BARBARA DIAMOND
It was civil war, not civility that reigned this year in Laguna
Beach.
A good example: The California Coastal Commission hearing on the
proposed relocation of the city maintenance yard. Choosing which side
of the meeting room to sit on was like deciding which side of the
aisle to sit at a Hatfield/McCoy wedding.
The divide in the city culminated in a vitriolic election that
poisoned personal, professional and official relationships.
Critics of "negative campaigns" were every bit as negative as the
hit pieces they decried. Whether we agree or not, the Constitution
guarantees the right to be head.
Not all the news was bad. Laguna continues to show its heart. If
there is a need, there is an organization here ready to take up the
cudgels.
Here is a glimpse of the year in review, gleaned from the pages of
the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot.
JANUARY
Jan. 2: Roger von Butow announced the formation of Laguna Canyon
Creek. Councilman Wayne Baglin said he hoped the group could forge a
partnership between nonprofit organizations and the city. The city
was looking for funds to pay for the restoration of the creek between
El Toro Road and the Bark Park.
* Laguna Beach High School basketball teams finally were able to
play reality home games. Dugger Gymnasium, which had been closed six
months for renovations, reopened.
* Laguna High school senior Jake Wheeler was named to the
All-California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Division
IX football team. He started on both sides of the ball for the
Breakers in the 2003 season and led the team in receptions.
Jan. 9: The City Council gave Montage Resort and Spa 60 days to
resolve its over-flow parking problem, preferably in its own
backyard. "I am not saying we are encouraging you to get everything
on-site, I am saying we are requiring you to get everything on-site,"
Councilman Wayne Baglin said. The resort had been parking its
employees on two parcels across Coast Highway, both leased from the
Esslinger Trust. A provision of the coastal development permit
allowed off-site parking, but required the resort to own the ground,
not just lease it and it must be within 300 feet of the main
property..
* Suzanne Morrison, Eve Plumb and David Michel were reappointed to
the Design Review Board.
* The City Council denied an application to put in a Subway
sandwich shop on Broadway -- for lack of on-site parking.
Jan. 16: City officials were getting edgy about the effects of the
