Editor,
Closing Forest and Ocean Avenues to generate business and increase pedestrian use and enjoyment of these two streets was a hot topic. I was shocked at the idea to relocate farmer’s market to Ocean Avenue. The current location is ideal for families (children can wander around), convenient for shoppers and vendors have easy access to set up/tear down their booths without inflicting damage to the street and traffic flow on Saturday mornings.
Two sitting areas on Forest Avenue would benefit whom? Who would tell people (elderly, family, person with disabilities) sitting in these areas to move if they were not patrons of the two designated restaurants? We have so few clean pubic seating areas. Who is going to pay for the construction, cleaning set up and disassembling and storing of these temporary seating platforms while we are “testing them during September and October.” If it is taxpayer’s money, do we get a refund if we don’t like it? Will they put things back in place and who gets to keep the temporary seating platforms? Laguna is already known as an outdoor city.
The examples of what MIG proposed showed sites with two way traffic plus parking. Forest Ave is a one-way street with limited parking. Who wants to sit next to a car with fumes, or having people stare you down while you are eating?
Next year is an election year for two city council members. Was there anything political behind this decision to vote against the many people who were there last night, those who were at home watching the debate, or those who signed the petition by the owners of Rock Martin requesting that the whole project be stopped in its track? Let’s not waste tax dollars. Please continue to make your voice heard. Or, boycott the area in September and October.
Whose idea was this anyway?
Ganka Brown, Laguna Beach
