Illegal Construction in the Creek Overlooked by Longi’s Critics

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Editor,

If Julie Hamilton and Jackie Gallagher are so concerned about Laguna Creek, why do they ignore all the other violations that are very clear when visiting the site?

I shared a document (detailing other violations along Laguna Creek) with Norm Grossman when he was a zoning commissioner and opposed my project, nothing ever came of the evidence.

It seems there are free passes for unpermitted construction and encroachment within the 25-foot setback of the creek’s centerline, yet Dr. Hamil and the opposition ignores these violations and hold me to a higher standard for my studios. Dr. Hamil’s own property violates the Coastal Act when he concreted the creek behind his property with no permit or engineering plans.

Dr. Hamil pays Julie Hamilton to continue the fight. He raises money under CANDO and funnels to Julie Hamilton.

If Jackie and Julie want the creek to be protected, they should notice that my set back is 25 feet from the centerline (more than the five feet from the bank that they claim in your article), 80% further back than any of the surrounding properties.  These properties have destroyed the creek habitat, choking the creek restricting water flow, causing flooding, while overlooking my $200,000 restoration plan, creating larger buffer than any other property!

In theory, if you follow their rhetoric, they should be supporting my restoration plan and attacking these violators of the local building codes and California Coastal Act.

I have no problem being held to a high standard, but when I am attacked by persons that do not hold to that standard themselves it makes me worry about the inconsistent message, enforcing building codes, and their hypocrisy of the obvious violations.

I can understand if they don’t want my project, but quit hiding behind false allegations against the approvals, making me look as if I am destroying natural habitat, when in fact I am improving it, thus the reason for unanimous approval from the California Coastal Commission.

And the ex parte meetings with commissioners, has absolutely no legal merit, we did not prevent them from meeting with commissioners.

The hearing delay has nothing to do with their arguments and is due to the overburdened court system. Probably in part to other court cases that have no merit and are vexatious litigation like their suit.

 

For what it’s worth!

Louis Longi, Laguna Beach

 

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2 COMMENTS

  1. The Animal Hospital was built practically in the creek in the 1950’s. At that time the entire Laguna Canyon was planned by the County of Orange to be Light Industrial & Manufacturing, with most of what is now the Greenbelt covered by housed & apartments. The County plan was to Culvert the “ditch” from El Toro Rd to Canyon Acres Drive. A 12′ wide x15′ deep cement culvert. The County gave the previous property owner permission to concrete the channel behind the building at that time. In the 60 yrs since those “busybodies” wrote a specific zoning plan, saved the majority of the natural Creek Bed, kept their neighborhood from being replaced by a 4-6 Lane Freeway & worked tirelessly to preserve the Laguna Greenbelt. The Animal Hospital & the concrete in the creek were “Grandfathered” in, & allowed to exist. Just like your Internet Rental you have in your Single Family Home is allowed to exist forever, even though the City has decided to not allow any more. If it wasn’t for “busy bodies” Laguna would not have been preserved, & you wouldn’t want to live there.

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