Baloons

Concerns about disturbing the habitat of the California gnatcatcher prompted the City Council on Tuesday to authorize a new parking area for the Smith's Festival of Ballooning at Tustin Ranch later this month. The small songbird is listed as a threatened species. When a permit was granted in August for the hot-air balloon festival, one of the designated parking lots was on Irvine Co. property next to Tustin Ranch Road and Pioneer Way.

Concerns about disturbing the habitat of the California gnatcatcher prompted the City Council on Tuesday to authorize a new parking area for the Smith's Festival of Ballooning at Tustin Ranch later this month. The small songbird is listed as a threatened species. When a permit was granted in August for the hot-air balloon festival, one of the designated parking lots was on Irvine Co. property next to Tustin Ranch Road and Pioneer Way.