"I'm just hopeful that it will be conducted in a more businesslike format rather than the circus it became in Del Mar," MacLean said.
"People were trying to provide scientific research and they were heckled while banners waved in the background. It needs a formal business setting, where both sides can lay out their information," MacLean said.
Despite the Coastal Commission's rejection of the project, its proponents have achieved some recent environmental victories. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration determined last year that steelhead trout would not be affected by the road, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently said the project complies with the Endangered Species Act. But opponents say that allowing a toll road through a state park sets a dangerous precedent.
"Because it impacts more than just Orange County, we expect a big turnout," Rauscher said of the upcoming hearing. "This is the fifth most popular state park in the state, and that's a resource for all people."
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david.reyes@latimes.com
