I’m proud of my hometown of Laguna Beach – hands down, the most beautiful city in Orange County and one of the best coastal destinations in all of California. But if we’re being honest, we’d admit that many commercial buildings have gotten long in the tooth and are showing their age. It’s not unusual to see stores, restaurants and hotels that are 30, 40, 50 years old and in serious need of sprucing up if we’re going to stay a step ahead of other communities.
Allowing business owners to renovate and improve their property shouldn’t be a controversial issue, but this election season somehow it is. Measure Q and Measure R on the Nov. 8 ballot would create unconscionable obstacles and red tape for anyone looking to make an investment in their property. After all the hassle of getting a project through the Planning Commission, and then the City Council, and possibly the Coastal Commission, why would we add yet another layer of expense, delay and bureaucracy? These two initiatives would force our merchants to abandon any hope of updating their aging properties, unless they’re bankrolled by a large corporation. I’d hate to see what that does to downtown. Laguna, let’s come to our senses and vote against these two misguided initiatives.
Candice Henderson, Laguna Beach
