The purpose of this project is to modify the north and south medians on Golden Lantern at Serenity Lane by shifting the medians approximately five feet and widening the left-turn buffer zone. These improvements are designed to enhance sight distance for both northbound and southbound left-turn movements, thereby improving overall intersection safety and traffic operations.
The City’s contractor, Van Engineering, Inc, has completed the median improvements and installed the conduit for the new streetlights.
The final roadway striping has been scheduled for the second week of February.
This project is scheduled to be completed in Q1 of 2026, subject to change due to inclement weather or unforeseen operational issues.
San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) regularly monitors its electrical infrastructure and schedules improvements as necessary to reduce future fire risk and improve electrical grid performance.
Recently, SDG&E rerouted electrical power in the Salt Creek Corridor near Chapparosa Park from above-ground electrical poles to adjacent underground lines.
This past week, SDG&E contractors removed by helicopter the 10 above-ground wooden electric service poles in the Salt Creek Corridor open space area, which were no longer required for electrical service.
The work required coordination with SDG&E, Public Works, Parks and Recreation, the City Manager’s Office, and contractor staff to ensure a safe and efficient operation.
Removal activities occurred during regular hours with minimal disruption of City services.
January 26, 2026
Streets Maintenance - Citywide Pothole Repairs
Baseball Field Maintenance - Crown Valley Elementary
The City’s Streets Maintenance division maintains over 140 miles of roadway and actively monitors pavement conditions and implements preventative maintenance and reactive repairs to improve roadway conditions and extend the lifespan of City roadways.
As part of a comprehensive pavement management program, pavement cracks are sealed before winter storms arrive to minimize water infiltration.
As the winter season brings temperature changes, water runoff, and increased holiday vehicular traffic in frequently traveled areas, potholes often develop, and when identified, the City responds to temporarily fill the pothole with cold-mix asphalt.
These temporary cold-mix asphalt areas are then scheduled for permanent restoration in warmer and drier weather.
This week, the City’s contractor, MCE, Inc., temporarily patched potholes resulting from recent rainstorms on Aliso Creek Road, Rancho Niguel Road, Greenfield Drive, Golden Lantern, Paseo De Colinas, Nueva Vista Drive, and Highlands Avenue. These temporary patches will be permanently repaired within the next few months.
Over the lifetime of the roadway, larger asphalt restoration projects are required, such as full street slurry seals, full-depth repairs, and asphalt overlays. These types of projects are managed as part of the overall lifecycle of the roadway and help provide serviceable roadway conditions while minimizing overall cost to maintain the roadway.
Landscape Maintenance staff routinely evaluates all athletic fields and proactively schedules maintenance to ensure optimal field conditions.
Maintenance on the City baseball fields is typically performed during the winter months to minimize impact on programmed baseball and softball leagues.
The City’s landscape maintenance contractor, Merchants Landscaping, completed the replacement of the natural grass turf infields and laser leveled the baseball fields at Crown Valley Elementary.
Proper resurfacing and laser leveling improves the baseball fields' playability, safety, and longevity.
The baseball fields are scheduled to reopen on February 1st, in time for the start of the spring Little League Baseball Season.
In May 2025, the City Council approved the traffic study’s recommended improvements to enhance sight distance at intersections and calm traffic in the Niguel Hills neighborhood.
The signing and striping installation took place in June 2025 and included 10 one-way stop signs throughout the neighborhood, intersection improvements at Crown Valley Parkway/Vista Plaza Drive, and yellow centerline striping on Vista Plaza Drive and Via Portola.
To assess the effectiveness of the implemented measures, follow-up speed studies were conducted six months after installation.
The speed studies showed average vehicle speed reductions ranging from 3% to 33% compared to pre-project conditions. The largest reductions occurred on Via Larga (33%), Via San Sebastian (29%), and Via Portola (22%).
The six-month evaluation indicates that the traffic calming improvements have successfully reduced vehicle speeds and enhanced traffic conditions within the neighborhood. Speeds in the neighborhood will continue to be monitored by Police Services and Public Works staff.
Facilities and Parks Maintenance staff continually inspect all City-owned parks’ infrastructure and schedule necessary repairs to ensure public safety and aesthetics
This week, the City’s parks maintenance contractor, Real Estate Consulting & Services, Inc., completed repairs to damaged sections of the stones on the entrance bridge to Crown Valley Park.
These repairs improve the bridge’s aesthetics and help protect the bridge from moisture infiltration.
Facilities Maintenance staff regularly inspect area lighting and schedule replacements as necessary to maintain visibility and safety.
The City’s electrical contractor, Fullerton Electric, replaced several light fixtures in the parking lot of the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Metrolink station, which were not operational, restoring proper lighting throughout the area.
The 2025 Strategic Plan update includes an objective to enhance the public's experience with the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) by developing a new interactive map that allows users to explore currently active CIP projects throughout the City.
The newly created CIP Dashboard provides project information, including location, description, schedule, and funding for all current CIP projects.
Users can explore and apply filters to the map specific to Project Phase and Project Type and locate projects occurring in a specific area of the City using the search bar.
The new CIP Dashboard will be made available to the public on the City website this week and can be accessed here. City staff will regularly maintain the new CIP Dashboard to ensure all project information is accurate.
Landscape Maintenance staff regularly inspect park amenities and coordinate renovations as necessary to maintain usability and aesthetics.
This week, the City’s general maintenance contractor, Jamey Clark, Inc., completed the resurfacing of all park benches and picnic tables at Niguel Heights Park.
Periodic resurfacing helps prevent metal corrosion, increasing the lifespan of each amenity.
