SOUNDING OFF:Permanent towers a beach blight

I am a Laguna Beach native (42 years) and was a lifeguard for 12 years. I have respect for Marine Safety Chief Mark Klosterman, Capt. Kevin Snow and the Laguna Beach lifeguard department, but I do not agree with the proposed permanent lifeguard towers on many different levels — financially, aesthetically, environmentally and practically.

Unfortunately, the majority of the town has not been informed — or has been misinformed, as in [Coastline Pilot columnist] James Pribram’s case — regarding the permanent lifeguard towers.

In speaking with many people who live within a specified radius of each proposed site, I learned they were not notified of the proposed project.

Also, each site should have been properly staked (as all projects in Laguna have to be), yet, in going out to the seven different sites, I found six sites only had one 26-inch stick with an 8- 1/2 “x11” paper attached, and one site had nothing at all. Therefore, the public could not see the height, width and depth of each site. As a Laguna Beach architect put it in a letter to the city, why should the city be above having to stake a project like everyone else?

I started a petition against this proposed project. Approximately 90% of the people knew nothing about it and were not happy that it was not publicized better.

Out of the 400 signatures I have collected in less than one week, approximately 20% are beachfront homeowners.

Therefore, 80% are concerned citizens who want to keep our unique coves picturesque and different from Huntington Beach or Los Angeles.

When shown a photo of the permanent lifeguard tower, people responded with “Is that a trash can?” or “that looks like an outhouse.” Most used the word “hideous” and said that Laguna could do better.

As Design Review Board member Leslie LeBon so intelligently stated, Laguna does not allow prefabricated homes, so why would they allow prefabricated permanent lifeguard towers on our beautiful beaches?

We have so many talented designers and architects here in town, why wouldn’t we consult with them on the design? We are losing sight of what our unique, artistic town is all about.

The plan is to put in 28 permanent lifeguard towers at about $25,000 each. This equals around $750,000 — three quarters of a million dollars. Ouch!

This is unwarranted.

On small coves like Fisherman’s Cove/Boat Canyon, Woods Cove, Diver’s Cove and Goff Beach (to name a few), this large tower is disproportionate to the size and shape of the coves and the number of beachgoers.

Some people I have spoken with thought that if there was a lifeguard tower on the beach year round, there would also be lifeguards there to man it. This is incorrect.

The lifeguards are seasonal (they work a little more than three months a year), yet the structure will be there year round.

In doing my research (speaking with different lifeguard departments: L.A., Huntington Beach and San Clemente), they all said there are problems with year-round towers. These include graffiti; vandalism (including setting them on fire); lewd conduct; homeless sleeping; and, because people feel more inconspicuous, they drink alcohol and do drugs and leave trash behind. Why would we want to increase these problems in our town?

As a past lifeguard, I understand the importance of keeping our lifeguards safe. The issues at hand are to protect the lifeguards from the elements (sun and wind) and to meetOSHA [Occupational Safety and Health Administration] requirements for railings and ramp/stairs so the lifeguards exit the towers safely.

This could easily be accomplished in a temporary lifeguard tower. It does not have to be permanent. As this city has done for more than 40 years, the towers can be put up at the beginning of summer and then taken down at the end of summer. I spoke with the manufacturer of the current tower, and he said it is possible to make them modular, so they would come apart in pieces.

I researched this with graphic designers and contractors. The modular towers can easily be assembled and disassembled by two people in one to two hours. This labor cost would be offset by not having to maintain the structure year round. Also, by storing the units out of the elements, this will increase their lifespan. Therefore, we will be saving money.

Let’s not forget about the environmental issues. They will have to drill into the bedrock at each beach in order to lay the concrete base. The Sierra Club is against this project.

The bottom line is that the proposed permanent lifeguard towers are expensive, very ugly and create more problems.

We are proposing a temporary lifeguard tower that will keep our lifeguards safe while still maintaining our unique, pristine coastline and beaches.

If you have any questions, suggestions or would like to get involved, please e-mail me at Lagunasandra@aol.com.