Mailbag: Focus should be on walkability

In the midst of the drumbeat to create bike lanes on every street in Laguna Beach came an interesting, but probably little-noticed, story in Parade magazine delivered with the Aug. 17 Los Angeles Times.

That issue featured the 16 best Main Streets in the U.S., as selected from submissions by Parade’s estimated 54 million readers. When the votes were in, the 16 best had one thing in common: they all were praised for their walkability, which encouraged residents and visitors alike to spend time browsing shops and visiting restaurants and parks.

Not one of those cities emphasized anything about endless bike lanes, though several were called bike-friendly. The cities varied in size from 3,000 residents to about 100,000 residents, and several had populations similar to Laguna Beach.

Alas, Laguna Beach would be hard-pressed to earn a pedestrian-friendly designation. But we could if more of this city had safe sidewalks, some of which have been proposed for decades but never created.

On two recent occasions, I walked from roughly the Montage to Mozambique and back — once on each side of Coast Highway. The northbound venture would have made a fine horror movie as I peered out from around parked cars to see if I could safely dart another 20 feet toward the next portion of sidewalk, tiptoed through debris along the curb that included diapers, abandoned flip-flops and a variety of cans, and squeezed past multiple vehicles in one small driveway.

On the southbound trip, I was glad I was not on crutches, as there are a few spots where there was spare room for even one crutch, much less a wheelchair or walker. There was, of course, one exception — between Cardinal Way and Blue Lagoon, where I had the pleasure of walking in a right turn lane for Blue Lagoon with my back to anyone who might be approaching.

City Council candidates, could we please add some sidewalks that would keep residents and visitors safe and out of the streets, instead of robbing sidewalk budgets for other causes? Our lives depend on it.

Sandi Cain

Laguna Beach

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State commission is doing what has to be done

Regarding David Hansen’s column, “Agency picking wrong battles Coastline Pilot, Aug. 15, it seems Hansen and some others are up in arms over the California Coastal Commission getting involved in the intended alterations at The Ranch. However, if there’s nothing there, there should be no anxiety over scrutiny by the commission.

Ranch owner Mark Christy is a businessman, and though businessmen often seek to present their plans as being altruistic, it should remain clear they’re in business to make money.

An outside agency monitoring things should be welcomed, as too often in this community we are left with the impression that our own commissions, council and other boards are steeped in cronyism.

As for the ropes on the beach at Hotel Laguna, though Hansen seems to disparage Main Beach, many people who live here do actually walk, run, swim and make use of Main, and those ropes have annoyed me for years — particularly in that they extend south of the parking lot above. For the most part, hotel guests don’t use this area, and the public is prevented from doing so.

The Coastal Commission does devote much time and energy to the things Hansen listed as time better spent, but thankfully it also devotes time to the many little things. Little things add up over time if unchecked — just take a look at our own town as proof.

And by the way, how exactly does extending parking meters to 9 p.m. “reduce congestion and create more convenient options for motorists”?

Kurt Mahoney

Laguna Beach

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Festival facade resembles city’s problematic future

No doubt, the present Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters facade, a temporary structure made of plywood and foam, needs replacing. However, the proposed new facade, announced by festival President Fred Sattler and Bauer Architects, looks like a giant, dark wall and reminds me of the “art” on the side wall of Hobie, which shows surfers in dark circumstances.

The Festival of Arts is our sacrosanct, multi-million dollar nonprofit, and the proposed pedestrian plaza is great, but the $3 million facade looks like a massive monument to the new Laguna. Big, expensive, overbearing, insular, colorless, trapped in traffic with a fleet of trolleys that attract way too many people.

I am not suggesting this is the answer, but I envisioned a glass wall along the front of the festival through which passing drivers and those walking along the new pedestrian plaza would be able to see the people inside. They can appreciate the hillside setting, the modern cement free-form roofs and beautiful canvas colors, along with art and flags, and possibly hear music.

Yes it is interesting, and the drawing may make the facade look bigger than it is, but I guess this is the new Laguna and we need a reminder of what we are becoming.

Roger Carter

Laguna Beach