Laguna agrees to fund engineering for Bluebird Canyon undergrounding after proponents supply majority petition signatures

Laguna Beach City Council approved funding and initial steps for a proposed assessment district to underground utilities in the upper Bluebird Canyon Drive neighborhood. The project would serve about 158 parcels, remove roughly 58 overhead poles and underground about 7,200 feet of lines; proponents collected signed petitions from 84 of 158 parcels (53%) and asked the city to appropriate $310,000 from the wildfire fund to begin assessment engineering and utility design.

Staff told council the project follows the recent model used for other assessment districts but cautioned that utility design, easement acquisition on private streets, and coordination with Edison, Frontier and Cox are the primary schedule drivers. Staff estimated engineering and utility design may take about 18 months and that the entire public‑process timeline (design, public hearings, voting and construction) typically spans four to six years for projects of this scale. Council approved establishing the fund, authorized utility agreements and initial advanced payments, and directed staff to solicit assessment engineering proposals.

Public commenters and neighbors thanked the city for streamlined procedures and urged acceleration because the neighborhood sits in a high fire‑severity area and overhead poles can obstruct evacuation routes. Council members and staff said they would prioritize timely utility coordination and attempt to limit delays during easement acquisition.

Council approved the recommended actions unanimously.