I cannot support the Village Laguna petition against the Neighborhood Congregational Church affordable housing project. And here is why.
No affordable housing has been approved in Laguna Beach for almost 25 years. The last affordable project was “Alice Court” on 450 Glenneyre. All the same fears of crime, congestion, parking, building mass were cited by opponents of that project. The project was approved and built, and none of those fears materialized. Related Companies (the same developer as the NCC site) built it and did a great job. It is well managed. The project provided 27 units of much-needed “workforce housing.” I know this to be true. I was the architect. I bet many of you didn’t even know it was “affordable housing?”
This NCC project is not “homeless housing” contrary to the fear-mongering currently being perpetuated by Village Laguna. It is “workforce housing.” Housing for the first responders, teachers, waiters, cashiers, store clerks and service workers in town. The people that wait on you at your restaurants. The bank teller you talk to when you go to the bank. The clerk at your local pharmacy. The new teacher just getting started at the local school. The local artist. We need these people to live in our town. Providing workforce housing accomplishes this. They may not have six figure incomes, but they are still vital part of our community.
SB4 is a California state law that allows affordable housing to be built on church sites “by right.” That means without local governmental approval. It was a necessary law that prevented local jurisdictions from blocking much-needed affordable housing from being built on sites owned by charitable church organizations. Like it or not, Laguna Beach has no legal recourse here to stop this project from being built. It’s a fact. State law prohibits any local jurisdiction from blocking it. If LB tries to stop it, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and the State Attorney General will file a lawsuit against the city quickly, and the city will surely lose. It will cost the city dearly.
Supporting this project is simply the “Right thing to do.” Before signing this petition, ask yourself these questions. Can my children afford to live in Laguna Beach without my financial assistance? Do I want local artists to actually live in Laguna Beach? Shouldn’t I welcome working-class people in Laguna Beach? What are the real socio-economic ramifications if I exclude them from our town?
I am not the architect for this NCC project. I have no vested interest in this project other than my conscience to do the right thing and support it.
Eric Zuziak, Laguna Beach
Mr. Zuziak, apparently you must have forgotten what a difference there was in the number of cars and visitors 25 years ago compared to now. Village Laguna, I believe, is not against low cost housing. They are against the mass and scale of the project as are nearly all of the homeowners surrounding the property. With current traffic congestion problems even a 27 unit project would have a much higher negative impact than the project built 25 years ago. Village Laguna as well as the neighbors whose property values could decrease by hundreds of thousands of dollars are, I believe, saying that the project should be the scale and size compatible with its location. Although I am a member of VL I am expressing my personal opinion.
Everyone is rushing to implement a mandate from the state, right? just how successful have these mandates been? Why do we continue to comply with things that are not working or working towards what? 28 Billion of your tax money has gone for homeless and we have more homeless and no one knows where the $$ went? no accountability by your governor? So we will take down a historic building in town that cannot handle this kind of traffic and mass and destroy residents that have invested in the community on their property values that sounds really intelligent, right? We now have a non working state that the nation uses as a model of dysfunction and certainly not the American way. well, at least the contractor will get rich and the community will lose. People wake up! Compassion oh yes, America should have no one on the street and all because of the present administration which actually has gone awol created all this and yet people are still following these absurd mandates and it is not even for the homeless, it is so people can have equity the same as you that have worked all your lives to live here. There are so many appropriate ways to handle this other then the workers in society to buy everyone a home. It is illogical and unsubstainable to think we can continue on a non working situation. No one is lacking in compassion and wanting the best but to continue on a road that will not help in this way is the pathway of ending America. There are so many SMART ways that will work without taking both sides down. THINK about it, We currently don’t even have a President, we are looking at Nuclear war currently, everything is a mess and yet, not for the homeless but for those that make $100,000/yr and the Church wants their $$$..This is crazy!
Word in Sacramento is that the newly passed California Dream for All Program targets smaller under-served cities, and Laguna Beach is one named on the list that will be mandated. Finally a soluation for low cost affordable housing for minorities.