Residents in a wealthy Southern California community are demanding that its homeowners association stop spraying pesticides as families mourn young people who have died from rare cancers — but the HOA says ditching conventional chemicals for organic landscaping would cost too much.

“No one should have to wonder whether what they’re breathing, drinking, or touching is harmful. This is about precaution, not causation,” John Gresko, a Ladera Ranch resident, father of five and founder of Protect Ladera, told The California Post.

The line came during a fiery Ladera Ranch Maintenance Corporation meeting on Wednesday, where at least 10 residents spoke about pesticide use.

One of those speakers was Margaret Novak, a Santa Margarita Water District board member who spoke in support of traditional pesticides and cited the need for them to keep Ladera Ranch’s landscaping looking pretty.

A mother in attendance who had lost her son to cancer earlier this year was visibly shaken and began crying during Novak’s speech.

Other attendees later called Novak a “plant.”

That emotional clash captured the anger consuming the community.

There is no official confirmation that pesticides caused the cancers, and government health officials and community leaders have not established a connection.

But the deaths of several young people from rare cancers have fueled residents’ fears about what is being sprayed around their homes — while the HOA overseeing their meticulously maintained neighborhoods warns that going fully organic could come with a hefty price tag.

Families have publicly shared the names of young people who lost their battles with aggressive bone and tissue cancers: Ryan Regan, who died in October 2025; Lily Dalton, 23, who died in January 2026; and Brody Matteson, 17, who died in March 2026.

Community advocates have identified roughly 9 to 12 cases of Ewing sarcoma and synovial sarcoma diagnosed in and around Ladera Ranch, with residents tracking at least six deaths.

There is no official confirmation that pesticides caused the cancers.

Government health officials and community leaders have not established that connection.

But residents want an independent environmental investigation and a full ban on pesticides, not simply another temporary pause.

The HOA’s cost argument has become a major flashpoint.

“Unfortunately, we spend $44,000 a month on a certified landscape,” Jeff Moll, a resident who plans to run for an HOA board position, told The Post.

Residents fired back that LARMAC isn’t even looking for competing bids to determine whether a greener approach could be done for less.

More than 7,000 residents pay assessments to LARMAC, which serves a community of more than 23,000 people.

The pesticide battle dominated the meeting agenda.

Items B through G covered a comprehensive organic land-management plan, expansion of high-use areas where synthetic pesticides aren’t routinely used, landscape-management standards and evaluation of lower-use and limited-access areas, rodenticide and insecticide-use evaluation, the landscape-management progress report and next steps, and soil and water sampling.

All five board members unanimously approved measures B through G.

But residents were furious that the board quickly moved through the items without the lengthy public debate many had hoped for.

The crowd wanted to be more involved in decisions about what is sprayed around their homes.

They also want LARMAC to follow the example of Capistrano Unified School District, which implemented a temporary 60-day ban on routine pesticide use and later extended a freeze on routine landscape chemicals, weed sprays and pesticides across its campuses.

“But the HOA’s lawyers were there and said that it cannot happen,” Gresko said.

Ladera residents want similar action in their community, but they want to go further with a permanent ban.

Another major flashpoint is LARMAC’s distinction between “high-use” and “low-use” areas.

Residents see the lower-use designation as a potential loophole for continued spraying.

Parents say their children don’t necessarily stick to sidewalks and designated paths.

“My own kid loves to go foraging off the trail, off the sidewalk, into the bushes, into the more natural areas and look for bugs,” Gresko said. “And that’s exactly the kind of kid that could potentially be in harm’s way if they’re using conventional products.”

LARMAC already has a pause in place that began around July 17.

It originally lasted 60 days and banned two herbicides, Lifeline and ATRIMMEC.

After residents reportedly caught the HOA spraying another product, Specticle G Herbicide—which is already banned in Europe—that product was eventually banned locally too.

The pause was later extended to 120 days, through November.

But residents don’t want another pause.

They want all pesticides banned and an independent study.

The board president, Chase Fitzpatrick, is reportedly not “completely” on board with the community’s push to eliminate pesticides altogether, a source told The Post.

Two LARMAC board seats are up in November.

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