Dream house vs. nightmare neighbors What used...

Dream house vs. nightmare neighbors

What used to be a lovely quiet beach-side community has now become

an uncreative, urbanized time warp with a dying architecture and

landscape that once was.

In this lovely city you’re supposed to be able to do a simple

remodel, pitch a roof, build, plant a tree and landscape to your own

likings -- of course all within reason of the city codes. All this --

your dream home. This is what many call the American dream, a place

where you are supposed to be able to plant your roots.

Well, unfortunately there’s a Catch-22. Your neighbor, or worse

yet, neighbors, now have become your worst nightmare. After a long

costly year or more of paying your engineer, architect and landscape

architect to redesign your project over and over to your neighbors

likings, you are now being sued. Why? Because it still is not good

enough for those angry neighbors who think they have a right to your

property.

Now your new dream home is your neighbor’s uncreative dream home

along with a view you had to create for them, all at your cost.

This is what the city calls working with your neighbors. It seems

to me that your neighbors have more of a right to your property than

you, the owner. Unfortunately our city has allowed these angry people

to dictate random decisions on another’s personal property, which has

resulted in many legislated losses. Losses like our freedom to our

own property rights, a right to build, landscape and a right to

privacy. All these rights have been stripped, which I believe should

be unconstitutional. Since when does a neighbor have the right to

redesign another’s personal property? They don’t.

I believe that these city laws that have been placed on us have

proven over and over not to work and have resulted in only a

neighborhood dissention that allows for harassment, the threatening

of lawsuits, trespassing and general unhappiness and in many cases,

now more than ever, pitting neighbor against neighbor.

Those angry residents who have bought a home here in Laguna Beach

with a view should have enough common sense to know that the property

they bought with the view is not going to remain the same as when you

bought it. Why? Because by law we don’t own that view nor do we own

the landscape or the properties belonging to others around us. Your

views were never promised to remain the same.

Those of you who have never invested in homes to grow with the

community or the view, those who sit back and think that their

precious view should never change or that a sliver is too much to

lose are all living in a fantasy land.

Wake up and pull your heads out of the sand and quit whining like

you’re the only ones who have lost some view. There are many

residents who have lost some type of view and many who have come to

the understanding that to live where many of us call paradise you

have to be willing to give up a little.

This is a city that allows for change and always has, for good

reason. Just because you lose some view doesn’t mean you’ve lost all

value of your property. If you have bought a home with a view here in

Laguna Beach you have gambled your money. Those people have to

understand that the city cannot save everyone’s entire views; it is

impossible.

If the city saved one resident’s entire view they would have to do

the same for every resident here in Laguna Beach and that would be

impossible.

Let’s bring back what used to be; allow for more creative building

and landscape -- either the owner is in harmony with the city

building codes or they are not. Let’s leave the neighbors out of all

the decision-making on another’s personal property and let the city

make its own decisions on what goes or what de not.

I know I personally don’t want to have to pay for my neighbor’s

happiness or be forced to cut my bushes only to lose my privacy for

another’s greed. I personally would rather lose some view than have

my neighbor redesigning my home or landscape over and over to their

likings at my expense.

If any Laguna Beach residents have been subjected to this type of

distress or are going through this type of situation and would like

to make a change in our city laws to get back your property rights,

write to your City Council members or show up at those public

hearings at 6 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall or write to your local

newspaper to voice your opinions. This is the only way our city is

going to know we want change.

KATHLEEN ROBINSON

Laguna Beach

Learn from mistakes, stop erosion

No, this isn’t Middle Earth, but it is middle Laguna. This town

just keeps on a changin’ as the old saying goes, and a changing, and

a changing an, no, we can’t stop it.

But we can take a hard look at the development that’s occurring

and we most certainly should recognize our shortcomings. Lack of

parking is a biggie. Seems like it almost always has been. Now we

have a golden opportunity to help solve part of that problem. This

particular opportunity won’t come again.

With the completion of the Montage Resort and Spa and the

now-proposed major redevelopment of the Pottery Shack, Coast Highway

is all growing together.

We must learn from the beautiful Montage and not let it happen at

the Pottery Shack. The shack is an ideal example of a perfect site to

mitigate this kind of problem. The existing parking lot could easily

be used for one level of underground parking. That would disturb no

neighbor’s views. (Which according to a recent major study is worth

$50,000 to $500,000 each) With a good landscape plan it could even

enhance the existing views across and over the present sadly

neglected lot.

