Residents cry foul in Home Ranch dealings

Lolita Harper

As large machines ready the ground for the development of Ikea,

some nearby residents contend the Segerstroms failed to deliver a

sound wall they claim was promised to them more than a year ago if

they did not oppose the Home Ranch project.

Three residents of Wimbledon Village, who do not claim to

represent the homeowners association for the area, have filed a

letter of complaint with developer C.J. Segerstrom & Sons and city

officials, outlining what they believe is a breach of a verbal

contract regarding the Home Ranch project.

Residents Steve Valasco and Rebecca and Alan Israel wrote a letter

to Segerstrom officials, dated Aug. 26, 2002, explaining their

disappointment in the company’s unwillingness to “honor the

commitments made to the residents” and are asking that their request

be taken seriously.

“We were told that if the community did not oppose the project,

your company would provide some sort of mitigation measures to reduce

the noise and traffic impact on Wimbledon Village,” the letter reads.

Home Ranch officials call the residents’ claims baseless, saying

any such negotiations were never formally finalized or put in

writing.

“I am absolutely flabbergasted that they could write this letter

saying they held up their end of a bargain that was never made,” said

Paul Freeman, Segerstrom spokesman.

Both sides agree that two informal meetings were held in August

2001 to work out a deal between Home Ranch team members and Wimbledon

residents. Both sides knew that any benefit to the Wimbledon

community would come only if the homeowners agreed not to oppose the

project.

“They didn’t have to endorse it; we just asked that they would not

oppose it,” Freeman said.

A living room meeting on Aug. 25, 2001, resulted in Segerstrom

officials agreeing to study the possibility of an acrylic sound wall,

designed to reduce the noise level from the street. Both sides agree

on that point, also.

It is what happened -- or didn’t happen -- in the months between

the meeting and the final approval of the City Council in November

that has the two sides at odds.

Carol Hoffman of consulting firm Government Solutions, which was

hired by the Segerstroms to sell the Home Ranch project, said a major

component of any offer ever made by the Segerstroms required official

approval from the governing body of the homeowners association.

“That approval was never forthcoming,” Hoffman said.

In September 2001, Home Ranch officials tried to contact Wimbledon

Village representatives but were not successful.

“We simply could not get a meeting,” Freeman said. “I don’t know

why. We made repeated attempts and then we stopped.”

Valasco confirmed one follow-up call, shortly after Sept. 11--

which he called insensitive given the severity of the East Coast

tragedy -- but said no other attempts were made.

When asked why residents neglected to follow up with Home Ranch

officials, Valasco said they “assumed it was going to happen.” None

of the residents knew how it was all supposed to work, Valasco said,

so they took their word for it.

“We thought we had an arrangement and the next move was theirs,”

Valasco said. “We saw it was approved and six months later we

thought, ‘Oh hey, what ever happened to that [sound wall]?’”

Valasco said the residents tried to get the status on the

discussions in June and were “blown off” by Segerstrom officials.

Wimbledon residents simply want to open up the discussions again and

see what the city or the Segerstroms can do to ease potential noise

problems, he said.

“It’s not really a city matter, but in a way it is because [the

city] is the one getting all the money from the Segerstroms,” Valasco

said.

According to environmental studies done for the Home Ranch site

before its approval, the changes in noise along South Coast Drive

were not great enough to require any sort of sound buffer. About $8.4

million has already been received by the city to counteract

anticipated sound and traffic problems directly caused by the Home

Ranch project. Another $2.1 million was also given to fund “community

benefits” -- added incentives city leaders negotiated to ensure the

city got a good deal.

No projects were designated for Wimbledon Village.

Councilwoman Libby Cowan said she was aware of the correspondence

between the Wimbledon homeowners and Segerstrom officials but never

pursued the issue.

“It really seemed to be an issue between Segerstrom and

Wimbledon,” Cowan said.

* LOLITA HARPER covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at [email protected].