Editor,
Re: Balanced Bob’s letter.
If you had attended the Coastal Commission hearing, you would have heard that the Commission overwhelmingly (9-1) approved the restoration project for The Ranch at Laguna Beach. You would have heard the dismantling of unsubstantiated claims and assumptions by Coastal Commission staff, misinformed trail advocates and opponents of the Ranch restoration. You would have heard personal apologies from the commissioners themselves for putting Christy through the ringer after appellant Mark Fudge and Penny Elia opened up Pandora’s box.
As for your trite comments regarding Mark Christy’s intentions and salesmanship, I have to assume that you don’t know Mark personally. Mark is not a developer, but more the anti-developer and job creator. He has been an unwavering supporter and part of every important effort to protect the environment around Laguna. In the 1990’s, Mark was one of the founding members of the Laguna Canyon Conservancy, local activists who derailed the Irvine Company’s plans to build thousands of homes and sprawling commercial centers in Laguna Canyon. That effort ultimately set in motion a sequence of events that resulted in the creation of the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park and Crystal Cove State Park.
The rehabilitation of the Ranch golf course property and structures is being done with careful sensitivity to its environmental, historic and cultural importance to Laguna Beach and surrounding communities. This includes preservation of the original Thurston home site and the rehabilitation of Camp Elizabeth Dolph, abandoned as a “Scout Camp” for decades and used by the prior owners as a maintenance yard and dumpsite. This area has been beautifully transformed into a multi-use open space while preserving the natural beauty of the site. Aside from removing the vegetation within 25 feet of Aliso Creek and limiting event capacity and decibel levels, the Coastal Commission approved the area designed as an event venue. The golf course and surrounding vegetation look better that ever.
I don’t understand what drives people to take a stand on issues when they don’t have all the facts. It’s clear that some simply have their own agenda. There’s always those that grab “sound bites” of information and jump on the bandwagon not knowing what they are supporting. The bureaucratic process was arduous, costly in countless ways, and ultimately proven unwarranted. Like the vast majority of Lagunans, I couldn’t be happier about the decision to move forward with the restoration of our town’s crown jewel.
Brian Hurley, Laguna Beach
