Citizens for Laguna’s Future Officially Launches No On Q Campaign
A group of Laguna Beach business owners, residents and local leaders have formed a new political action committee to campaign against Measure Q, a ballot measure designed by Laguna Residents First PAC requiring a public vote on major developments along Coast Highway and Laguna Canyon Road.
Recently launched as Citizens for Laguna’s Future, the PAC stated in a press release that, if passed, Measure Q would, “create a dragnet effect that would require costly, citywide elections for both large and small public and private projects, not only ‘overdevelopment’ as claimed by Q supporters.”
“The cost to the City, and therefore Laguna taxpayers, could be millions, cutting critical funding for police and fire, and stunting the financial viability of Laguna,” the release continued.
Mayor Susan Kempf has stated she’s against the measure, along with five out of the seven candidates running for three open seats on the City Council.
“Simply put, Measure Q won’t just block larger developments, which no one wants,” Kempf said. “It would trigger a citywide election to approve a coffee shop, pizzeria, or South Laguna’s desperately needed new fire station. We’ve already been a low-and-slow growth town for decades and maintained a world-class, small-town charm.”
Joe Hanauer is one of the proponents of new Citizens for Laguna’s Future PAC against Measure Q.
Citizens for Laguna’s Future said it aims to inform residents about Measure Q before the upcoming November election with direct mailers, ads and in-person events.
“What we’re aiming to do is inform and educate people,” said Joe Hanauer, PAC supporter and owner of the Old Pottery Place and 580 Broadway. “If they know what they’re voting for and understand it, they’ll vote against it. Right now, what the other side says is that they’re ‘against overdevelopment.’ But if it was only that, we’d support it too. But it’s not.”
Beginning with a group of 20, the PAC now has more than 100 members of the Laguna Beach community opposing the measure.
“This initiative will have real negative consequences for our community if passed. Measure Q’s stated purpose is to regulate large new developments, but it goes far beyond this. It’s 18 pages of complex and in some cases ambiguous and inconsistent provisions will require City public safety projects and many small projects to go to a vote,” Mayor Pro-Tem Bob Whalen said.
Hanauer said that if Measure Q fails to pass, plenty of alternatives exist to work with City Council to ensure overdevelopment is curtailed in Laguna Beach.
“Laguna Residents First never made that effort,” he said. “They said ‘we can’t trust the City Council, literally.’ In other words, it was almost it was we can’t rely on the City Council to make these decisions. We need the voters to make the decisions. So, we’re saying no. We elect a council to make decisions. That’s what they’re there for.”
Citizens for Laguna’s Future held their first event at Three Arch Bay on Aug. 29 and plan to have more soon. More information is available at Citizensforlagunasfuture.com.
I am a concerned resident of Laguna Beach. I have had a “recent” experience with the current City Council of Laguna Beach that I would like to share. I am making this observation to illustrate the reason that many residents of Laguna feel that they “cannot” trust the council to act in the “best” interest of their constituents.
The City council recently “approved” a 52 Stall Parking lot in Laguna Beach that was only 30 feet from residents homes.
1.) The City Council, admittedly “DID NOT PROPERLY NOTICE” the residents that would be impacted by this Public Parking Lot.
2.) The City Council “DID NOT CONDUCT A TRAFFIC SURVEY” by a “licensed traffic engineer with experience in performing parking studies”.
3.) The City Council secured a “COASTAL DEVELOPMENT PERMIT DE MINIMIS WAIVER” from the COASTAL COMMISSION allowing the lot to go forward “without” any study or resident impact or input.
4.) This lot would have a severely negative impact to the “quality of life” of all the residents in the nearby community. The Council and the Property Owner attempted to “conceal” from the residents their intentions regarding this proposed “PUBLIC PARKING LOT”.
The Council violated their own ‘PARKING REQUIREMENTS” in a duplicitous attempt to approve a severely flawed proposal at the expense of the nearby Laguna Beach Residents.
Fortunately due to Resident Opposition, and “ONLY” once Residents realized what the Council and the Property Owner were up to did the Council then cancel this “poorly thought out” proposed Public Parking Lot.
This is why residents need to be a part of the process. Please VOTE YES on Q.
Read the Measure, have a voice in SAVING LAGUNA for LAGUNA RESIDENTS.
All the pearl-clutching about everything in Laguna can be summarized by this one headline: Study: Over 75% of Plastic in Pacific Garbage Patch Is from Chinese and Japanese Fishermen. Get over your holier than thou phoney baloney and get productive instead of destructive. Lagunatic Libs have the end in sight now. Toni Iseman quitting is proof. NO ON Q
Thanks for sharing. Expect more of this type of government Council irresponsibly and manipulation if Measure Q isn’t passed and we continue with the same elected’s. Actually, expect worse. A dishonest city government with dishonest leadership takes a whole village of activists to bring it down. The City of Anaheim is going through it now. Laguna should listen and learn. Over the last four years, the signs have been there.
