Parking Structure

Laguna Art Museum Director Bolton Colburn effectively shelved an ambitious proposed building plan at the Village Entrance site near City Hall during the museum's annual membership meeting Tuesday. He and other officials also spoke of the museum's various ups and downs over the past several years. After sharing the museum's goal to establish itself as the premier American museum with a focus on California art, Colburn said that the primary requirement for that goal was "building."

Laguna Presbyterian Church officials will ask the city to approve a master plan for the repair and restoration of the buildings and campus and add the sanctuary to the Historical Register. The five-phase project for the 85-year-old church in downtown Laguna Beach could take 20 years to complete and cost an estimated $15-to-$20 million, depending on whether enough additional property can be purchased on Third Street to build a parking structure. The Planning Commission has been asked to hold a rare concept review in mid-October with a request for the conditional-use permit to follow within two months.

Laguna Art Museum extends its thanks to those attending our open house on April 25. Good questions, comments, and suggestions were heard regarding our proposed move to the Civic Arts District. We were pleased with the turnout and how many there were open minded and interested in learning more. Soon we will have another open house. Our proposal then will be more easily visualized with the benefit of detailed drawings, in the works. This letter in the interim hopefully helps to clarify what we are trying to achieve.

The Government Affairs Council of the Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce recently reviewed the proposal for the Environmental Impact Report for the Village Entrance Project. After consideration of the city's proposal for this area and the information provided by the Laguna Art Museum regarding its proposal to relocate the museum to the site at no cost to taxpayers, the group prepared a policy statement. The statement reads: "The Government Affairs Council (GAC) of the Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce is strongly in support of a project to include a 580-space public parking structure in the Village Entrance Project.

More information about a proposal to move the Laguna Art Museum to the Village Entrance was revealed Monday, but architectural plans were not unveiled as expected. An audience of about 75 community members had to settle for a verbal description of the controversial proposal, which includes the construction of 34 townhouses on top of a redesigned public parking structure. "I am going to tell you up front that you are going to be disappointed," museum director Bolton Colburn said.

An ambitious new proposal unveiled Tuesday calls for the Laguna Art Museum to relocate from Coast Highway to a site at the Village Entrance now earmarked for a public parking structure. The museum would be built under private housing to finance the move. "The museum board of directors met [Monday] and unanimously voted to move forward with these plans," former Councilman Paul Freeman, the museum's point man for the proposal, told the City Council. Freeman broadly outlined a proposal for the council and public that included a 450-seat, multi-use amphitheater for public use, the relocation of the museum and the construction of 34 townhouses on top of the 670-space city parking structure, to be financed by the sale of the residences.

A new Village Entrance in downtown Laguna Beach has moved closer to reality with the awarding of a contract for the relocation of a key city facility. Metro Builders won the contract to move the city maintenance yard from Forest Avenue to the Act V parcel at 1900 Laguna Canyon Road. A unanimous City Council Tuesday awarded the contract to Metro, whose bid was the lowest by more than $1 million. The $8.5 million bid covers the construction costs for the relocated city yard and a public parking structure on the Forest Avenue site.

Spring is just around the corner and it seems that many areas of the city are in a blossoming mode. Optimism about the future comes from several quarters, including the fact that the city will no longer be on the hook for the millions of dollars it will take to repair and restore Bluebird Canyon. Plans are moving forward for a new Village Entrance where Laguna Canyon Road meets Forest Avenue, which has been in the planning stages for more years than many want to remember. A real Civic Arts District is also moving forward, and with the relocation of the city-maintenance yard to a parcel farther up the canyon, the way is paved for expansion of the district to include the Laguna College of Art & Design ?

Downtown parking structure a cure-all Yes, yes, yes, a parking structure downtown would not only provide parking where people want to park, but also eliminate a lot of our circulation problems because people would not have to drive around looking for a space. I believe a good-sized parking structure of about 600 spaces is possible to be built on the very underused block within Broadway, Ocean, Coast Highway and Beach Street. I know it's possible because I designed one five years ago. It would require the city of Laguna Beach to form a special district on the above-mentioned block for it to be built.

Barbara Diamond Mid-Laguna residents are hoping city officials will help them iron out a parking crunch in their area that has caused residents and businesses to compete for scarce parking spots. City officials met Jan. 25 with residents and business representatives to begin a collaborative effort to resolve residential street parking problems in the area between Thalia Street and Bluebird Canyon from South Coast Highway to Temple Terrace. Some in the business community believe a parking structure is the best way to resolve the issues.