The new building next door did that, and it’s a great job. My only

concern with that project is the absurd and unsafe red painted,

raised curb on top of the sidewalk, right at the corner of Brooks and

Glenneyre streets. It seems the present planter is badly misplaced.

Who designed or approved that one? We’ve learned (we hope) that a

parking crisis is a problem that can’t be fixed after it’s broke. The

sidewalk planter is another story.

We have the new buildings on Coast Highway at Thalia Street; the

new building on Coast Highway by Eilers Inn; the new building on

Coast Highway across from KFC; the new building on Glenneyre Street

at Brooks. All at about the same time. What does that tell you about

our town? And that’s only here in this neck of the woods.

This middle Laguna neighborhood is loaded with historical

preservation sites and more potential ones. Members of our Village

Flatlanders Neighborhood Assn. are very much in favor of historical

preservation and have been instrumental in quietly helping to promote

and preserve these sites for many years.

The Carriage House Bed and Breakfast was an early one. The

beautiful Bridge House on Oak Street is another. And then there was

Bill Powell’s office cottage on Glenneyre Street.

We have many fine examples. Most recently Eve Plumb’s little

cottage at Mountain and Glenneyre, the Del Camino Hotel on Coast

Highway. Then there’s the old Hotel California. The dentist office at

Glenneyre and Oak streets is in the beautiful chateau on Glenneyre.

Thanks to Rick Balzer for that one. We love what Hastor Grove did at

the old Laguna Nursery location. Historical or not, we love it and

it’s a fine example for our neighborhood and community. We must learn

from it.

The warm and fuzzy feel seems to be all the buzz lately. It was

apparent at the recent joint session of the City Council and Heritage

Committee as they tried to come to grips with preservation problems.

Just how do we deal with applicants who use and misuse the system and

code for personal gain?

Some time in the very near future we hope to be able to share with

you a surprise new-old historical gem that’s been hidden and

forgotten and neglected for a long time.

In the Downtown area some of our members were very instrumental in

the preservation of the old Eschbach property. For those newcomers to

town, it’s the one with the old English phone booth our front and the

old clock salvaged from a sidewalk in the city of Orange.

We also contributed to the creation of Larson Lane behind the

library. Harry Lawrence encouraged that one with the support of the

beautification Committee. We received city and county recognition for

that one.

Now one of our members has suggested the ally behind the Pottery

Shack be renamed, or named, Pottery Shack Lane. All who know of the

idea seem to support the concept wholeheartedly. Can we make it

happen? We certainly hope so. That way we can have a memory of the

Pottery Shack even if things change radically.

The enduring charm of the Art Center complex is still a major

magnet. Let us not forget the fantastic job French 75 has done. But

let us do remember that the parking problem there still exists. And

where are all the customers’ cars parked who dine there? Not to

mention employers? I’ll bet they don’t all walk to work.

I understand the old Tortilla Flats building has sold and now the

employees of the Surf and Sand have to stop parking there and move

farther into our neighborhoods to find those elusive parking spaces.

Where are these phantom spaces?

I’m sure the new employees of the new Pottery Shack strip mall

will want to know. And so will the new customer base who wouldn’t be

able to fit into the woefully small parking lot that now exists. Not

to mention the fact that when it’s re-striped it will lose an

additional six spaces.

RIK LAWRENCE

Laguna Beach

Clarification on one-way street plan

The Coastline Pilot published a letter to the editor very critical

of my suggestion to convert a two-lane, two-way street into an

one-lane, one-way street. However, the letter is in error that I

suggested Cress Street as a place to try this idea. I spoke before

recent Planning Commission and Parking, Traffic and Circulation

meetings suggesting that it be tried for at least one block of Brooks

Street inland of Coast Highway.

I attended the parking and traffic workshop on March 3, and our

breakout committee was quite enthusiastic that while we all supported

a Downtown parking structure, we could immediately and inexpensively

gain parking spaces by changing parallel parking into diagonal

parking. Along most stretches, this change would provide basically a

50% increase in parking spaces.

To do this even on one side of the street typically means a

two-lane two-way street needs to be converted into a one-lane one-way

street such as upper Ocean Avenue.

