Editor,
A design for rehabilitation of the public beach access at the end of Agate Street is currently up for City Council appeal on Tuesday, Nov. 15. It is a widely used access and viewing area where the public enjoys coveted views of the unique surf break, Catalina sunsets, Pearl Rock and the famous Arch.
Reasons for the appeal: 1) the approved plan reduces the upper viewing platform’s usable area by over half, down to the size of a large parking space. This new 10 x 16 ft space is further restricted when one includes the access pathway through it, as well as the new seating. The existing view platform now accommodates about 15 people, which has been reduced to about 6 people.
2) Seating needs to be wooden benches and not hard cold concrete seat walls.
3) Wheelchair access ramps have been eliminated to this new viewing platform. A very small area street-side, amongst a new bike rack and garbage can, has been created as an after thought. 4) No view studies on the remaining views have been performed. The view of the Arch from the bench is in jeopardy despite being preserved in perpetuity by past conditions of approvals.
This is a public works project, being paid for with our public tax dollars. Why is it the public’s opinion is not being valued and utilized to make this into more of an asset for the public’s usage? It appears the design focus is to minimize the overall size and to reduce the liability of loitering rather than to enhance the currently enjoyed assets of these gateways to our beaches.
City Council needs to grant this appeal and send this poor design back to the Design Review Board with specific guidance to make this a more palatable design for the public who can then enjoy it for a very long time. With just a little effort and openness to small changes, this can be achieved and the existing million dollar public views will be preserved.
Please help save the assets of this public beach access by contacting our City Council or attending Tuesday’s meeting and supporting the appeal. Let’s preserve and enhance, not reduce and restrict Laguna’s public assets.
Peter Mann, Laguna Beach
