‘Tin shacks’ to stay for now

Barbara Diamond

Folks won’t see a big change in the city’s Maintenance Yard any time

soon.

“We wouldn’t even take demolition of the buildings to the City

Council until the [California] Coastal Commission approves the move

to ACT V,” said City Manager Ken Frank.

Councilwoman Toni Iseman appealed the relocation of the yard to

the commission on which she sits. The group voted on July 15 that

they could not make a decision about the relocation yet and would

continue the hearing in August.

At the July 20 council meeting Iseman shocked many residents --

supporters and opponents -- when she announced that the metal

buildings would remain even if the move was approved.

Funding for a Village Entrance project is estimated to be 10 years

out so the buildings could be used until that time, as long as the

space is not needed for public parking and the council takes no

action.

But Frank said it is premature to discuss the fate of the

buildings.

They will stay for the time being, he said, even if the current

users move to ACT V.

What will go:

* 60 large vehicles, such as buses, trucks, tractors and street

sweepers, and the workers and equipment that maintain them, including

an exterior vehicle lift, a washing facility and fueling station for

gas, propane and perhaps diesel.

* Trash transfer area.

* Small equipment storage -- cement mixers, generators,

compressors and sidewalk sweepers, etc.

* Bulk storage -- sand, gravel, asphalt, mulch.

* Parks, streets, parking meter, sign maintenance and

water-quality/sewer divisions

* File storage -- building plans, holiday palettes, currently in

cargo containers near City Hall. City Clerk Verna Rollinger said her

files are stored inside City Hall for security reasons and she plans

to keep them there.

What will stay, at least until future use of the site is

determined:

* Metal carports and maintenance buildings

* Sewer Digester -- the round, two story building, which is on the

historical inventory. There is support for this to stay, no matter

what else goes.

* Fuel pumps and maintenance equipment to service police, fire and

community development department vehicles.

“It seems practical to fuel the vehicles where they are when you

already have the tank in place and it meets current standards,” Frank

said.

The city recently spent $100,000 to bring the tank up to standard.

* Police Department evidence, equipment and supplies, now stored

in cargo containers.

* Lifeguard storage.

City employees have been seeking improvement in their working

conditions for years. However, much of the support for the relocation

comes from entertainment venues in Laguna Canyon that want more

parking for their patrons. Arts groups and Chamber of Commerce

officials believe close-in parking will bring business to town.

“One hundred and ninety spaces Downtown will make a huge

difference to people who come to town to shop, to people who come to

town to visit,” said Verlaine Crawford, chamber executive director.

Support is also drawn from folks who are offended by the

appearance of the metal buildings and appalled that people work

there.

“It’s a disgrace,” said an outraged Carol Reynolds, a former Arts

Commissioner.

The buildings are dilapidated, but apparently not a hazard to the

workers -- the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has not

closed it down.

Frank said some of the roofs might leak but workers are not

endangered.

“We sure couldn’t store paper towels there,” he said.

Now, the only solid plan for the site is to increase public

parking by 130 spaces to help make up for losses in peripheral

parking at ACT V and to slurry coat the area. Other summer parking

will be needed to meet commission demands. No net loss in public

parking is a commission requirement.

“We don’t need to move the buildings to get more parking,” Frank

said.

The city is working on requirements set by the county, under the

jurisdiction of which the project is to be constructed, and the

commission, which issues coastal development permits.

“When the commission approves our [relocation] project, and I am

confident that will happen eventually, we will have a whole new set

of conditions,” Frank said. “Then we will say to the council, ‘Here

is what we are proposing to do.’ If the council doesn’t approve, then

we don’t have a permit.”

The city may be required to get a coastal development permit just

for the parking, but if no changes are made to the site -- just

exchanging public parking for city trucks -- then no permit would be

needed, according to Frank.

Razing the area would require the full permit process, he said.