The City Council on Wednesday voted to support an agreement between the County of Orange and South Orange County Wastewater Authority (SOCWA) that will help to resolve the longstanding debate over the fate of the AWMA Bridge.
The AWMA Bridge – owned by SOCWA – sits over a county-owned portion of Aliso Creek within the city of Laguna Niguel. It provides access to Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park and the Laguna Niguel Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The authority, no longer needing the 37-year-old bridge for access to its facility, had intended to close it unless the county or another public entity assumed ownership. The city of Aliso Viejo has long maintained that closing the bridge would have landlocked the Church of Latter-day Saints and the county park facility and negatively impacted the residents of Orange County.
In renewed negotiations over the last few weeks between the county and SOCWA, the county offered to take over ownership of the bridge if several conditions are met. One of those includes the cities of Aliso Viejo and Laguna Niguel signing a “letter of intent” agreeing to certain terms of the property transfer. (See the letter here.)
For the city of Aliso Viejo, this means through traffic from AWMA Bridge road will no longer be allowed. The county is proposing to barricade the connection between AWMA Bridge road and the private Aliso Viejo Community Association (AVCA) service road off Knollwood Road. This will improve vehicular, pedestrian and bicyclist traffic in that area.
The bridge will be restricted in use as a means of entry and exit to the park, Laguna Niguel Historical Society and church for car, light truck, bicycle and pedestrian access.
Pedestrian and bicycle through access between AWMA Road and the AVCA service road will remain available.
The County Board of Supervisors will have to consider and approve the plan.
Kelly Tokarski
KT Community Relations