Vote YES on Measure Q and vote for change in leadership in November.
Let’s leave it up to Peter Blake. I think not. I hope Sue Kempf gets replaced. Vote yes on measure Q.
The heat of the moment will melt down the libs who’s whined and cried about their noble causes for decades. Now voting for City Council isn’t good enough. Every development issue has to be an emotional madate from the people. This could be the greatest slow motion suicide in the history of City Government. Brought to you by lil ole ladies and their whipped hubbies who have clearly, recently, lost the game. Let Blake more us forward.
Wow. Blame the “lil ole ladies and “whipped hubbies”? I think not. Blame the MANY years of corrupt and incompetent City government in Laguna Beach. The same people, the same tired ideas, rampant self-interest and corruption. I have lived here for 23 years and would far rather have the residents decide ANYTHING, rather than leave it up to an inept and untrustworthy City Council. It IS the job of local government to protect the interests of residents, but sadly that does not happen in Laguna Beach. The way this city has been governed has brought us to this point…YES on Measure Q.
“Pearl Clutching” * “Holier Than Thou” * “Lil Old Ladies” “Whipped Hubbies” “Laguna Beach Libs” * This is the rhetoric that the “NO On Q” proponents have decided to go with?
Everyone has a right to state their position but why the derisive name calling?
At the end of the day this measure is about “representation” and the “Voice of Us, the Laguna Beach Residents”. Please read the Measure and on voting day…
Please VOTE YES on MEASURE “Q”
Mr Mickelsen, you accuse the Counsel of acting in self interest and being corrupt, inept and untrustworthy. Those are serious accusations so I conclude you must know of specific acts to support such statements.
Would you kindly recount same in detail?
I would also suggest that if you believe there is evidence to support your claims of some , or all the Counsel members the best course would be to remove them for cause…or vote them out.
I would like to state the obvious. Take a look around our town right now. There are “unsightly” giant black banners all over our city asking you to vote for Peter Blake. Whether you are for or against Measure Q is something that each voter eligible to vote in our city can draw their own conclusions about.
Whatever your position on Q is, Please vote “NO ON PETER BLAKE”. Peter Blake has demonstrated over and over again that he is simply not fit to have any say in governing our community. Peter Blake is abrasive to his constituents, rude to his fellow council persons, unapologetic for “any” of his derisive comments. This man is, “in my opinion”, a cancer on our city. A vote for “anyone” but Peter Blake is a vote for a return to civility, courtesy and politeness to the City Council Chambers of Laguna Beach.
“NO ON PETER BLAKE, YES ON RETURN TO CIVILITY”
Of course Blake has banners all over . The one high up on Hotel Laguna is fitting payback for the many favors the troika of Blake Kempf and Whalen lead by CM Dupuis have given Mo who now is tying to keep his team on the city council intact as he has big plans for Laguna. Mo knows that without a subservient majority on the city council has projects will have to follow the same rules that the rests of do
Claude, apologies that my ‘unsightly’ banners have triggered your artistic sensitivities. I’ll be sure to get your approval next time. You are the arbiter of good taste as we all know.
Thanks for your mental assessment as well. You’re wearing many hats these days arent you?
For the record, I am abrasive to activists who attempt to derail my constituent’s quality of life. I am rude to at least two Village Laguna-backed Council members. They deserve it! I am unapologetic for any of my derisive comments and there will be plenty more in the next four years.
Sorry to break the bad news to you but the silent majority in our community know what it takes to get the job done and pay no attention to people like yourself who disagree with my vision for the future. They’ll gladly trade in civility, courtesy, and politeness for law and order, property rights, and a world-class dining and retail experience.
Claude, lucky for you there are 6 other candidates you can vote for, and lucky for me, I won’t be needing your vote on November 8th.
Peter, you don’t know me from a bar of soap. I, nor anyone else needs a PHD in psychology to determine a “mental assessment” of You however. Your own words and behavior speak volumes without value judgement from me.
I do nonetheless, beg to differ as to whether the voters of Laguna Beach would “gladly trade in civility, courtesy and politeness for a world-class dining and retail experience”. I think not, Peter. Laguna Beach has and will once again be Civil, Courteous, and Polite once you are no longer a part of the political landscape.
You are correct in one sentence of your retort, I am “lucky” that there are 6 other candidates I can vote for. Any one of which would be a categorical improvement to the existing City Council of Laguna Beach over You. Don’t let the door hit you when you exit the Council Chambers for the last time. It will be a breath of FRESH AIR for all citizens once you are ousted.