trail, have criticized the city for not regulating increased traffic and enforcing parking rules.

In a neighborhood known as old Top of the World, Top of the World Drive is open to public traffic but is a private street owned by the homeowners. The street is not maintained by the city and is exempt from most city parking regulations.

“There’s going to be cars zipping around the corner all day long because that’s what we live with now,” said Top of the World Drive resident Jessica Tuchinsky. “Now we’re going to invite trail people. Where are these people going to park? What’s the plan?”

Tuchinsky said she called the police department recently about a car blocking her driveway. She said she was told the city doesn’t tow cars there. “There we are, stuck in our house,” she said.

“If someone can’t get out up there, that’s intolerable,” said Mayor Steve Dicterow.

Other residents said they have called the city to enforce parking and traffic violations and the city refused.

After an hour of testimony by Top of the World Drive residents, council member Kelly Boyd said he was ready to approve the $514,000-trail, but not without an answer to parking violations. “How do we ensure old Top of the World that there’s not going to be an overburden by traffic or parking?” asked Boyd. “We’ve got to be able to do something to work with these people.”

As a privately owned street, homeowners there are responsible for any improvements and paying for towing illegally parked cars, said City Attorney Phil Kohn.

Jim Beres, the police department’s civilian liaison, said an ordinance amending the city’s vehicle code that allows cities to enforce traffic regulations on private streets is a common practice in other cities, such as Santa Monica and Newport Beach. “We would cut and paste from another city’s (ordinance),” said Beres. “It would be very easy to adopt.” Laguna police officers could then respond to complaints and cite violators on all 160 of Laguna’s public streets and walkways that are privately owned.
The council directed city staff to return with the ordinance for approval soon. City staff was also directed to look into making Top of the World Drive a one-way street and options to control traffic in that area.

The council also approved setting aside $30,000 for up to three years to mitigate traffic and parking concerns due to the trail. The cost of the trail is offset by a $164,000 grant, according to Brown’s report.

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