Owner appreciates useful criticism Thank you for...
Owner appreciates useful criticism
Thank you for your comments and endorsement in “Why don’t they dig
parking plan.”
I obviously share your enthusiasm and thank Councilperson Iseman,
Mayor Pearson-Schneider, other council members, the chamber of
commerce and merchants who all provided urging to search for an
economically feasible way to provide increased parking for the
historical Pottery Shack site renovation and for nearby merchants.
A critical point: The only way the additional parking will occur
is if construction of the parking structure gets underway quickly.
The City Council concept approval recognizes this need and includes a
provision directing the City Manager to expedite the process.
Clearly, the required approvals and reviews need to be secured.
However, Mr. Frank and city staff will have a difficult time
following this directive if the same small group of vocal residents
throw roadblocks up every step of the way as they did during the
renovation hearings.
If this happens, parking construction would begin just when
renovation of the Coast Highway site is completed. The result would
be extending construction by another six months. Beyond the burden to
nearby businesses and residents, the financial impact of the longer
construction cycle would simply cause the doubling of parking to not
be feasible.
I therefore encourage the few people that repeatedly have tried to
block this renovation to provide me with their constructive input so
together we can accomplish something extremely positive. Now is the
time to show statesman-like leadership and work together toward
positive solutions.
JOE HANAUER
Laguna Beach
Pottery Shack remarks hit the mark
Congratulations on your June 17 editorial, “Why don’t they dig
parking plan.” You highlight the mindset of the developer who is
flexible and generous enough to meet the parking and historical needs
of the community and the continuing dislike for any development in
the neighborhood by local neighborhood groups.
I find it strange for the neighborhood to complain about the lack
of necessary parking (underground) and then when it’s provided it’s
looked on as a horrible thing. It sounds like the same attacks on Ms.
Toni Iseman, who has always been extremely thoughtful with her
Coastal Commission votes, but is now being maligned by those who are
“never happy,” even after years of protection by Toni of our
environment.
It is also much appreciated that you applauded our City Council,
which is working in a very positive way for the good of this city and
keeping the community heritage alive.
Keep up the great work!
SAM GOLDSTEIN
Laguna Beach
Tsunami warning
not taken seriously
The Laguna Beach Police did not seem to feel that the tsunami
warning to Orange County that was flashed repeatedly (and in red) on
the TV presented any danger to our city. Our local experts must have
known something that the Cal Tech, and N.O.A.A. experts did not
reflect in their warnings.
My family took the threat as being serious and awaited some word
from the local authorities. Coming after the terrible Indonesia
tsunami, I’d say our local safety officials were a bit too laid-back.
We citizens deserved to know if this threat was nothing for us to be
concerned about. I wonder just what our local tsunami alert plan is,
or is there one?
DON KNAPP
Laguna Beach
Research should include activists
It has come to the attention of several prominent and
well-respected environmental/ conservation organizations in Orange
County that the Montage/Athens Group has contracted Joan Gladstone,
an Orange County public relations consultant, to conduct “market
research studies” as they continue their plans for expansion and
development in the South Laguna area.
As a long-standing supporter of Friends of Harbors, Beaches and
Parks and this group’s representative for VOW (Voices of Wilderness),
I would like to publicly ask the Montage/ Athens Group why so many
environmental/conservation organizations have been omitted from your
“market research studies” and interviews.
To date, Friends of Harbors, Beaches and Parks, Sierra Club, the
Audubon Society, SHARE, South Laguna Civic Association, California
Native Plant Society and many other well-respected organizations have
not been contacted.
Is the Montage/Athens Group only interviewing those organizations
and individuals that give them the answers they want to their
questions?
Hasn’t it been made brutally apparent that the major
environmental/conservation organizations oppose development of not
only our wilderness park, but also our treasured open space?
What does the Montage/Athens Group have to gain by not securing
the input of some of the major environmental/conservation
organizations in Orange County?
For the sake of our dwindling natural resources, we ask that the
Montage/Athens Group bring these meetings and interviews to the
forefront. Don’t pick and choose the individuals and/or organizations
that are going to give you only what you want to hear. Be a good
neighbor as you promised you would be and reach out to those that
have important information to share with you.
PATSEE OBER
Laguna Beach
Friends of Harbors, Beaches and Parks
Resident weighs in on cove, safety, slide
First, in answer to last week’s question, if the trailers at
Crystal Cove are empty, why not let our neighbors who are victims of
the slide use them until such time as the park authorities are ready
to actually demolish them?
Sure, it’s not city property but all the government agencies and
employees are supported by us taxpayers and they should work together
our behalf. And yes, the city should be responsible for the
demolition of the mess made by the slide in Bluebird Canyon.
It would be far more practical and economical for the city to do
it while they are restoring roads and utilities than for a bunch of
different contractors to be struggling with the area and with the
countless rules, regulations and inspections of the city bureaucracy.
The recent publicity on earthquakes and tsunamis highlights again
the natural dangers inherent to much of California and the entire
Pacific Ocean region.
An earthquake-generated tsunami halfway around the world could be
as dangerous to us as one just 100 miles away. Tsunamis can travel at
400 mph across vast distances depending on the nature of the
generating earthquake.
For this reason we now have tsunami-detecting buoys over much of
the Pacific to give coastal regions as much advance warning as
possible.
However, for the police to decide to give out evacuation orders
for downtown and the beaches every time an earthquake occurs
somewhere is not practical and could create economic chaos.
At least one of our senior police officers has been trained in
tsunami technology, so I for one will trust that our police are
reasonably able to decide when and if a tsunami warning or evacuation
alert is required.
Personally, if I were downtown or at the beach and felt a big
earthquake or heard about one, I would think it might be wise to move
myself and car to higher ground.
DAVE CONNELL
Laguna Beach
Thank you, Irvine, for landslide help
On behalf of the Laguna Beach City Council, city staff and
residents of Laguna Beach, I’d like to take special time out to thank
Irvine Mayor Beth Krom and Great Park board member “Walkie” Ray for
the major immediate assistance provided to our landslide victims just
a few days after the event.
One of the biggest concerns our devastated families had after the
landslide was how to retrieve and store their belongings from their
homes as fast as they could. Beth Krom and Mr. Ray immediately
contacted us and offered 30 free storage units for a year to the
victims, putting to immediate rest “where” they could turn for this
much-needed help.
Thanks so much for being sensitive to the needs of the families
whose lives have been so negatively impacted as a result of this
disaster.
ELIZABETH PEARSON-SCHNEIDER
Mayor, city of Laguna Beach
Diamond deserves journalism credit
In Barbara’s outstanding write-up honoring Mary Fegraus and the
tremendous work she has done in our community and for the Laguna
Beach High School Scholarship Foundation, Barbara mentioned many of
the generous scholarships the Laguna community gives to graduating
seniors.
But she forgot to mention “The Barbara Diamond Excellence in
Journalism Award” award. She created the award to honor students who
have written for the Brush & Palette, the student newspaper. Barbara
Diamond deserves a big thanks.
CATHY KRINSKY
Laguna Beach
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.