Parking and size should be considered As...

Parking and size should be considered

As a resident who has lived directly across the street from the

Pottery Shack for the past 14 years I am very concerned about the

proposed plans to remodel and “mansionize” the site.

The proposal of another restaurant in this area taking up almost

3,000 square feet is definitely not a good idea. We are already in

desperate need of more parking in this area and where are these

diners going to park? On our side streets, not hardly. They are

already full any day by present workers in the area. And to take away

75% of the present parking that is on site now leaves me with more

questions. Where will these employees park?

It will affect our already full side streets from Coast Highway to

Temple Terrace, and from Bluebird Canyon to Thalia Street. Have we

not learned from the beautiful Montage how wrong things can go

without proper parking?

In addition to this, my personal quality of life will be affected

with the proposed 4,750-square-foot two-story office building. I will

lose my ocean view both upstairs and downstairs.

I am not opposed to remodeling a badly needed building, but they

need more parking, not less. The neighborhood concerns really need to

be addressed on this plan.

DAN DUTTON

Laguna Beach

City needs to stand up to Shack changes

Our city is again pandering to big developers without considering

the safety, quality of life and property rights of the people of

Laguna Beach. The Pottery Shack property is being prepared for sale

to the highest bidder, but first, City Hall, the Heritage Committee,

Laguna Planning Commission and Morris Skenderian are all trying to

custom tailor and have pre-approved all the rules and regulations

that might formerly have prevented developing the parcel to more than

its absolute maximum capacity.

The Heritage Committee will allow about five retail stores

including a 2893-square-foot, 87-seat restaurant. They will also

reduce the currently required parking for the site, 108 spaces, to 24

spaces. Where are the employees and customers for all these retail

stores and the restaurant and takeout counter going to park?

There also used to be 18 Pottery Shack parking spaces across the

street at 250 Brooks St. There are also several other residences and

businesses in the block so where are they going to park?

Is there anyone involved in the planning of this project who can

count? Actually we already know he answer to that question because

many of the cast involved in this debacle are the same ones who put

the Montage parking out on our city streets and in front of our

residences.

Enough parking, traffic and safety problems already exist in this

neighborhood without having a new project of this unrealistic scope

added to the mix that will create havoc in our area.

If we do nothing to alert the city as to our concerns about how

this Pottery Shack building and expansion project is being handled it

will go on as currently planned. We will have no one to blame but

ourselves. The “Shack” is really ready to be replaced and needs to be

planned very thoroughly and carefully.

Please plan to attend the Laguna Beach Planning Commission meeting

at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the council chambers.

If you wish to write a letter to the city concerning the project

it is at 1212 S. Coast Highway, 281 Brooks Street and 1243 Glenneyre

Street. The conditional use permit is 04-15 and coastal development

permit 04-35. Any correspondence to the commission should be

delivered to City Hall at least three days before the meeting.

ANNETTE STEPHENS

Laguna Beach

Member, Village Flatlanders

Neighborhood Assn.

Give your input on the Pottery Shack

This is to notify everyone who has any interest in what

over-development is intended for the Pottery Shack (i.e. Tacky Shack)

of Laguna Beach.

The next formal meeting of the Planning Commission is at 7 p.m.

Wednesday. At that time we hope to render the “FAT” from the soup (so

to speak). Please join us there, and be heard.

A number of concerned citizens have formed the Village Flatlanders

Neighborhood Assn. We welcome anyone who has comments or question

about the Pottery Shack (i.e. Tacky Shack) which is the prime project

in our neighborhood and will effect each individual whether you’re a

homeowner, business owner or renter.

TOM AND DARRYLIN GIRVIN

Laguna Beach

The facts regarding 550 Mountain Road

We can’t believe it has come to this, but we need to get the facts

straight regarding the proposed remodel at 550 Mountain Road.

The total size of our home after the proposed remodel will be

1,448 square feet. This includes a 402-square-foot second floor

addition that is seven feet below the allowable height limits. This

was done by creating a split-level home that is as low profile as

possible. The rear yard setback is more than 20 feet (again, more

than the city requires). The remodel saved the existing front

cottage, and the new construction will match the look of the old

Laguna cottage we chose to preserve. The Heritage Committee approved

the remodel unanimously (6 to 0). The Design Review Board approved

the project 3 to 1. Then two neighbors who did not get their way

appealed the Design Review Board decision to the City Council, citing

an array of “new objections.” Besieged by criticism about a number of

projects, the City Council voted 3 to 2 to send us back to Design

Review Board once again.

After a year of planning, meetings and additional costs, we are

still mired in a proceeding that works a real hardship on our family.

