Laguna Niguel, California
Laguna Niguel is a city in Orange County, California, that has a rich and diverse history. The name of the city comes from the Spanish words for "lagoon" and "Niguili", which was the name of a Native American village that once existed near Aliso Creek.
History
Laguna Niguel is a city in Orange County, California, that has a rich and diverse history. The name of the city comes from the Spanish words for "lagoon" and "Niguili", which was the name of a Native American village that once existed near Aliso Creek. The area was originally part of the Rancho Niguel land grant, which was given to Juan Avila by the Mexican government in 1842. Avila was a rancher who raised sheep and cattle on his land until 1865, when he sold it to Lewis Moulton, an American businessman who expanded the ranch to over 19,000 acres.
In 1959, the Laguna Niguel Corporation was founded by Cabot, Cabot and Forbes, a real estate company that aimed to develop one of the first master-planned communities in California. They hired Victor Gruen and Associates, a renowned urban planning firm, to create a detailed community plan for the 7,100-acre site. The plan envisioned a balanced and sustainable community that would preserve the natural beauty and open space of the area, while providing residential, commercial, recreational, and educational facilities for the residents. The plan also included a network of parks and trails, a civic center, a regional shopping mall and a lake.
The first land sales in Laguna Niguel began in 1961, with the Monarch Bay and Laguna Terrace subdivisions. The development of the community continued throughout the 1960s and 1970s, attracting more homebuyers and businesses to the area. In 1971, Avco Community Developer acquired the Laguna Niguel Plan from the Laguna Niguel Corporation and continued to implement it according to the original vision. By 1980, Laguna Niguel had a population of about 12,000 people.
In the 1980s, Laguna Niguel residents began to express their desire for local governance and control over their community affairs. They formed a Community Services District in 1986, which provided some municipal services such as street lighting, landscaping, and animal control. In 1989, after a successful campaign by the Laguna Niguel Cityhood Committee, Laguna Niguel residents voted overwhelmingly to incorporate it as a city. On December 1, 1989, Laguna Niguel became the 29th city in Orange County.
Today, Laguna Niguel is a thriving and prosperous city with a population of over 64,000 people. It is known for its mild coastal climate, low crime rate and high quality of life. It has over one-third of its land designated as open space, which includes two county regional parks, several neighborhood parks, a dog park, and a skate park. It also has a variety of cultural and recreational amenities, such as the Sea Country Senior and Community Center, the Crown Valley Community Park and Pool, the Niguel Botanical Preserve, and the Laguna Niguel Regional Lake. Laguna Niguel is proud of its history and heritage and continues to strive for excellence as a model master-planned community.