Mailbag - June 14, 2002

Everyone can find and justify their own pet projects, but what Laguna

Beach needs more than anything right now is affordable housing, and we

all should be supporting work on the Glenneyre project and looking for

other opportunities like it.

It’s interesting that the same June 7 Coastline Pilot that asks for

input on funding priorities profiles Andrew Kliss, a city gardener who

helps to keep Laguna Beach beautiful -- and who lives in Escondido.

Probably fewer than 10% of the people who work in our city can afford to

live here, and the percentage drops yearly.

Unless we want to turn into another Aspen or Province town (cities

that actually bus in workers), we had better set a higher priority on

affordable housing for the foreseeable future.

DAVID PECK

Laguna Beach

Caltrans can’t do

In a shameful act of desecration, stupidity and lack of consideration

for those who live along freeways, Caltrans landscape architect Ed Bolls

has directed the removal of the mature vegetation there. This is one

bureaucrat that Gov. Gray Davis should remove for having betrayed a

public trust.

Judging from the beauty of the landscaping on Laguna Canyon Road, I

can’t buy that the same care can’t be given to that which is along the

freeways. According to the Los Angeles Times, the cost will be $1 million

per mile, $14 million annually and $20 million “for future projects.”

What a waste!

ANDY WING

Laguna Beach, CA

Fond memories of Jeff Foster

I am a little sentimental where retiring Laguna Beach schools band

director Jeff Foster is concerned. I first met Foster in 1968 as a

student in his chorus class at Thurston Middle School. The movie “The

Graduate” was in full swing and we were told that one piece we would sing

for the Winter Program would be “Scarborough Fair.” I was none too happy

when he told me I would be in the alto section, as all my friends were

sopranos.

He knew this but explained the importance of being an alto, “Where

would this song be,” he said, “without the harmony in ‘parsley, sage,

rosemary and thyme?”’

That may have been the end of my musical career with Foster but

certainly not the end of my experience with him.

Now 35 years later, I have been fortunate enough to send three

children through our Laguna schools and to witness again his dedication

to the many events and fund-raisers and productions that he has

participated in and produced.

I know I speak for thousands in our community when I say thank you

Jeff Foster. We will miss you beyond words. We wish you the very best.

You have touched so many lives and have given so very much.

Jeff Foster for citizen of the year.

LORILEE GOODALL COLLETTI

Laguna Beach

Trimming back those views

Last week, another letter ran from a confused person who wants to

attack me personally because I, and many others, want to preserve

Laguna’s heritage of beautiful view sheds as much as is reasonably

possible (“Don’t forge the importance of trees,” June 7). Seems that the

writer, Leah Vasquez, fails to accept the fact that we can have both

trees and views if responsible neighbors will only put themselves in the

position of their neighbors. A thoughtful person can then plant the right

sized trees in the right location so that they don’t destroy the

enjoyment and value of other people’s property by obstructing the natural

view sheds.

Later in her long discourse about artists and views she gets into the

view obstructions caused by structures. Yes, structures may well cause

view obstructions, but the hard working members of our Design Review

Board do everything reasonable and legal to control the mass, height and

location of structures striving to obtain “view equity.” That is, to

allow a person to have a home while the persons and/or public whose views

may be reduced will have the least possible obstruction to those views.

I don’t know when Vasquez arrived in Laguna but it is obvious from her

statements like “intensely overbuilt homes” that she thinks, like so many

others, that she should be the last one allowed into Laguna. I suspect

that Vasquez, like most people who oppose protecting our view sheds, does

not have view property, or if she does that her view sheds have not been

obstructed by neighbor’s excessive vegetation.

I stayed here a lot in the ‘40s with my sister and bought my home in

1964. I have seen the destruction of the view sheds, some from structures

but most from excessive, oversized nonnative trees and shrubs. Once a

structure is in place it doesn’t change but the oversized vegetation

continue to grow and become more destructive with each passing season.

Please, let’s try to be good neighbors and consider your neighbors

when selecting and locating your vegetation. And then take care of it

with proper pruning, topping, thinning, etc. instead of just letting it

grow wild and uncared for.

DAVE CONNELL

Laguna Beach

Think opportunity, not fantasy

Regarding Penny Elia’s letter (“Think preservation, not profit,” June

7), I have share another perspective on the issue.

Several months ago, in a meeting held in my office with Elia and a

credible representative of the Sierra Club, we discussed the nature of

the Driftwood Estates project and its potential opportunities. We

discussed the fact that only six of the entire 228 acres was being

considered under the development proposal and that the remaining portions

will be deeded to a public agency as open space in perpetuity. The six

acres being considered is the portion that now consists of aboveground

utilities, chain link fences, sandbags, exposed pipes, eroded soil,

uncertified fill and is virtually void of any natural vegetation.

The Sierra Club representative expressed surprise and indicated he had

not been made aware of the offer to dedicate the remainder of the

property. The remaining parcel was his primary concern since it was the

undisturbed portion and was a link to other open space areas. He did not

oppose the development but did want the offer to dedicate the land in

writing, which was offered and will be made at the appropriate time.

