SoLag Resident Sounds Off
Instead of making a list of personal resolutions for the coming year, I have made a list of resolutions that I hope will happen this summer for the community of South Laguna Beach.
As a full-time resident and homeowner here in South Laguna, I am already anxious about the upcoming summer season and the visitors to our beaches – West Street, Tablerock and 1,000 Steps. There are six months to prepare for this and I hope that my letter will be read by the city manager, LBPD, and City Council members and the excuse “we did not have time to react” cannot and will not be used and they will put a plan of action in place.
- We need trash cans – lots of trash cans. On the beaches, at least 20 or 30 dispersed on each beach, not in a cluster at the bottom of the stairs because these people are lazy and will not bother to take their trash and dirty diapers all the way to the staircases.
And at least 10 to 15 trash cans at the top of the stairs to each beach access. We also need trash cans on Monterey Street, which is a popular parking and trash dumping area (who raised these people?) and on the sidewalks between West Street and Ninth Street. The number to Waste Management is on their website.
- Police presence is desperately needed. Underage drinking and drug abuse has led to violence and mayhem on our once peaceful beaches. On the first day of summer last year, people were running down Coast Highway in packs and it was insane! Not one cop in sight even though we called and reported what was happening. My husband even called me from his car and told me to lock the doors and not go outside because there was a mob down there; I was truly scared. The lifeguard at West Street was surrounded by a group of drunk teenagers, who threatened to beat him up because he asked them to pour out their beer. That’s not his job; it’s LBPDs job, isn’t it? It’s just out of control. And then after they have finished their day of partying on our beaches, they stumble up to their cars in our residential areas, yelling and screaming and cussing. Then they throw up, urinate and defecate in our yards and then drive home, drunk. But first they throw their trash out of their car in our yard and on the street. Lovely.
- It’s no secret that there is free parking on Coast Highway between Aliso and Three Arch Bay and I think this is the root of this problem. Can you please install parking meters or limit the hours of free parking on this entire stretch of Coast Highway on both sides? And while you are at it, we would love it if you would put a parking restriction to visitors in our residential areas – clearly giving them three hours max of free parking.
We are taxpayers. We are homeowners, who deserve to live here in peace. The city will make millions in parking fees. I will apply for a job as a parking officer; I can’t wait.
Here’s the deal: the city is responsible for our area in every way. You cannot deny this any longer and blame it on lack of budget. You collect our tax dollars and this is how we want our tax money to be spent. Residents go to the beaches to pick up trash in their free time because it is so overwhelming and sad? Why can’t the city annex the beaches from the county so that the finger pointing of who is responsible for this mess is negotiated and done? And if the City cannot do that, then please eliminate images of South Laguna beaches from the Chamber of Commerce website. Because if you don’t support our beaches down here, what gives you the right to boast of them and attract more people?
Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to receiving replies regarding these issues.
Jeannie Richardson, South Laguna Village
