Mailbag: Historic building still known as Heisler

The Coastline Pilot recently published this: “The Tommy Bahama building at the corner of Laguna Avenue and Coast Highway” (“Business contributes to fireworks show,” April 30). This is the historic “Heisler Building” across the street from the Hotel Laguna where the Jolly Roger Restaurant was for many years. The building was shrouded in black recently until taken down revealing the restoration and a new paint job.

Heisler Building is listed in the Historic Resources Inventory which is on the City’s website, www.LagunaBeachCity.net, click “About the City” (while there, enjoy the Historical Image Gallery and its past and present Historical Image Map), the Heisler Building is in the SOUTH COAST HIGHWAY #l0 section at www.lagunabeachcity.net/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=2524

The Heisler Building at 400 S. Coast Hwy. was built in 1931.

“Known as the Heisler Building for its original owner H.G. Heisler, this Provincial Revival influenced building has graced this corner of Laguna since 1931. The building is distinguished by a box plan with mansard roof and steep-pitched gables with a modified turret on the corner. Faced in stucco. and lined with double-hung windows on the second floor, the building contributes greatly to the village quality of downtown Laguna.

“The building was designed to house two commercial units below and two apartments above. Beginning in 1935, Rawson’s Drug Store occupied the corner portion of the building where the Jolly Roger is now located [1981]. Beginning about this same time, Dr. Conover, an osteopath, established his office here and remained for many years.

“Howard Heisler, developer of the building, was an important real estate entrepreneur in the early days of Laguna. Along with L.C. McKnight he acquired most of the land which now compromises north Laguna from the Irvine Co. and subdivided it in 1906 under the name Laguna Cliffs. This was the first tract in Laguna to have water directly piped to each lot, quite an achievement for its time.

“This building on South Coast Highway is an important testimony to the memory of an important Laguna pioneer, H.G. Heisler.”

GENE FELDER

Laguna Beach

Rethink Brooks Street art choice

As an artist, I respect the choices made for approving public art. My thoughts are regarding the approved statue for the Brooks Street lookout.

Although this proposed statue by Andrew Meyers is wonderful, and I’ve always admired this artist’s work, it’s not appropriate for this vista.

The two main reasons are:

1. The height severely dissects the visual continuity of the Brooks Street break. It’s like someone standing up in the middle of a movie theater while you’re trying to watch the show.

2. The representation of the surfer does not encompass every surfer that has or does surf at Brooks Street. How is Taylor Pitts, our local female surfing athlete, represented here? It’s impossible to represent both male and female just as it’s practically impossible to choose among the many of our local pro surfers who should be the one to guard the Brooks Street lookout.

I’m not opposed to having this artist amend his design, but if he does, I think it needs to go back in the submission pool and the vote taken again.

Just food for thought. Public art is, mostly, permanent. We need to choose these pieces carefully.

KATHE MADRIGAL

Laguna Beach

Busing it is the green way to go

“Individuals make a difference!” This is an environmental call to turn Laguna Beach green. Our citizens save the canyon, preserve Crystal Cove, block El Toro Airport, recycle trash and plant organic gardens. Let’s add another arrow to our environmental quiver “” Green Travel by public bus. A warning to bus snobs: snap out of it. The way is paved by Susi Q’s Intrepid Travelers, who began an outreach pilot program on Earth Day 2009, day tripping to promote public transportation and to explore our Orange County sister cities on the Orange County Transportation Authority.

Natural gas fuels the buses, an added bonus. Did you know that Laguna Beach is a bus hub city from Ocean Avenue’s bus depot? The Route 1 bus carries us to coastal cities north and south. Try a Sunday brunch in San Clemente, spiritual renewal at Crystal Cove, a film at Fashion Island or shopping at South Coast Plaza (one transfer). Add the famous Noguchi Sculpture Garden, among the world’s top 20, near the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa. Art lovers, the Bowers Museum is a breeze on the inland Route 89 bus (one transfer). There are no parking worries at the Laguna Hills Mall, only 15 minutes away. Bus riders make history.

Our mission is to turn Laguna Beach green and convert residents of all ages into riders. Here’s how. First, make yourself count and take a stand for our planet. Help put Laguna Beach on the environmental map. Plan one bus trip for your family, friends or organization. Invite bus buddies and make connections with your surrounds.

Most importantly, register your trip, date, riders, and observations on my blog thebusmovesus.blogspot.com. Now is the time to get on the bus. Let’s turn Laguna green, one bus rider at a time.

PAT CHATLIN

Laguna Beach

Mixed mobility would help traffic

The Vision Laguna 2030 Strategic Plan completed in December 2001 states, “We will be a safe and enjoyable community to walk and bicycle with convenient transit and smooth traffic flow.” In April 2009, the City Council in a 4-0 decision approved the Climate Protection Action Plan; however, the agenda bill deleted the bicycle provisions of the plan. Subsequently the council amended the agenda bill to authorize a task force to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety and re-incorporate bike provisions into the Plan.

The Complete Streets Task Force has been meeting with city members since September to investigate the larger scope of mixed mobility for Laguna Beach including bicycles, pedestrians, public transit and drivers.

Both Laguna Beach residents and visitors are inconvenienced by traffic congestion and perceived scarce parking due to our romance with the automobile and a car saturated transportation system. At peak commute hours we experience traffic bottlenecks because we rely on private vehicles as the sole means of mobility around town.

Laguna Beach residents and visitors could help relieve traffic congestion by shifting to a transportation system of mixed-mode mobility that includes walking, cycling, public transportation and private transport. Mixed-mode mobility is consistent with other world class cities as the means to greater connectivity between destinations while improving the quality of life, raising the attractiveness of streets and towns, and lowering the cost to our environment. These benefits are not difficult to rationalize, simply consider that every driver you accommodate with a bus, bicycle, or a walking alternative, you remove one car from our roads and free up one parking space.

Recall the contentious debate that available storefront parking remains a huge necessity to attract, operate and sustain retail business in Laguna. Adopting mixed-mode mobility relieves the demand for limited store-front parking.

Mixed-mode mobility is a component of complete streets and allows different modes of mobility to coexist with a better record of traffic safety. A complete street means an equal allocation of space is given to all four modes of mobility. A complete street revitalizes the business community by increasing foot traffic and increasing overall capacity of the transportation network. A complete street is designed and operated to enable safe access for all users. Pedestrians, dog walkers, bicycles, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities must be able to safely move along and across a complete street.

Cities with complete street policies make sure that their streets accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and drivers in a balanced fashion, as well as seniors, children, and people with disabilities.

From the complete streets website: “Streets are made complete through design interventions that balance mobility, but the adoption of complete street interventions is context sensitive. To make a street ‘complete’ varies depending on many factors, so there’s no universal definition for all cities. Design interventions may include sidewalks, accessible pedestrian signals, bike lanes, special bus lanes, comfortable and accessible transit stops, frequent crossing opportunities, median islands, curb extensions, and more. A complete street in a rural area will look quite different from a complete street in a highly urban area, but both are designed to balance safety and convenience for everyone using the road.”

In future letters I’ll introduce the Complete Streets Act, state and federal legislation that makes complete streets a new mandate when forming city policy.

LES MIKLOSY

Laguna Beach