Improved parking needed for Montage Laguna’s new...

Improved parking needed for Montage

Laguna’s new Montage resort is a world-class project.

I particularly appreciate the ambience and balance of the hotel.

The park grounds enhance our community.

However, the on-street parking is a planning disgrace and an

abomination. Dozens of vehicles are scattered throughout the Montage

district. The unsightliness and traffic hazard are not acceptable to

any town.

Our City Council, the city manager and the Montage has an apparent

opportunity to re-locate the on-street parking to an on-site hotel

location.

Let’s relocate the Coast Highway parking lot now to preserve and

protect our Laguna and the Montage reputation.

PAUL MERRITT C.

Laguna Beach

Coastal access stairways still unsafe

One of South Laguna’s best kept secrets, the Village Green Park,

located one block east of Coast Highway on Catalina Street, was

re-dedicated last Sunday after the recent completion of $200,000 in

improvements by the city of Laguna Beach.

Another South Laguna secret that Lagunatics can discover is

Treasure Island Park. Seven acres of beauty with 33 parking spaces

underground at the west end of Wesley Drive. Below Treasure Island

Park, four beaches shine and just south, Aliso Beach with its fire

pits is popular. West Beach, south of Camel’s Point, is an

internationally known gay and lesbian destination with the broadest

sandy beach in Laguna.

Going south, Tablerock Beach is breath-taking and if you walk down

south Tablerock Drive, you’ll discover another South Laguna secret --

Secret Cove beach. Go to 9th Street and walk down Thousand Stairs

which leads to 10th Street beach.

The biggest secret in South Laguna is the fact that these six

coastal access stairways to some of our most unique beaches are owned

by the county of Orange, and some desperately need improvement and

repairs. Orange County Supervisor Tom Wilson hasn’t been able to deal

with the Beaches and Parks Department and so nothing has been done to

make these walkways safe for many years.

These six stairways should be turned over to the city of Laguna

Beach, along with any information on requests that have been made for

cash grants to fix them. The secret’s out, so lets hope for some

changes.

ROGER CARTER

Laguna Beach

It’s about keeping the view and safety

Those of us interested in preserving and restoring Laguna’s

natural heritage of open spacious views unique to this hillside

community were again disappointed with the city’s effort to come up

with an effective view preservation ordinance.

Of course we were not surprised that the view preservation

ordinance presented to the City Council by the city staff at the last

council meeting was such a poor product. It was just a redo of the

existing ineffective view ordinance, which should really be called a

“Tree Preservation ordinance” rather than a view preservation

ordinance. We weren’t’ surprised since this endless effort to get a

fair, effective, and city enforced ordinance has been going on for

more than 10 years of fruitless meetings. We don’t blame the city

staff as they just don’t receive firm and precise direction to take

positive action to emphasize the preservation and restoration of our

once beautiful public and private view sheds.

The shame of it all is that a concerned residents group researched

cities all up and down the coast and developed a model safety and

view preservation ordinance many years ago and presented it to the

city in the city’s own ordinance format. It was never given fair

consideration by the city powers and deemed unacceptable for various

legal reasons. However, in the intervening years all of the aspects

of the citizens ordinance have been tested in the courts in various

ways by other cities and we have been proven correct in all major

aspects. Still, the city will not accept this free and essentially

complete document as the basis for a fair and effective ordinance.

Further, we have suggested that if the city, for whatever obscure

reason, won’t use the citizens’ ordinance that they adopt all or most

of the proven Rancho Palos Verde ordinance rather than continue to

waste time and effort trying to develop an ineffective ordinance

designed to please those who oppose a really effective ordinance.

I will share with you just one example of the thinking that

prevails and prevents us having a really decent ordinance. In their

previous and current attempts they want to have an arborist and/or

landscaper sit in judgment of what the view should be.

Excuse me, but it is a coalition of arborist and landscapers that

have organized and led the fight against having an effective view

preservation ordinance from the very beginning; and that it why it

always comes out looking like a “Tree Preservation” ordinance and all

the costs are forced onto the poor person who has had their view

stolen away.

Talk about having the fox guard the hen house! To the council

member’s credit, at the last meeting they at least agreed that there

should be a sharing of costs if the case proceeds to the mediation or

arbitration level. However, that is after the victim has already paid

several hundred dollars in fees and noticing costs. The whole process

as currently planned is far too expensive for any victim to use

unless they are pretty well off and it is far too lengthy in time.

If you have read all this you probably have the idea that those of

us who have worked so long and hard to save Laguna’s unique beautiful

views are a little frustrated and you would be right. Adding a little

to that frustration is that fact that many of the people who have led

the fight to let foreign vegetation obliterate these once wonderful

view sheds are the same people who fight so strongly against any

structure that in anyway blocks even a small portion of these same

views.

It somehow seems that even a small part of a view blocked by a

structure creates a great hassle in these people and in city

officials too, while a huge blockage created by vegetation not native

to this area is perfectly acceptable. To the Design Review Board

members’ credit they are now looking at landscape plans in an attempt

to determine current and potential view blockage. That may be some

help in a tiny percentage of future problems but it leaves the vast

majority of view blockage untreated and unresolved.

