Mailbag

Everyday commerce is delayed, to say nothing of health and safety concerns. Under the present circumstances, we believe that emergency vehicles would be significantly impeded getting in our out of this neighborhood

We continue to be concerned about the surrounding environment and also understand that the city's inspector has already fined one or more of these developers for violations of erosion control mitigations.

These problems not unique to the Ceanothus development -- we have the same narrow streets, switchbacks and scarce parking all over this city. Along with the congestion, however, we need to address the number and timing of construction projects being done in our neighborhoods.

Construction activity has overwhelmed our neighborhood. There must be room for consideration of just how much one neighborhood can bear and Ceanothus is at its limit.

Only by viewing construction activity in the larger context of community or neighborhood, rather than lot-by-lot will we begin to really address and balance the right of residents to peace and quiet with the right of those who wish to build.

Right now there are two more projects in the Ceanothus area in the pipeline that would obstruct traffic in three locations along the one road in and out of this area.

This is a recipe for disaster and I hope the Design Review Board will help us avoid it.

In the meantime, I advocate that we take a good, hard look at the concept of "queing". As explained to me, this is a method of pacing construction within a given area. This would lessen congestion and perhaps mitigate some of the impacts many of us are feeling as a result of the four-lot Ceanothus development currently underway. Queing might also provide the city with something else it needs — a long-term common sense solution to development.

PAMELA MIDDLEBROOK

Laguna Beach