Parking Spaces

WHAT HAPPENED: The council denied an appeal by the Driftwood Estates developers seeking a waiver for an indirect access variance. WHAT IT MEANS: The council upheld the the Planning Commission's ruling. WHAT HAPPENED: The council authorized negotiation for the purchase of property for a public parking facility. WHAT IT MEANS: The city seeks to develop the property for a public parking facility. WHAT HAPPENED: The council approved an investigation of a possible parking partnership at Neighborhood Congregational Church.

WHAT HAPPENED: The council approved an ordinance that adopts the 2001 edition of the California Building Code and related codes. WHAT IT MEANS: The city's Building and Construction code will be compliant with the 2001 editions of the California Building, Plumbing and Electrical Codes; the 1997 Uniform Administrative Code; the 1997 Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub code; the 1997 uniform Security Code; ...

1. I will preserve the essence of Laguna Beach and make certain all changes fit us. 2. I will work to make certain our infrastructure is maintained and replaced when necessary; ease our congestion and create more parking spaces by moving ahead on the Village Entrance; create more parking in South and North Laguna; require that each month a financial report be made at the council meetings; protect our environment; keep...

Andrew Edwards Downtown Laguna Beach has much to offer -- stylish boutiques, fine dining and more within a stone's throw from the beach. But before people can have fun, they have to find a place to park. Parking can be scarce, and one lot formerly open to all is now restricted. Parking meters previously operated by the city near the post office have been removed and the parking spaces have been allocated to the post office and Levin and O'Connner, LLP, a law firm.

There has been a remarkable series of breakthroughs this month toward a solution and compromise concerning the future of the Corporate Yard and Act V. That news alone should bring cheers enough to last a while. But even better than that are the details and the desire to bridge disagreements evident at a community workshop on the issue. Councilwoman Tony Iseman, who in the days before the workshop said the move would keep the city from solving its biggest problem -- parking -- said after the meeting: "We broke the log jam that had been causing the problems for years."

Three candidates are vying for two seats on the Laguna Beach City Council. The Coastline Pilot talked to Wayne Baglin, Jane Egly and Cheryl Kinsman about who they are, and asked questions about the city and what they would bring to the job. The candidates answered the following questions: 1) What will you bring to the council, if elected? Why should I vote for you? 2) What are the goals you have for the next four years? 3) What is your priority: improved circulation or improved parking, and how does that relate to the proposed construction of about 900 parking spaces in the Downtown?

The city will begin within two weeks to crack down on downtown employees who continue to park their cars in metered spaces and move them every three hours, which is illegal. The Chamber of Commerce is mailing about 3,000 brochures that map the location of city parking lots, and provide the hourly, daily and monthly rates. City staff hand-delivered the brochures to downtown businesses, whose employees will no longer have an excuse to play musical parking spaces, according to City Manager Ken Frank, and will be penalized if they do. “Within the next two weeks, we are going to flood the downtown with parking personnel and just wait for them to park and then move their cars,” Frank said.

New Laguna Beach Unified School District Superintendent Bob Fraisse had his knuckles rapped recently at a strained Design Review Board hearing in which board members blamed the district for the area's parking problems. The district was proposing a 1,000-square-foot addition to its main offices on Blumont Street near Laguna Beach High School. Four parking spaces which are slated to be removed due to safety concerns became a bone of contention. "One thing that I'm going to speak to you about is being a good neighbor, and the congestion and the parking in this area is not a result of your neighbors; it's a result of you," board member John Keith said during the meeting.

It seems very odd that as a response to the traffic congestion in Downtown Laguna, many advocate more parking. It doesn't follow that more places for people to park will lead to less crowding on the roads. No matter how much parking you add in Laguna there will likely never be enough to provide for everyone who wants a space during the summer. City manager Ken Frank says the added parking Downtown will likely ease parking in residential areas.

Bluebird Canyon residents are at odds again — this time about whether to ax some parking spaces, not trees. The City Council voted at the April 3 meeting for the restoration of six parking spaces on Bluebird Canyon Drive, with thanks from some neighbors and no thanks from others. "This has pitted neighbor against neighbor," said Morningside Drive resident Mary Fegraus. Fegraus said the proposal, which kept parking on narrow, curvy Bluebird to a minimum, forced residents there to find new places to park.

The Laguna Beach City Council gave up four parking spaces to save some trees that are in the way of an approved sidewalk on the east side of Laguna Canyon Frontage Road, still keeping the road wide enough to be safe. Neighbors of Frontage Road objected to a recommendation by the Planning Commission and city staff to remove the trees in order to make room for an American Disabilities Act-compliant, 200-foot-long sidewalk south of Woodland Drive and adequate street width for the passage of emergency vehicles.

