I urge Laguna residents to vote no on Measure Q for compelling public safety reasons.
Measure Q is a lengthy (18 pages single-spaced) poorly written initiative with serious flaws affecting public safety. First, it does not exclude public projects, including critical infrastructures like fire and police stations. Second, Q’s required vote for public (and private) projects is a majority of the “electorate” which Q does not define, but Webster’s defines as “people entitled to vote,” meaning all registered voters, not just the much smaller number who actually voted. Using the 2018 mid-terms, where 66.3 percent of the City’s registered voters voted, just a mere 16 percent “no” vote would kill a critical public safety project. (100 registered voters (the “electorate”), 51 vote majority to approve the project, 66 people actually vote – takes just 16 “no” votes to fall below the 50 percent majority).
This is not hypothetical. Fire Station 4 serving South Laguna is 75 years old, outmoded and inadequate to meet the community’s needs. Even worse, the old building is not seismically resilient and could be lost in an earthquake leaving South Laguna exposed. Replacing Fire Station 4 is one of Laguna’s most urgent public safety needs. Fortunately, the City has located and is acquiring ideal replacement property consisting of three parcels that must be merged into one. That merger subjects the project to Q’s public vote because it combines parcels exceeding 7,500 square feet.
Realizing this serious flaw, Laguna Residents First PAC posted an open letter to Fire Chief King in last week’s Indy, arguing, “the fact is, a simple lot line adjustment is all that is needed.” This claim is false.
Measure Q defines “Combining Lots” as the “merger of two or more parcels.” LRF argues their own initiative can easily be skirted (even by developers they vilify) by a lot line adjustment to create one parcel for Fire Station 4, instead of a merger. However, under California law, a lot line adjustment cannot reduce the number of parcels, but only add property from one parcel to another (Gov. Code §6412(d)), and Laguna’s zoning code prohibits parcels from being reduced in size (Section 25.25.008(A)).
Simply put, a parcel merger, not a lot line adjustment, is needed to develop the urgently needed Fire Station 4. Delaying and risking that project by requiring a supermajority vote is crazy. Please vote no on Q.
Tom Gibbs, Laguna Beach
 poorly written initiative with serious flaws affecting public safety. First, it does not exclude public projects, including critical infrastructures like fire and police stations. Second, Q's required vote for public (and private) projects is a majority of the "electorate" which Q does not define, but Webster's defines as "people entitled to vote," meaning all registered voters, not just the much smaller number who actually voted. Using the 2018 mid-terms, where 66.3 percent of the City's registered voters voted, just a mere 16 percent "no" vote would kill a critical public safety project. (100 registered voters (the "electorate"), 51 vote majority to approve the project, 66 people actually vote - takes just 16 "no" votes to fall below the 50 percent majority).){kind=link}