Editor,
The parklet experiment being conducted on Forest Avenue between Coast Highway and Glenneyre Street by the Laguna Beach City Council is nothing more than a poorly crafted compromise trying to please everyone and pleasing no one.
On one side the restaurant owners are looking to turn Forest Avenue into a pedestrian zone. On another side, a few business owners oppose the pedestrian zone. Within the city government some folks still argue the parking issue. Finally the 11,000 plus Laguna Beach homeowners are presently and pointedly being ignored.
Understandably the restaurant owners want a pedestrian zone because it would allow outdoor seating, enhancing the dining experience. Removing cars on Forest Avenue would also eliminate the loud rumble of engines, the stink of engine exhaust, the annoying sound of auto security alarms, and drivers bathing restaurants in blinding headlight glare. Each of the restaurants could have their own particular colored umbrellas defining that restaurant. The city could easily raise the street level with pavers and construct a beautiful tranquil fountain in the center of the pedestrian zone. Elegant street lighting could easily create a romantic and continental ambiance. The walk in shops could place some of their wares in front of their stores to entice pedestrians inside. Foot traffic would increase exponentially and so would sales.
Some city officials argue against the pedestrian zone by bringing up parking. Parking has been an issue in Laguna Beach for years and parking has only gotten worse because Laguna Beach cannot control the volume of auto traffic. Near the entrance to Laguna Canyon there are new housing projects under construction. Los Olives Apartment Village, The Village at Irvine Spectrum, Centerpointe, The Park at Irvine Spectrum, Laguna Altura, and Hidden Canyon promise to dump thousands of more cars into town.
What are the views of Laguna Beach homeowners regarding the pedestrian zone? In the past during the holiday season, all of Forest Avenue gets shut down. The popularity of the event is evident by the large number of locals participating. Councilman Bob Whalen is talking about circulating a community survey looking for input on specific issues. Perhaps he might include some questions about the pedestrian zone. Should turning a portion of Forest Avenue into a pedestrian zone prove popular, the city council should bite the bullet, drop the parquet compromise and move ahead with creating the pedestrian zone.
Tyrone Borelli, Laguna Beach
Amusement parks have got it right…Main Street USA parades, buses, and bicycles, everyone else can walk. Shut and restrict vehicle traffic from Broadway to Forest Avenue charge all visitors an admission and parking fee and let the entertainment begin… Bring in the corporate lobby’s on the table… get some revenue in here to make the needed improvements we don’t need somebody else telling us what to do.
If we don’t it’s going to be Gulliver’s travels only we won’t be Gulliver.
Another awesome letter from a local: compromise, solutions, progress!
“YES” to parklets…but maybe not to ones dedicated to specific restaurants. The true parklet is a communal open space for all, not a business venture. “YES!” to resting for a moment, sitting to smile at those passing by, listening to local free musical talents, finishing one’s gelato or meeting friends old and new…..to shop, dine, spend in town.
There has to be a positive, welcoming solution concerning the conception, implementation and all-encompassing enjoyment of parklets and our beautiful Laguna Beach Village.