Two Laguna Niguel homeowners told the City Council on Aug. 19 that drainage work at The Cove development has diverted water onto neighboring property and into an unfenced, algae‑covered pit they say has existed for more than six months and poses a safety risk. Nathan Smith, who said he lives less than half a mile from council chambers, and neighbor Cheryl Friedling urged the city to require the developer to fix the drainage, fence the pit and improve communication with residents.
The Cove development, which residents said occupies the site of the Crown Cove condominiums destroyed in the 1998 Via Estoril landslide, sits at the base of a buttress that previously carried drainage infrastructure. Smith said the developer removed that infrastructure and that runoff now backs up on Niguel Summit Homeowners Association property and pools in a roughly six‑foot‑deep pit on the developer’s site. He said workers have been pumping water from the pit intermittently and that the water is stagnant and covered in algae, creating mosquito and other insect concerns.
“Over my 12 years of living in my home, I have frequently observed children playing at the base of the hill,” Smith said. He told the council the pit is “an accident waiting to happen” because it has not been fenced as the city requires for pools.
Friedling told the council that the developer, which she identified as Revere Company, “plugged the drainage system” and that manual pump‑outs have been “erratic, infrequent and inadequate.” She said residents have contacted city code enforcement and a city staff member, Jorge Miratala, repeatedly and that she has been told engineering plans are in the city’s planning department for review. Friedling said she was told the city’s review could take two to three months and that, if approved, construction to reconnect drainage could take longer — raising concern about heavy winter rains.
Friedling asked the city to require a fenced permanent solution, accelerate any long‑term reconstruction of drainage, and improve communication — suggesting a monthly update for residents and the developer. She said four nearby homes would be most heavily impacted if runoff overtops the pits and flows up slopes toward the houses.
Mayor Genway told the speakers the Brown Act prevents council members from entering into a back‑and‑forth conversation during public comment but said the city would ensure the residents receive a staff response. The council took no formal action during the meeting; the residents’ requests remain under city review.
Why this matters: Residents say the pit is a public‑safety hazard for children and a potential property‑damage risk in winter storms. They described repeated contact with city staff without what they consider a satisfactory remedy. The city’s next steps — whether to require physical fencing, order a drainage reconnection, or compel other corrective work by the developer — will determine whether the problem is resolved before the rainy season.
Additional details: Smith described the pit as “about the size of a small swimming pool” and said the issues began after the developer altered drainage systems that had been in place for roughly 25 years following the 1998 landslide. Friedling said engineering plans are reportedly under review in the city’s planning department and requested better regular updates to residents.