Laguna Beach voters probably have noticed the many Peter Blake banners and signs around town but should note how many are on empty storefronts and construction sites.
Seeing all those signs on those empty stores should remind voters that Peter has been on the city council for 4 years and has blamed others for this blight but has done nothing to solve it.
There are large Blake banners on the Mo Honarkar-owned buildings along N. Coast Hwy between Cliff and Jasmine Streets and on the Hotel Laguna where he is the operator. There is a Blake banner on that monstrosity in the canyon, the Dornin project, and on buildings owned by Joe Hanauer. Banners on construction sites and possible construction sites tell voters that many of Blake’s supporters are developers.
Do we really want to reelect an ineffective council person, one who favors development and is a bully to boot?
Johanna Felder, Laguna Beach
You need to get many votes to win an election. I doubt we have 4,000+ developers in town, so clearly, Peters supporters are not limited to just developers. You most likely have signs in front of your home/property for the measures and candidates you support, other property owners can’t put up banners? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I’ve seen more Peter Blake signs in neighborhoods than other candidates. Sorry.
Johanna, everyone knows that you and your gang at Village Laguna/Laguna Residents First are the reason for our decrepit downtown and retail vacancies. For decades you placed insurmountable hurdles on anyone who tried to remodel a commercial building or open a retail or dining establishment. Now you are blaming me? Really?
The properties owners you speak of proudly hung my banners as a way of expressing their support of a candidate that has done everything possible to help them get through the onerous process that made it impossible to build or remodel. You know the process dont you? You and your cronies wrote it and honed it over decades. You were untested until 2018 when I ran and won on a platform to bring property rights to our residents. I worked to lift the business restrictions which enabled small businesses to cut through the red tape and open. Now you’ve come back with Q in an attempt to regain you stranglehold over our system and shut down all progress.
Give it up Johanna! Laguna’s done with you and your backdated vision for our community. This Tuesday you’ll find out just how far we’ve come. We’re not headed back!
Johanna, How can you send out this false message. Frankly, despite our differing points of view on numerous issues, we’ve had a civil relationship. For you to make claims that you know are out and out lies is shameful.
I don’t have nor have I had one candidate sign on any property unless of course you or some other Q person put one there today. I purposely stood away from putting out signs or endorsements on any candidate in order to not suggest in the slightest way that my candidate views have any relationship with my strong views against Measure Q. This has nothing to do with Peter or any other candidate. Simply since I’m so committed to defeating Q because of the damage it will do to Laguna I sat out opining on candidates.
Johana, Shame on you!
This is a founder of Village Laguna speaking. We all know that a successful town or city is less regulation and less taxes. Peter wants less regulation. Also the most important issue in this election is safety. That means there is no other choice than Blake, Kempf and Weil who are the only ones that seem to care about our safety while Jerome cant even define a criminal. Prosperous town is on who we vote for. And thats A NO on Village Laguna. No on Q. And No on crime.
In my November 4th letter to the editor I was in error to lump Joe Hanauer in with Mo Honarka and Chris Dornin in supporting Peter Blake. I regret the error.
Johanna says, “That monstrosity in the canyon”. Really? This is a classic comment from a person who, “has theirs” but doesn’t want anyone else to have a piece! That monstrosity as you call it was a project conceived by an artist for artists 15 years ago! Our community under the guiding hands of yours and other organizations have for years played upon the idea that we are an “art colony” while continuing to push hard working artists out of their home studios and out of town! Now a project comes along to try and reverse that course and you and yours have done everything you can to stop it. Some supporter of the arts you are! Shame on you and your backwards looking ideas. We evolve or we crumble. Your vision of Laguna Beach in 2022 is dated at best. The art community has suffered for years and your fake support of the arts shows in your misguided comments. #sad
Johanna,
Shame on you! Shame on Village Laguna & their creation Historic
Preservation Coalition! For suing the City of Laguna Beach for the approvals of the Kirby’s remodel & the Historic Preservation Ordinance Update! I was on the HPO TASK Force with Ann Christoph, David Raber , Norm Grossman & six other residents !
Your well organized vocal minorities have been exposed for what in my opinion NIMBYISM at it’s best! Awareness is the 1st step to change!