EDITORIAL: Bluebird on solid ground

Monday will be the third anniversary of the Bluebird Canyon landslide. It seems incredible that so much has been accomplished to put that beautiful canyon neighborhood back in business after so much damage was caused by a deep slide back on June 1, 2005.

That landslide was caused by unprecedented rainfall over the winter of 2004-05 that saturated the area. That should never happen again in Bluebird Canyon because the slide zone and surrounding hills have been shored up and made safer with an extensive storm water runoff system.

The city has tallied the financial cost of the landslide at $35 million, most of which will be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which originally refused to provide any financial relief.

This was the second landslide to devastate Bluebird Canyon. The first was in 1978, and resulted in a complete sculpting of the south side of the canyon, which stood firm despite the torrential rainfall that undermined the other side.

That unstable parts of a canyon could be stabilized to withstand a historic weather event should be comforting for those who are rebuilding in the Flamingo Road area.

So much progress has been made: Flamingo Road was opened in December, and the first plan for the first home was approved around that time. The mountain of soil behind one home is a distant memory.

Now individual property owners are bringing their plans to the city, and some objections have been raised to the proposals.

It’s never easy building anything, and especially not in Laguna Beach, with its tradition of community input and reaching consensus. But that’s also a sign of progress and normalcy for the devastated area.

Now we hear of the sad death of one of the landslide victims, Bob Power. Power and his wife moved away rather than try to rebuild their home, as have some of the other slide victims. We extend our sympathies to his friends and family for their loss.

It’s a time of new beginnings for some and finality for others.

But in the end, Bluebird Canyon will rise again.