Unfortunately this discussion and information was never delivered to

the public for their consideration, since it apparently didn’t serve the

goals of Elia, which is to have no development on any portion of the

site.

My first “hint,” as Elia suggests, that there may be a problem, was

not that the project is too dense (3% of the entire property) nor that

the city staff could only support seven lots, based on their strict

interpretation of the codes. It was that the city and Elia, in her myopic

thinking, would miss an opportunity to obtain more than 220 acres of open

space for the city of Laguna Beach and the immediate neighborhood in

exchange for the improvement of a currently blighted area (please visit

the site yourselves).

Elia’s statement that this property “will not and cannot support a

subdivision of any size” has no basis of fact and no empirical data

supports it. Apparently, it has been able to support hundreds of

sandbags, exposed drainage pipes, chain link fences, uncertified fill

slopes, overhead power lines, erosion and flooding of the existing homes

below. This condition has existed for more than 30 years and no one,

including Elia, and the surrounding neighborhood has made any attempts to

purchase the property and correct or improve the situation.

The property has been available for a “willing buyer” for years. The

current owner has been and continues to be the “willing seller” Elia is

seeking; however, until this developer came forward and would agree to

the conditions and terms of the sale, to my knowledge no one, including

Elia, had expressed any interest in purchasing the property. As is

typical of many projects I have witnessed, interest is only perked when

there appears to be another party interested. Until then, the interest is

dormant. Hence, neighborhood associations are hastily formed in order to

stop “those greedy developers,” only to become dormant again once the

threat has passed.

As the architect of the project, and a 30-year resident of the city,

my interest was heightened when I was asked to participate in the project

and found that my vision of the project and that of the developers were

similar. Namely, to correct a blighted condition, thus improving the

aesthetics and safety of the neighborhood, develop a small portion of the

property and donate the remainder to the city.

This is the opportunity: The city and the neighborhood obtains a huge

piece of open space, at no cost, in exchange for development of only 3%

of the site and the only disturbed area on the entire site.

This is the fantasy: That this can be done without a vision, some

compromises and financial investment. Without those compromises, the

opportunity will be missed and the property will then be available for

another “willing buyer” whose visions and intentions may not be aligned

with ours and the saga will continue.

MORRIS SKENDERIAN

Architect for the Driftwood Development

City needs to listen to residents

Listen to us.

After three years of input from more than 2,000 community members and

more than 100 groups, the Laguna Beach Vision Final Report and Strategic

Plan has been distributed.

The recommended actions in the strategy areas had an interesting tone.

Proposed actions included: “Form an Independent Laguna Foundation to

provide support for projects”; “Solicit advance public input on community

issues”; “Establish a structure for Town Hall Meetings”; and “Form a

city-appointed environment committee to advise the city.’

Were the residents trying to give the city a message? Listen to us.

The city formed an ad hoc waste water committee last fall. The city’s

latest estimate to fix the sewer infrastructure ranges from $25 to $39

million. That kind of estimate isn’t even close for government work.

A 20% sewer rate increase, 10% each year for two years, has been

proposed by the city. The consensus of the citizens ad hoc committee was

not to increase the rates until a plan to improve the sewer system to

stop sewage spills has been developed and adopted.

Will the council increase the sewer rates June 18 without knowing what

they are getting? Or will the council listen to the residents?

The city budget report also includes possible improvements to the

Laguna Canyon flood control system. After years of study, a recommended

Laguna Canyon flood control system improvement has been presented for

construction. Since the flood control improvements will require sewer

relocations and possibly pump stations, a subcommittee of the ad hoc

waste water committee reviewed the project. Conclusions: There are other

alternatives that could be less costly, do less harm to the environment,

improve the discharge into the ocean at Main Beach, cut the construction

time and improve traffic flow. Was the Vision committee thinking of the

culvert when they wrote the action “Create a standing public safety and

protection committee?”

A city report was prepared in May to determine if next year’s capital

improvement program is in compliance with the city’s general plan. The

budget report states roughly $3 million of this year’s $8.24 million

capital improvement budget is allocated for the community/senior center

project. Should this project receive first priority with all of the other

capital improvement needs?

Of the $8.24 million proposed capital improvement budget, a small

amount, $75,000, is to be allocated for a city facilities study. We are

told many city building facilities are in need of refurbishment or

expansion. These facilities include City Hall, the Corporation Yard, fire

stations, lifeguard facilities, Legion Hall, the nursery and the animal

shelter. The report states it is expected that the costs over the next 10

years will be on the order of $7 million.

Will the council listen to the residents during the city facilities

study?

A few years ago, a Village Entrance Task Force, created by the City

Council, studied the Corporate Yard for the Village Entrance. The task

force recommendations were to contract out city Corporate Yard activities

or move some or all of them to make room for the Village Entrance. No

action was taken on contracting out and a lot of money was spent trying

to move the corporate yard to Act V. Will the city facilities study of

the Corporate Yard consider contracting out or moving some or all of the

operations as the task force wanted?

Will the council listen to residents as the Vision report recommended?

Just wondering.

GARY ALSTOT

Laguna Beach