We moved into our cottage after we were married and we now have two

sons. Home ownership has to include the ability to accommodate a

small family like ours, but the plan for what will be a modest

1,448-square-foot home has now been likened to the Montage Resort and

Pottery Shack projects. If the approval process for a private family

is allowed to be politicized and sensationalized in this way, then

people and neighborhoods in Laguna will be hurt, and the character of

our town will be diminished rather than enhanced.

The Heritage Board acted responsibly and enabled us to save what

many people say is one of Laguna’s most charming cottages. They

should be commended for their work. We went through the disciplines

of the Heritage Board process in good faith, and the result was a

small-scale remodel plan. All but two of our neighbors strongly

supported the approved plan, and when the two opposing neighbors

could not get what they wanted we found ourselves in the middle of a

distorted public “debate” about our home. Suddenly people who live

miles away were appearing to oppose the project, linking it to

controversial major projects that are politically divisive.

We are confident the sound judgment of the Heritage Board and the

Design Review Board will be vindicated. We also want to thank all of

those who have supported us, especially since the process became more

political than we ever wanted. Now that fixing up our single family

dwelling has become more public than we expected, we have nothing to

lose by simply inviting those in our community interested in the

truth about our project to come by and see the house for yourself. We

welcome anyone interested in viewing the plans and drawings.

The facts will confirm that the Design Review Board and Heritage

Board did the right thing by approving our project, and it is too bad

taxpayer resources will have to be expended on further proceedings in

a matter that had been resolved in compliance applicable standardsThe

saying “Home is where the heart is” has never seemed more true than

now. My husband Steve and I live in the village in Laguna Beach. We

love our cottage yet after having two children we are “space

challenged” and need to add on. Moving is not a solution as we love

our neighborhood and it’s proximity to Downtown. We have fabulous

neighbors whom we see regularly on a social basis. We are a few

blocks from the wonderful beach, and one block from a fantastic park.

I’ve owned a business Downtown for the past eight years and

thoroughly enjoy walking to and from work. Steve and I have emersed

ourselves in the unique lifestyle only known to Laguna Beach.

We recently decided to remodel our cottage adding a split-level

second floor (hardly visible from the street) to equal a total of

1,448 square feet. We have adhered to the laws laid out by the city,

yet we are facing many challenges not uncommon to remodeling a home

here in Laguna Beach.

The biggest challenge is trying to accommodate opposing neighbors

and their ongoing ever-changing list of needs. For instance our

neighbor who lives directly behind us in an 1,800-square-feet,

two-story home on the same exact size lot as ours is fighting our

addition due to privacy issues. When we bought this house we realized

that her windows look directly into our backyard, bathroom, kitchen,

and laundry room. Yet we know that to live close to the beach means

living close to our neighbors.

Our remodel has been called massive at 1,448 square feet. We have

reconfigured our remodel with our architect four times costing us

thousands of dollars and months of wasted time just to meet the

demands of the two neighbors behind us.

The other neighbor diagonally behind us has two two-story homes

around it (including the aforementioned one) and claims that their

only view is of the tree in our yard. Don’t we have the same right to

build as any of these other homeowners? And furthermore, is our tree

really worth all of this grief?

Now after being approved by both the Heritage Committee and the

Design Review Boards, our opposing neighbors petitioned to appeal the

decision at a City Council meeting two weeks ago. City Council sent

us back to the Design Review Board for more “revisions.” We have done

nothing but accommodate these two neighbors short of scrapping this

project all together. Isn’t compromise when all parties give a little

in order to gain a lot?

This is a very special town and we are all privileged to be here.

But like any city we have equal rights as homeowners and it’s time we

stood up for ourselves. Steve and I have never spoken out until now.

Unlike our neighbors, we have not hired lawyers; we have not rallied

our “acquaintances” from all over Laguna to speak out against them.

We have not pointed the finger back at them until now.

It seems that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, so now we are

screaming. One way or another this house will get built. It will be a

two-story home and we will have some views into our neighbor’s yards

just as they do ours. Our neighbors will never be satisfied but that

is not our concern any longer. We are standing up for our rights. Our

hearts are in this home.

AMII SCHENK

Laguna Beach

Three steps to save the Blue Belt

I am encouraged to read weekly the wide community support to

protect the Blue Belt of Laguna Beach, that is the tide pools and all

marine environments stretching from El Morro to Three Arch Bay.

Essentially, there are three do-able steps to be acted on

immediately by concerned citizens and city management if we are to

protect and preserve the Blue Belt. They are:

1. Adding to the staff of the Lifeguard Department a marine

enforcement education officer, with Ranger status and ability to

exact penalties for violators;

2. Enacting a master plan for visiting school programs that

ensures compliance with our tide pool rules, as a requirement before

entrance to our fragile marine life sanctuary; and

3. All beachgoers need to join the Tide Pool Docent program in

spirit and keep watch to make sure the treasury is not robbed.

