The “Initiative” may be well-intended. Too often personal aspersions are hurled against those with opposing views. I choose to believe that well-meaning persons think that this initiative is a good idea. But, I do not.
First, let’s be clear, it is very difficult to get any project approved by the City of Laguna Beach. It takes years just to get through Design Review when you already have an entitled property. Getting something re-zoned or a conditional use permit is a bit like water torture. The City employs a staff that makes complying with each code requirement fairly air-tight. The City Attorney already needs to deal with the possibility of a lawsuit to stop approved projects from moving forward by a cadre of very anti-development citizen groups. And, the City Council is not exactly pushing a pro-development agenda.
Creating a citizen vote on projects will be much more expensive for all of us. It will create a new area of practice for law firms. Laguna residents will pay the bill.
It is a bad precedent, too. Once passed, the Initiative could eventually be modified to make anything a homeowner wants to do subject to a vote. Every well-intentioned law seems to get more restrictive.
Should it pass, we will start to see political campaign-style ads for and against projects. It will, likely, pit neighbor against neighbor. And, where do citizens want to draw the line on what is subject to a vote? Perhaps, where the Public Works Department wants to put a stop sign? Where the Trolley stops? The Community Development Department employs people with decades of experience in urban planning. They are capable of requiring developers to adhere to the Zoning Codes. Change the Zoning Code if you don’t like the way things are. That’s a lot easier to do.
Lastly, this is going to make it less likely that our children will be able to afford to live here. The law of unintended consequences is ever present. Every layer of impediment to an otherwise fully approved project is money the City could spend on something that may be truly beneficial to the Community.
When I hear about other beach communities passing similar laws, I want to see what happens there. None of these laws have been on the books for long. Let’s see what their collective experiences are before we jump on board. Let them pay the legal bills for the challenges that will follow.
Tom Papa, Woods Cove
Is this you, Mr. Papa?
https://www.fountainheadrva.com/who-we-are
I’m comforted that if a Virginian lawyer/property developer is opposing the LRF Ballot Initiative, that it must really be in the best interests of non-developer LB residents. It’d be great if everyone with a business/financial interest in development and increased tourism was honest about this when commenting on the BI or other development/tourism topics.
Last week, Tom Papa made several comments regarding the Laguna Residents First ballot initiative which were so far off the mark, it seems apparent that he has never read the ballot initiative. Please allow me to correct this misinformation.
He claims it will have a chilling effect on anybody wanting to build anything in Laguna. Not the case. It only applies to major commercial developments in select areas – not to any single-family residence.
He believes that only elected officials and city committees should decide upon development matters. In that case, Laguna should be relying on Councilman Peter Blake and the other City Council members whose campaigns were largely funded by the pro-development PAC Liberate Laguna/Laguna Forwards. Making them far from unbiased decision-makers with residents’ interests top of mind.
Also worth noting – those officials have stacked the deck by selecting a pro-development-minded City Manager and other gung-ho pro-growth city officials – many without any real appropriate credentials or experience other than being the friend of a City Council member.
Four years is a very long time for City Council member terms. A hell of a lot of irreparable damage can be inflicted on a city while the wheels of democracy slowly turn. Which makes it imperative that residents vote very wisely next election – especially in regards to the Laguna Residents First ballot initiative – the only insurance policy that residents have to protect Laguna from rampant overdevelopment – including more tourists, more traffic and more bars. Just ask anyone who’s had to pass the in-your-face, view-blocking, architecturally incompatible, Dornin apartment monstrosity in Laguna Canyon.
Puddy, If he’s got the capital to invest why should you have any say in this? If you had any and had an education you might think about putting YOUR money where your mouth is and build what you want? Now it’s time you let the world spin freely and woke up and realize that the local-yokels who insist on having nothing ruined Laguna.
Ms O’Malley your understanding of the English language leaves a lot to be desired. The phrase “ local yokel” is hardly a term that applies to most Laguna Beach residents. Here are some loose synonyms (words that have similar meaning or connotation): hick, hillbilly, bumpkin. Clodhopper, hayseed, redneck, rube, yokel, backwoodsman, rustic, farmer. Get the idea? This society has laws and norms that protect all and not just the rich. But sometimes those that want to profit at the expense of our quality of life have inordinate influence on those we elect. Hence the need for the ballot initiative. Like you Mr. Papa has not read the initiative or maybe he does not like it. Could it be because there will be less room to convince a council to approve projects that do not meet current standards? Should the initiative be approved the city government, the developers and the residents will know exactly what the requirements are . If a project is put forth with a variance then we who are forever impacted should decide if the public benefit outweighs the negative effects of the variance. Currently the three vote majority of the city council can override virtually all building restrictions with respect to height parking, added traffic and other requirements. Also with a 3-2 vote the council can change virtually any part of the municipal code with a simple vote.
BTW you last sentence is grammatically incorrect. This is an observation from a “local” that did not speak a word of English until the age of eight.
Thank you, Ms. O’Malley, for sharing your mature, well-reasoned and articulate reply.