Bluebird Canyon residents are at odds again — this time about whether to ax some parking spaces, not trees. The City Council voted at the April 3 meeting for the restoration of six parking spaces on Bluebird Canyon Drive, with thanks from some neighbors and no thanks from others. "This has pitted neighbor against neighbor," said Morningside Drive resident Mary Fegraus. Fegraus said the proposal, which kept parking on narrow, curvy Bluebird to a minimum, forced residents there to find new places to park.

Applications accepted for Citizen Academy The Laguna Beach Police Department is now accepting applications for its Citizen Academy. The academy is a 12-week course that will provide its members with a better understanding of the Police Department and help with communication between police and Laguna Beach residents. The class begins Feb. 9 and will meet from 6 to 9:30 p.m. every Thursday for 12 weeks. The 13th week will be graduation. Applications will be accepted until Jan. 23. Academy instruction includes: history of the Police Department, DUI investigations, traffic enforcement, crime prevention, neighborhood watch, volunteer programs and more.

Santa Claus is coming to town for Hospitality Night, but he won't be lighting the pepper tree in front of City Hall. The city moved Santa's traditional drop-off spot to the corner of Forest Avenue and Glenneyre Street in order to manage the traffic expected for Friday night's football game, a league semifinal between Laguna Beach and Corona del Mar high schools. Temporary seating has been added at the high school's athletic field to accommodate the expected crowd. "We are very excited to have both of these wonderful events in Laguna Beach on Friday, and the city is taking every measure to provide more parking and better circulation," said Community Services Director Susan Cannan.

S o interesting to read your article in the paper [From Canyon To Cove, "Going over the line with Laguna parking," May 28]. I am a "local," having lived in Laguna since 1969. I have a local parking sticker on my car that clearly indicates I live in town. At Christmas I was visiting my eye doctor and parked in the same [Glenneyre Street] structure. I, too, received a ticket for parking over the line. The parking structure was quite vacant. So it wasn't as if I had taken up too many parking spaces.

Crosswalk safety campaign launched Drivers are being warned that the Police Department plans to conduct “proactive” crosswalk enforcement campaigns to improve pedestrian safety during late July and August. “The department has conducted similar crosswalk enforcement details in the past and unfortunately only raised awareness by the large number of motorists who were stopped,” Sgt. Robert Rahaeuser said. “Far too many serious injury accidents occur each year from motorists failing to see, and stop for, pedestrians in the crosswalks.

More was promised. Here it is, culled from the pages of the Coastline Pilot. July 4: Heisler Park was reopened with a ribbon cutting and public picnic. Hot dog! The annual fireworks display celebrated the birth of the nation, but it also heralded the opening of the 2008 Festival Season. July 11: Councilwoman Toni Iseman suggested adding another level to the Glenneyre Street Parking Structure. The council voted unanimously to re-up Police Officer Jason Farris’s duty as outreach to the homeless for at least another year.

The city will begin within two weeks to crack down on downtown employees who continue to park their cars in metered spaces and move them every three hours, which is illegal. The Chamber of Commerce is mailing about 3,000 brochures that map the location of city parking lots, and provide the hourly, daily and monthly rates. City staff hand-delivered the brochures to downtown businesses, whose employees will no longer have an excuse to play musical parking spaces, according to City Manager Ken Frank, and will be penalized if they do. “Within the next two weeks, we are going to flood the downtown with parking personnel and just wait for them to park and then move their cars,” Frank said.

Parks officials are a little embarrassed by the figures they released last week projecting 100,000 additional weekend visitors to Crystal Cove State Park in 2010, when the new El Moro Campground will open. Oops, that figure should have been described as an annual one, Crystal Cove State Park Supt. Ken Kramer now says. The press statement was written in Sacramento, and something got lost in the translation to Orange County, apparently. The official projected weekend number of additional tourists to the area from the new overnight campground is now down to 2,000.

Laguna Beach is looking at adding more parking downtown. Councilwoman Toni Iseman was deserted by her usual supporters Tuesday when she endorsed a proposal to study the feasibility of tacking another story onto the Glenneyre Street Parking Structure. The council voted 4-1 to appropriate $40,000 to fund a conceptual plan and a rough estimate of the cost to add the third story, despite a barrage of opposition. The item was placed on the agenda by City Manager Ken Frank without a mention of Iseman.