The beauty of these suggestions is their ability to be

self-funded. These steps should not cost the city but sustain Laguna

Beach’s Blue Belt effectively by self-funding.

Fines exacted from serious violators would contribute to the fund

required for an enforcement officer. School programs should have a

modest fee to cover the educational materials sent out before the

school groups arrive, a five- to 10-minute initial discussion with

the lifeguard department reviewing the tide pool rules and safety in

the area, plus bus parking.

The ability for school busses to unload under supervised students

to drop-off and rip-off is destroying our tide pools. Let’s make 2004

the year we raised the bar to visitors and enforce Blue Belt

protection. As a community we do have a stewardship responsibility to

protect this treasure, because we are at risk of losing it.

LAURA WELLSFRY

Laguna Beach

Take a neighborly tip from Australia

We have just returned from a nice cruise that included Sydney,

Australia, Auckland, New Zealand, Fiji, Western Samoa and several

islands of French Polynesia.

All of the area we visited had coastal hillside communities

including Bondi Beach in Sydney, which is a tourist area much like

Laguna Beach. All of the areas are heavily vegetated by nature and

have homes on the hillsides overlooking the ocean. Despite all that

natural vegetation you can look up the hillsides and see the homes

among the vegetation and see that the home owners have been careful

to not allow the vegetation to block their views; and as near as we

could see, they did not allow it to block their neighbors’ views

either. In asking people if they had view preservation regulations

they were surprised that anyone would need a regulation to be a good

neighbor, even in Australia which has many regulations on almost

everything.

If people of so many different counties and nationalities can be

so considerate and appreciative of their own view shed and the views

of their neighbors, why can’t more people in Laguna Beach be equally

considerate?

Of course many people in Laguna are considerate and do take care

to not obstruct public or neighborhood view sheds, but far too many

people are not. I don’t know why there is such a difference but maybe

it’s because in those other areas where nature had obliterated most

of the view sheds with heavy vegetation the people had to work to

open the view sheds and constantly work to keep them open, so they

really appreciate them.

Maybe because we didn’t have to work to have beautiful view sheds

in Laguna is the reason why so many people have a careless cavalier

attitude about destroying the views nature provided us.

I believe most of us are reasonably intelligent and thoughtful so

it just amazes me that so many of us fail our neighbors and visitors

by destroying precious views of the ocean, or hillsides, or valleys,

or city lights as the case may be. It’s really sad because with a

little care about what you plant and where you plant it we could all

have views and vegetation without conflict.

PS: I took pictures of those hillsides to share with anyone who

cares.

DAVE CONNELL

Laguna Beach

Road near college needs crosswalk

A number of times a day, the bus drops off students for the Laguna

College of Art and Design. The students cross two opposing, sometimes

freeway-speed, lanes with no island to get to school. If they walked

to the stoplight, they would walk for a mile in one direction, and

then a mile double-back. In the other direction, it’s closer to three

miles one-way, plus three back.

You can guess what luck the drivers have had in getting into the

school. One student was just injured, and I’ve heard three car

crashes in front of the school myself though I’ve been there

infrequently. But they said a stoplight can’t be done, and I’m more

concerned about the safety of the walkers, because an artist’s model

(Maria Bertran) was killed walking around there.

When students, models and staff are crossing from the bus, cars

are pulling in and out in arcs into the often-fast traffic. I’ve

worked there as an artist’s model, and try crossing when cars are

swirling around you trying to get up to speed.

Please show them we care. The students signed a petition last

year, but they graduate, some leave, and we did not reach momentum on

this without help in Laguna Beach.

The students could paint a really nice crosswalk.

MICHELLE FARRAR

Laguna Beach

Heritage Month already a winner

It was a smash again! For the fifth year Jon Madison, chairman of

the Heritage Committee, hosted the opening celebration of Heritage

Month (May) at his Madison Square and Garden Cafe. The restaurant,

which Madison painstakingly restored, is an exceptional example of a

craftsman style bungalow.

Madison provides the drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and desserts. He

arranges the entertainment. This year the Ken Garcia Band played.

(Dr. Garcia is a local dentist who is also kind on the ears.) Bree

Burgess Rosen opened with a dramatic Star-Spangles Banner. Mayor

Cheryl Kinsman welcomed the crowd. It was truly a Laguna evening.

If we’re lucky, Madison will extend his graciousness and

generosity to next year. It’s not too soon to mark the first Thursday

of May 2005 on your calendar.

BONNIE HANO

Laguna Beach

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