Curmudgeons, Complainers Clog Laguna
One of the advantages of living in a small town is that residents have a voice in participatory government. On occasion our city council shows some vision and leadership, which is what we elect them for. Then a group of folks decide they don’t like an idea, make a stink and eventually the council will reverse itself. In our town it has come to the point of clogging up improvement. They have a name, curm-plainers: a combination of curmudgeons and complainers.
For instance, Forest Avenue now will not be temporarily closed to cars, the Laguna Beach Council decided last week, heeding business owners’ concerns about the loss of 48 parking spaces. No matter what side of the issue you are on, the truth is we all lose. Loud opposition eliminated the opportunity to even try it and evolve it.
Other curm-plainers include Mark Fudge, who opposes the popular rehab of The Ranch. People who loudly oppose bikers and pedestrians include the crabby curm-plainers of building sidewalks, skate parks, bike lanes and complete streets. There are the folks who hate eucalyptus trees. Others opposed a view ordinance. Still others don’t like trees near the high school. Additional opposers, oppose the Downtown Specific Plan, widening the 133. And so on.
A few months ago I spoke to someone who called me and curm-plained about one of my columns and then regressed the conversation into his opposition of lifeguard towers in Laguna Beach. He sees them as too expensive. Citing the new lifeguard building on main beach, I foolishly asked if a kid deserved to die because a lifeguard tower is too expensive. Longwindedly, he said back when he was a kid his mom and dad taught him to swim and he has never had a problem in his 60 plus years at the beach.
I might like to start an opposers of the opposition movement. I would plead that the possibility of a pedestrian friendly downtown makes sense. The curm-plainers of the plan complain about losing business as they lose the parking spaces on the street. A person who parks in front of your store for three hours or more while they go the beach can’t be very helpful to sales. On the other hand, a pedestrian friendly street improves the odds of foot traffic into the store. The plan has enough merit to at least try it, as was planned. Perhaps something could have been learned by either side.
We need eucalyptus trees. This is a defining tree in our town. Look at any of the great plein air paintings by Impressionists past and present. The trees may not be indigenous, but they are a part of the beauty of Laguna.
The Ranch is a beautiful project being improved by a resident; it should proceed. People who block views are selfish. I oppose their opposition to the view ordinance. They are thieves. People who refuse to maintain their landscape slowly steal views of the ocean, sunlight and sky from residents around them. I don’t need to focus much on this one because your opposition failed. Thank you city council you slid one through.
Participatory government is good, but what’s happening is paralyzing our town. The town is being controlled by the few residents who are simply opposed to change. These curm-plainers could take note that the ‘50s Laguna can’t come back. Still others could note that the “motor culture” from half a century ago needs to be reexamined.
We have to let the City Council do its job instead of clogging every idea before it can even be explored thoroughly. Let’s stop micromanaging them. If they do things we don’t like, we can express ourselves at the election box. The Council, though, needs to have the resolve to have vision and stick to it. Leaders have to be good at convincing others to follow. Sometimes regular people can’t see a good idea when it’s still an idea.
Mayor Bob Whalen said last week he was frustrated with the opposition to the proposed Forest and Ocean Avenue closures. “It’s discouraging to go through the process and hear people say, ‘No, no, no’. We’re talking about experimentation and short-term trials…. Maybe there are some unexpected consequences. It’s not going to kill anybody to have [the farmers market] on Ocean for a month.”
I challenge the opposers out there: Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change.
Roderick Reed owns REEDesign Interiors in Laguna Beach. http://roderickreed.com/.
