We would like to thank Daniel Langhorne for bringing attention to the graffiti and tagging recently at Top of the World. It is good to know that more park rangers will be available to patrol the area, hopefully even after dark when the traffic in this area has increased dramatically.
We have lived across from the Alta Laguna Park since 1978 (before there even was a park) and agree with the park ranger’s assessment in this week’s StuNews that there are (at least) four times more visitors to the parks lately. With that, of course, comes four times more traffic, trash, noise, partying, drag racing, fireworks, vandalism and graffiti.
Weekends are particularly problematic. The parks and trailheads are not regularly locked at dusk (as posted), heavy throngs of people are still present way past closing time, and parking for residents is virtually impossible. (Perhaps residential permits and parking meters in the parking lot could help alleviate some of these issues and they would pay for themselves very quickly.)
We’ve witnessed campers exiting hiking trails in the mornings with pillows and sleeping bags, portable toilets knocked over and spilled, an actual toilet dumped in the park, and even people knocking on our door after dark asking to use our bathroom.
The city and social media have advertised these locations as “must sees” in Laguna Beach, turning this residential community into a popular tourist destination. Yet it is not treated as such. Four times more visitors require four times more police patrol at night, cameras and weekend security guards as with any other tourist destination in the city.
This has become a very sad situation. Hopefully with more awareness put out there in your articles we will see a little more respect and attention given to the area and its residents. Thank you so much for publishing the article.
Susy and Ray Fontana, Laguna Beach
