Measure Q is defeated. Just over 60 percent of Laguna Beach residents put their trust in elected city council representatives to serve their best interests. Fortunately, for those nearly 40 percent of residents who wanted to have a say in major development, we appear to have elected the right council members to enforce their assurance that a No on Q will better serve residents in accelerating the interests of small business owners over those of large developers.
These new councilmembers have assured us that was their goal and that it’s only with their leadership that small businesses will prevail over large developments and be able to exist and prosper here. I imagine that given the continuing rise of rents, Council may have to partner with those small businesses or temporarily subsidize them in order to allow the smaller cafes, delis, repair shops and other service stores to maintain a space alongside the multiverse of restaurants and hotels more representative of a town geared to tourists.
I would like to see us get back our lost laundromat, which will be especially invaluable to the lower-income housing residents Laguna Beach is committing to. And hopefully residents’ input on all large projects, including installing parking meters and expanded sidewalks (i.e. contracted highway) on South Coast Highway, will not only still be solicited but also take prominence in Council’s ultimate decisions.
Sheran James, Laguna Beach
