Council needs to truly preserve building

Rik Lawrence

For more than 30 years Bill Powell ran a very successful real estate

business in the charming little historical cottage on Glenneyre

Street in Laguna Beach.

That’s what I call historical preservation: put to very good use

and a great example for this town.

I cannot begin to count the hundreds and hundreds of people I have

talked to over these many years who loved and appreciated that little

building and what it represented.

Over the years when the tour buses stopped at the Pottery Shack

across the street countless people stopped to take pictures. Many

would say hello. Some would sit for a moment in the old front porch

swing looking at the ocean view down Brooks Street. There were a

number of times Powell would arrive for work in the morning to find

someone sleeping on that little porch, when he went out front to put

up the flag.

Some had been to a local saloon the night before and had too much

to drink and couldn’t make it any further! Others were homeless and

still others offered no explanation at all.

Several years ago Powell decided to downsize his business and sell

the property. He was immediately bombarded with friends and neighbors

and clients asking “What’s going to become of the little house? Can

we save it?”

When it sold and the buyer’s plans were revealed an uproar began!

Hundreds of people came to plead for a way to save this charmer. But

alas the new owner/developer wanted to max out the site with two new

homes. He hired Marc Singer to do plans.

The first came back very contemporary with lots of glass to

replace the little charmer on the corner.

A neighborhood uproar began! People were irate! Petitions

circulated. A tough movement began to try and save this “Little

Cottage.” Objections were made at Design Review Board level and they

sent the applicant away asking him to re-do the plans to something

more appropriate and compatible with the neighborhood.

After many promises by the applicant to retain the beautiful

mature Magnolia trees on the site; to keep and reuse shutters and

window boxes on the building; and of course the old front porch swing

and more, plans were approved and work began.

Guess what? None of these things were saved or re-used!

I ask you, is this a good example of historical preservation?

I say absolutely not! You can judge for yourself.

John Madison of the Heritage Committee says they need teeth to go

with their lips. I have talked with more than 100 people lately who

certainly agree with him. Those members put a great deal of time and

energy and love into their work and often are blatantly insulted by

applicants’ use and misuse of their efforts and recommendations. The

Planning Commission, Design Review Board and City Council are also

guilty of neglect here. This ordinance needs revision and the

historical committee needs to be given the teeth it needs -- perhaps

the power or authority to revoke recommendation when those

recommendations/conditions are misused .

If not, then certainly the ultimate authority, the City Council,

must be ever-watchful and act in a responsible manner to not let this

happen.

As a member of the Village Flatlanders Neighborhood Assn. I can

tell you that we have gathered nearly 300 petition signatures to

date, (with a goal of 1,000, before July 6) concerning the Pottery

Shack proposal.

The Planning Commission did not even acknowledge these.

We certainly hope City Council does.

* RIK LAWRENCE is a Laguna Beach resident.