The rubber-stamped, fast-tracked Pottery Shack Shopping Center
once again came before the Laguna Beach Planning Commission. To no
one's surprise, even though admittedly 8 1/2 % bigger at the second
hearing and growing by the minute, it was unanimously and
enthusiastically endorsed by this body. And so what if the most
contentious part, that ever-expanding proposed restaurant
occupancy/square footage grew by 25%? The projected occupancy is up
from 87 to 113 for this section of the renovation alone. Oh, and by
the way, they want approval to expand the food and alcohol court
hours from 7 a.m. to midnight. This microcosm proves the expanding
universe theory as posited by theoretical physicists.
None of the commissioners live within the ground zero perimeter of
this site We also look forward to the restaurant patrons getting
tipsy, then urinating or barfing in our yards after yelling us awake
at midnight. The ruse of tramming or encouraging car-pooling and
bicycle riders on a multi-use, randomly scheduled hodgepodge of
businesses is hysterical.
The California Environmental Quality Act mandates that if the
negative impacts, either individually or cumulatively, cannot be
mitigated then a full-blown Environmental Impact Report must be
drafted. The report requires more general, accumulative
consideration, mandates in-depth analysis of a broad spectrum of
issues and allows for more weighted response regarding input by
affected parties. It is paid for by the applicant, not the taxpayers.
It is also a tacit admission that there are serious problems and
concerns which demand addressing and will not disappear by a waiver.
Almost 500 Laguna Beach residents signed a petition circulated by
the Village Flatlanders Neighborhood Assn. demanding that the quality
act document be drafted by the lead agency, the city of Laguna Beach.
It has been presented and referred to continually at public hearings.
Its existence has never been acknowledged by either the commission or
council. It's as if the people most impacted don't matter, that a
wealthy developer's investments are more important.
The Pottery Shack is just the tip of the ongoing environmental
quality act violation by this city, other municipalities and the
county. The environmental quality act forbids "sequential proposals,"
sometimes known as "piece-mealing." By breaking large-scale
development or redevelopment into small pieces the lead agencies use
the less demanding "negative declaration" format, insisting that
there are no significant impacts or that if there are they can be
neutralized via trade-offs. If you live within two blocks of Coast
Highway, you've got one there already or coming, conveniently close
to you thanks to your "cashmere and silk, business friendly" City
Council and Chamber of Commerce. It's no longer a locally sensitive,
funky beach community. Color Laguna an out-of-control,
air-conditioned urban nightmare: Paint it black, the hue of mourning.
ROGER VON BUTOW
Environmental Officer Village
Flatlanders Neighborhood Assn.
Laguna Beach
* The Coastline Pilot is eager to run your letters. If you would
like to submit a letter, write to us at P.O. Box 248, Laguna Beach,
CA 92652; fax us at (949) 494-8979; or send e-mail to
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