Council buys site

The city took action Tuesday to become the landlord instead of the tenant of the Day Labor Center on Laguna Canyon Road.

A united City Council approved the purchase of the property from Caltrans for $18,000, subject to the approval of the California Transportation Commission.

“Caltrans offered the property to certain agencies about five months ago, and Laguna Beach was the only agency that made an offer,” City Manager Ken Frank said.

The city’s offer was put on hold at the request of Sen. Tom Harman, who thought the state should get more money for the property, but no one else made an offer for the 16,810-square-foot site.

Caltrans officials notified the city May 21 that they were ready to deal, with certain conditions embodied in the purchase and sale agreement, approved Tuesday by the council.

The conditions included a requirement that the city pass a resolution authorizing the purchase and stipulating the use of the property for specific public purposes, which the city identified as park and recreational and open-space purposes.

Frank recommended the purchase.

Laguna Beach resident Eileen Garcia, an opponent of the deal, said she spoke on behalf of thousands of residents who are fearful of reprisals from by the city manager.

“I am not intimidated by Ken Frank,” said an obviously irate Anne Frank, no relative of the city manager.

“The center works for us, and if you don’t like it, go away.”

Barbara Coe was among those who don’t like the center. She called it a sanctuary for criminals.

“Do you want to see your children gunned down?” she asked.

History would seem to indicate that crime is not among the job opportunities at the center, which has been in operation since 1993.

“I know of no incidence of slavering predators attacking anyone in Laguna Canyon,” attorney Gene Gratz said.

“One reason I am speaking is because I don’t want anyone to think that what they have heard [from opponents] reflects Laguna Beach, California or even the United States.”

The center was created at the request of North Laguna residents who didn’t want job seekers gathering on their neighborhood corners.

Garcia also complained about Frank’s proposal to allow the workers to park free at ACT V, in lieu of parking on Caltrans property across Laguna Canyon Road from the center. Caltrans officials expressed some concern about the drivers running across the road, Frank said.

“We have standard agreements that local agencies will enforce all traffic violations on conventional highways,” Gorniak said. “Because of the agreements, the state has no liability.”

Gorniak said, however, that people running across the road outside of a crosswalk make problems for motorists.

“I don’t think it has been a significant problem, but parking at ACT V seems to make sense,” Frank said. “Our goal is to keep the day workers in the canyon, not on city street corners, reasonably safe and reasonably comfortable.”

Garcia said allowing the day workers to park free was discriminatory. She demanded to know whether others would have the same privilege and if so, how it would enforced.

“People with shoppers permits park free there,” Frank said. “And I don’t care if anybody parks there for free 10 months out of the year.”

The mechanics are still to be worked out.

“I have to think about it and I have to think about what we might do with the center,” Frank said. “I would sure like to plant some more trees there.”

The use of the property as a hiring center was not on the agenda.

“This is a good land deal, and that is all I am approving,” Councilwoman Elizabeth Pearson said. “Where else could we get about 17,000 square feet for $18,000?”

Councilwoman Toni Iseman said the purchase of the property will resolve a longtime problem in Laguna and should serve as a model for the rest of the country.

“If Laguna could solve the immigration problem, maybe some of the discussion would not be so irrational,” Iseman said.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Did the city make the right decision? Is this a good deal? Send us an e-mail at coastlinepilot@latimes.com or leave a comment on our website.

BARBARA DIAMOND can be reached at (949) 494-4321 or coastlinepilot@latimes.com.