What is the solution? 1. Enact the “Citizens Model Safety and View

Preservation” ordinance or at least the best parts of the Rancho

Palos Verde ordinance. 2. Make the concerned people on the flat or

gently sloped portions of Laguna be aware that their vegetation is

not in danger since few if any those areas are really view oriented.

P.S.: The residents’ ordinance is called the Safety and View

Preservation ordinance because on our steep hillsides much of this

excessive nonnative vegetation creates a real fire hazard. In

addition the habitation for vermin and the excessive pollens also

create health hazards.

DAVE CONNELL

Laguna Beach

Seeking a little neighborliness

Laguna has always liked to think of itself as being a small and

friendly town where citizens care about one another and neighbors

help each other out. So it is with great dismay that a lack of

civility seems to have crept into town and if the recent letters in

our local papers is any indication, there is a possibility of it

becoming pervasive.

I read with increasing dread David Ward’s letter in the Coastline

Pilot on Oct. 24. Unfortunately, his letter was the first we’d heard

about his concerns about his view blockage. In fact by his own

admission, he’s never spoken to us about it.

After reading Ward’s letter, I walked over to his home, which is

about 100 yards diagonally uphill from ours, to see if I could

discern the impact on his view. Sorry to say I could not tell much

from the street. However, I am most interested to see the impact and

I invite him to contact us and work with us to resolve this problem

in a more neighborly fashion.

I take umbrage to what Ward says about Gene Felder’s reputation

and what he seems to think it is. His comments on this were

completely false. In fact, the Wards have just completed a major

remodel of their home, and neither the Top of the World Neighborhood

Assn. nor we in any way interfered with or even commented on their

project.

The truth is that it is unusual for the association to comment on

construction projects at Top of the World. If the project doesn’t

interfere with public views, they usually do not take a position.

Maybe as spokesperson, one becomes an easy target, but Gene has

never spoken in support or rejection of a project that hasn’t first

been discussed and voted on by the board and usually has to do with

public views.

Speaking of which, if you haven’t seen the stakes at 3355 Alta

Laguna Blvd. and the impact that project if constructed as proposed

would have on public views, please do so. Come at sunset. The sunsets

are beautiful from the mini park and judge for yourself.

JOHANNA FELDER

Laguna Beach

A follow-up to

local contention

Following publication of my letter last week (“Felder shouldn’t

throw stones,” Coastline Pilot Oct. 24) touching on Gene Felder’s

hypocritical attitude regarding view preservation I wish to inform

your readers that Felder personally visited me on Saturday morning.

We discussed his landscaping, its affect on my views and possible

remedies. I pointed out to Felder that, in my opinion, trimming or

topping off his Cyprus trees was not good for them since their

unusual shape was part of their character. I didn’t have the heart to

offer my opinion as to the beauty, or lack thereof, of the trees in

question. Cyprus trees always look as though they belong on a windy

moor or craggy, rocky, misty hillside.

Home owners, when planting trees or bushes in order to provide

privacy around their properties should always take into consideration

the neighboring views of those around them as well as the potential

aesthetic and detrimental effect that trimming would have on the

plants. There are many varieties of bushes that can be planted,

continuously trimmed and maintained thus taking care of the owners

need for privacy while not impeding neighborhood views.

Felder left me with the understanding that I would get a call from

his landscape gardener at some time in the next couple of weeks and

that he would provide an amicable proposal for a solution to the

conflict. I will keep your readers updated on any resolution or lack

thereof.

Felder also took the opportunity during his visit to seek my

support on his petition for Design Review to take a significant look

at the proposed construction at 3345 Alter Laguna. After he left I

took a walk to the site in question and must admit that the opponents

to the project do have a very valid point. The stakes are so tall

that the proposed site resembles one normally associated with a small

commercial building. Naturally I wouldn’t object if it was a

restaurant or sports bar -- but a house that large! Come on guys.

Surely it’s a joke designed to get the environmental lobby bubbling.

On Saturday evening over with some friends we discussed the

problems associated with construction approvals in Laguna Beach. We

were unanimous in the belief that local architects are forced to over

design in the pre approval stage of a project in order to create a

bargaining position with their inevitable opponents. We agreed that

if designers went by the exact letter of the law, following approved

guidelines and building codes, they would still encounter opposition

from environmentalists, granola bar organizations and interfering

neighbors. It’s strange that some people, once settled into their

little kingdoms, appear to object to strangers moving into their

neighborhood with even the most basic and acceptable of construction

or remodeling plans.

It was also satisfying that my letter created several calls of

support and one offer from a neighbor by the name of Tom who

volunteered to be my self appointed vice president.

Tom, (whoever you are) I may need assistance.

DAVID WARD

Laguna Beach

Self-appointed president

of the TOW Assn.

against Nosey and

Irritating Neighbors

The Coastline Pilot is eager to run your letters. If your letter

does not appear, it may be because of space restrictions, and the

letter will likely appear next week. If you would like to submit a

letter, write to us at P.O. Box 248, Laguna Beach, CA 92652; fax us

at (949) 494-8979; or send e-mail to coastlinepilot@latimes.com.

Please give your name and include your hometown and phone number, for

verification purposes only.