Monarch Beach history: the golf course, the resort and the 1989 cityhood fight

What did AVCO plan for Monarch Beach in the 1970s?

The Dana Point Times reports that in the 1970s AVCO Developers were including the hotel site as Ritz-Carlton, Monarch Beach, a part of the area to be called South Peak.^[1] The paper's account is part of a longer history of how the area came to be governed from Dana Point.

The cited passage identifies a proposed hotel site and South Peak; it does not establish what was later built.

Why it matters: if you are looking at land or space near the resort, ask the City of Dana Point planning staff which entitlement documents trace back to the earliest plans, and treat any claim about what was "always intended" as something to confirm in writing.

When did the Monarch Beach golf course open, and what is the tunnel?

Monarch Beach Golf Links, a Robert Trent Jones, Jr. design, opened for play in 1983, according to the course's own anniversary release.^[2] The Southern California Golf Association's FORE Magazine says it opened in South Orange County, in a part of Laguna Niguel later incorporated as Dana Point, and that it was originally called Salt Creek Golf Course.^[3] The same article calls it the first upper-end public course in Orange County.^[3]

FORE Magazine reports that contractors built a 200-foot tunnel under Pacific Coast Highway, at a cost of $600,000, to reach the two oceanside holes, and that the second nine did not open until late 1984.^[3] The article identifies those two holes, No. 3 and No. 4, as the only two on the ocean side of Pacific Coast Highway.^[3]

Why it matters: the sourced fact is that a tunnel was built under Pacific Coast Highway to reach the ocean-side holes. If you are weighing any use next to the course, ask who maintains the crossing and what easements or access rights apply.

What happened to the resort land in 1991, 1992 and 1998?

Capital Pacific Holdings announced in July 1998 that it had bought a 225-acre oceanfront parcel including Monarch Beach Links and a residential resort parcel, and said its resort plans closely follow those approved by the City of Dana Point in 1991.^[4] That is a company press release, so treat the framing as the buyer's own.

The California Coastal Commission, in an April 2003 staff report, says it approved what is now the St. Regis hotel in 1992, before the Local Coastal Program was certified, and found it consistent with Coastal Act public access policies.^[5] A February 2003 staff report describes Coastal Development Permit 5-92-168 as approving a 400-key resort hotel and 86 residential units.^[6]

Why it matters: the cited sources report a 1991 city approval and a 1992 Coastal Commission approval, and they may not be a complete record. If you are weighing a use that touches the resort grounds, ask what permit documents exist for the parcel and ask to read them rather than a summary.

When was the Monarch Beach resort hotel built?

FORE Magazine reports that the resort was built along the first fairway in 2001.^[3] Hilton, which describes the property as the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club, is covered on the fun facts page; this page treats the hotel as part of the story of how the golf course and the resort came to share the same oceanfront land.

One Coastal Commission 2003 staff report notes a reconfiguration to allow the public to access the golf clubhouse from Niguel Road, and another lists maintenance of public access as a headed issue for the golf course and resort.^[6][5]

Why it matters: if you are weighing a visitor-facing use, ask the resort operator and the Coastal Commission whether any public access conditions apply to the parcel.

What did LAFCO propose for Monarch Beach in 1987?

The Dana Point Times reports that in May 1987 commissioners of the Local Agency Formation Commission outraged Laguna Niguel by proposing that the coastal subdivisions of Monarch Beach be a part of Dana Point.^[1] The question was which city would govern the coastal strip, and with it the resort land and the golf course.

The paper also reports a poll of Monarch Beach area residents showing approximately 90 percent wanting to be a part of Dana Point.^[1] The sources on file give the poll result but not who ran it or how many people answered.

How did the 1989 cityhood decision affect Monarch Beach?

Per the Dana Point Times, Dana Point became the 28th city in Orange County on January 1, 1989, after a vote on June 7, 1988.^[1] The paper adds that in October a judge decided Dana Point would keep the Monarch Beach coastal strip.^[1] The article as quoted does not state the year of that ruling in the passage used here.

Separately, the Dana Point Zoning Code lists SP91-01 Monarch Beach Resort as an adopted specific plan, which is covered on the fun facts page.

Why it matters: if you are comparing Monarch Beach with a neighboring city, ask which city has jurisdiction over the exact parcel, and ask what that means for permits, zoning and fees.

Which parts of this history should shape a property decision?

Three threads carry forward. The 1991 city approval and 1992 Coastal Commission permit define what the resort was entitled to build. The golf course's oceanside holes and tunnel tie operations to Pacific Coast Highway. In 1989 a judge decided Dana Point would keep the Monarch Beach coastal strip.

If you are weighing a Monarch Beach decision, ask for the permit history, the specific plan text and any recorded access conditions for the exact parcel, and write down which ones you could not obtain.

• Ask the City of Dana Point planning staff for the entitlement file on the parcel and any amendments since 1991.
• Ask the Coastal Commission for the permit history, including conditions on public access.
• Ask the resort operator or landlord which agreements still bind the property.