The Pottery Shack plan approved by the Planning Commission calls

for a reduction in on-site parking required as an incentive to

preserve the historic exterior of the buildings in accordance with

the city’s heritage ordinance. Since this neighborhood already has

parking problems, Brooks Street seems a good place to try the

diagonal parking idea. In addition to increased number of parking

spaces, the benefits would include:

1) No left turn permitted from Coast Highway (going south); there

is no left turn pocket and would improve traffic circulation on Coast

Highway

2) No left turn permitted from Brooks Street (going west) onto

Coast Highway; this currently is dangerous and would improve safety

3) Like upper Ocean Avenue a one-lane one-way street is more

pedestrian-friendly (traffic calming)

There is the problem of what to do with the parking meters and

their pedestrian-unfriendly poles. I would not like to see 50% more

poles installed, but rather all the poles removed. This would make

the aesthetics and the sidewalks nicer. The city might be able to use

a machine as they have now in parking lots, or move to an electronic

technology, or temporarily do without the parking revenue.

Although this idea has lots of pluses, it’s likely that additional

ugly signage would be required.

GENE FELDER

Laguna Beach

Village Laguna should be commended

The Laguna Beach Charm House Tour is what Laguna Beach is about,

charming houses.

And the organization Village Laguna is about preserving what is

left of our once quaint town.

Thank God someone is making an effort. Is it possible that Frank

Ricchiazzi prefers rapid growth in lieu of planned growth? Do you

think?

I am sure when the developers are finished raping the hills of

Newport Coast they would be more than willing to do the same for our

town.

I am not a member of Village Laguna but I have been a Charm House

volunteer for 13 years. I love my Woods Cove 1923 Bungalow and I

applaud the efforts of Village Laguna.

DOT PARNELL

Laguna Beach

Wait to trim trees, help nesting birds

I am writing to urge the residents of Laguna Beach to hold off on

trimming trees at least until the end of summer when the birds will

be done nesting.

I am a volunteer at the local wildlife rehabilitation center and

know firsthand what a tough situation he nesting birds in Orange

County face with the diminishing habitat and roving cats. We have

volunteers who work very hard during the baby bird season, 12 to 14

hours a day, treating and rehabilitating birds who have been cat

caught or victims of tree trimming at the wrong time.

While I can understand that tree trimmers need to work throughout

the year and trees need to be trimmed to prevent fire hazards,

please, please, please trim trees in the fall and winter to prevent

loss of nesting birds.

There was a letter to the editor last week that mentioned the city

trimming trees in the spring and this man observed the loss of a

family of hummingbirds right in front of his office. Also, the fire

department is urging residents to trim trees and shrubs for a

“chipper” day in neighborhoods.

The Audubon society recommends that trees not be trimmed ruing the

spring. We are facing a declined in many of our native songbirds due

to loss of habitat and we really should be doing all we can to

mitigate, as much as we can, our actions that contribute to such

losses.

While I am not sure what we can do to get the city to alter its

tree trimming practices, at least we can as citizens do what can not

to contribute to the problem.

If trees absolutely must be trimmed at the wrong time of year,

please inspect to be sure there are not nesting birds before touching

the tree.

Thank you Laguna Beach, I truly feel that most people are just not

aware of this situation and once made ware we can all do our part to

be sure the birds have the best chance possible.

It is heartbreaking when a person walks in to our center with a

branch they have cut down with a hummingbird nest on it and two baby

hummingbird n it. If they had only known better. You have no idea how

much work it is to feed baby hummingbirds (every 20 to 30 minutes for

14 hours a day).

If you could see what these dedicated volunteers do to help out

the bird, more of us might keep our cats inside and trim our trees at

the right time.

STAR HOWARD

Laguna Beach

Parking proposal for Downtown

As a self-appointed write-in candidate for City Council I feel I

must let my public know my position on important city issues. I also

share information that I and my staff come across during our

exhaustive research.

For example: There is a nice looking brick structure on Glenneyre

Street, almost to Park Avenue. It is called a parking structure.

There are more than 100 spaces to park an auto, easy walk to Downtown

Laguna and Main Beach. The only problem is you need a bucketful of

quarters as an overtime ticket is very costly.

But we have a fabulous idea. Why not another parking structure on

the city land behind City Hall? The lower floor could be a 20-foot

clear span to accommodate the city yard and its vehicles and

material. The structure could go on up another four or five floors on

the cliff face without obstructing any view.

The two upper floors to be at a flat rate: $7 or $10 or whatever.

A true break for beachgoers or visitors to the art festivals or

theater. They could stay up to 12 hours and walk to all the

attractions.

Now it can be done. There is multi-storied underground parking at

the music center in Los Angeles. All we need is a City Council that

will take some action. A vote for Huston will guarantee that action.

P.S. I am also available as grand marshal for the 2005 Patriots

Day parade.

DAN HUSTON

Laguna Beach

The Coastline Pilot is eager to run your letters. If your letter

does not appear, it may be because of space limitations, and the

letter will likely appear next week. If you would like to submit a

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