Why do we choose Laguna Beach as our home? Why not Newport Beach, Dana Point or San Juan Capistrano?
For me, Laguna’s perfect combination of natural beauty, historic charm, resident-first focus and its small scale, walkable downtown were the key. Yes, it does get really busy for three months during the year and getting around is tough, as is dealing with over six million visitors who come to enjoy our beautiful beaches, our walkable and charming neighborhoods, fine restaurants and many coffee houses. But, for most of the year, we get to enjoy the village with easy parking, manageable traffic and beautiful parks and beaches. Laguna is perfect! We are so lucky to live here.
Now, a newly established group wants to change all that. They have registered as a Political Action Committee called Liberate Laguna to support two candidates for the City Council, Peter Blake and Sue Kempf. This PAC is funded by a small circle of real estate developers, investors and consultants. They all seem to be focused on relaxing the guidelines and regulations Laguna Beach has in place to manage the process for review and approval of real estate projects. It only takes three votes on the council to make these changes. Electing Blake and Kempf is their first step in the radical transformation of our village.
Think about this: should we turn over the keys to Laguna Beach to a small group who only want to “liberate” us from our historic heritage? “Liberate” us from the precious village atmosphere that took a century and the efforts of so many to create?
To me, this feels more like a hostile takeover attempt than a liberation. The only way we can protect the village environment so critical to our enjoyment of daily life from this threat is by voting for Toni Iseman and Ann Christoph for City Council. Otherwise, it will only take a few months to undo 100 years of work.
Armando Baez, Laguna Beach
VL has over regilatef our town the perfect example the restaurant and bar at Hotel Joaquin that is only for hotel guests, residents of Laguna cannot dine or drink because of over regulation. They put the visitors first and punished the hotel neighbors. Not to mention all the vacancies compared to CDM, how long has the movie theater been closed? We are in a booming economy there should be no empty hotels and storefronts.
The truth is VL are hypocrites the structures they call historic treasures would never been built under their control. The iconic lifeguard tower was built for a Union Oil gas station they wouldn’t allow it now. Hotel Laguna wouldn’t have the great Spanish bell dome, no it would be another flat building without a roof deck.