By Elizabeth Pearson
After seeing so many complaints on Facebook and Nextdoor about traffic, congestion and parking, especially coming off of Laguna Canyon Road, I wanted to share some facts based on data that the community might want to know.
In 2005, I was hired as a subcontractor to the city of Irvine’s public relations firm to conduct outreach on the ideas being considered for the Great Park (located in the area to the north of Laguna Canyon Road). Part of that research required me to conduct many focus groups throughout the county, including veterans groups, arts groups, business groups, sports groups and more.
I then organized an all-day community event with break-out sessions that anyone in Orange County could attend. This was advertised widely.
During my time on this project, I learned that thousands of homes would be built in the Great Park.
As I had been working for nearly 10 years (both as a Planning Commissioner and City Councilmember) to push forward a parking garage at the Village Entrance with a multi-level garage and park in front. Once I learned of the number of homes that would be built, I realized that the new homeowners would likely go to their closest beach for their summer fun: Laguna. My fervor for the Village entrance and garage (that would have given us a net gain of 10% more parking (including the surface parking). The cost would have been covered by the $6 million we had in the parking fund and parking meter revenues would have paid for a bond to build the project.
The naysayers, led by Village Laguna and Toni Iseman, started a community campaign that said something like “Don’t Pave Over Paradise.” After much negativity in the community, I gave up, believing that the timing wasn’t right, even though I’d warned the community of the increase of homes being built near Laguna Canyon Road. We stopped the project even though the plans had been done, the cost estimate, funding and EIR approved, and the project voted on by council. That was in 2013.
Just prior to that time, my friend, former Mayor Paul Freeman, pushed the city manager and council to go to Five Points to demand remediation for the anticipated negative impact to Laguna of their projects. City Manager John Pietig negotiated that demand request, and the city received $6 million.
At my urging, in early 2014, my co-chair of financing for the Village Entrance (Bob Whalen) and I met with the City Manager to discuss a possible purchase of the “Christmas Tree Lot” adjacent to the proposed Village Entrance site. He agreed, and we persuaded the City Council to approve it. The cost was $6 million. It was my belief that if we ever built a Village Entrance garage with surface parking, this lot would be invaluable. In the meantime, it could be used for additional surface parking.
Five Points was entitled to build 10,566 homes at the Great Park. They are built. Others have built 14,387 housing units (including apartments) at the Great Park. The Irvine Company has built thousands of apartments/condos/homes at the Irvine Spectrum near the 133 and they’ll be adding 1,100 more apartment units in/near the Irvine Spectrum near the 133.
I ask you, fellow Lagunatics: Where do you think they are going to the beach, and how are they/will they get there?
Elizabeth served the city for 18 years: 12 years as a City Councilmember, three terms as Mayor, and six years as a Planning Commissioner. Today, she is CEO of Laguna ADU, which helps seniors and others create second living units on their properties.
Ah yes, that old saw: “I remember everything even if it never happened” comes to mind…..
Four years ago (July 2, 2020) I wrote a retrospective LTE that the Indy published, and the titles of numerous columns (6?) which I wrote circa 2010 in another online were published in that letter.
https://www.lagunabeachindy.com/letter-village-entrance-parking-structure-deja-vu-all-over-again/
Ms. Pearson’s recollections aren’t congruent with reality: I unpacked then deconstructed the EIR as a land use analyst for that Village Entrance Parking Structure (VEPS) around 14 years ago. She was furious with me and told me so.
If she doesn’t remember my independent role, what else has she forgotten?
The EIR was one of THE most conflicted, biased and poorly written enviro-review docs I’d ever read.
Included in my columns was the mention of LET LAGUNA VOTE working group—–and isn’t the fact that 14 years later a standing majority of our Council fight tooth, fang and claw to keep residents from voting ironic?
So add “The more things change, the more they’re the same” cliché.
My pro bono critiques were then adopted and used city-wide, I had no proprietary issues with that—–and before anyone asks or alleges, I feel like I’m having a Joe McCarthy moment: I am not now, nor have ever been, a member or associate of the Village Laguna Party. Nor LLV, I don’t join revolutions: I start them.
Actually, I’ve been quite critical of VL, I thought they were closing in on irrelevancy in 2010 and said so.
The (then) CM John Pietig, after I bombarded he and City staff/officials with legitimate deficiencies of the VEPS, a veritable arm’s length laundry list that wouldn’t withstand legal challenges, it was withdrawn.
I thought that I’d killed it but, yes, 10 years later (2020) it returned, and now like a vampire, it has reared its undying, persistent head again judging by this column.
Readers can read my laundry list, but I would add something I noted but didn’t emphasize in 2010: AESTHETICS, which is one of a CEQA Initial Study Checklist Items: The sheer ugliness, of the Village Entrance featuring a 3 story above ground, 1 subterranean parking structure wrapped around the base of the hill doesn’t signal “Welcome, ” or “Inviting,” does it?
Well, if you’re a fully urbanized, concrete or asphalt-loving inlander, like the SPECTRUM or SOUTH COAST PLAZA lots, think they’re gorgeous—but wake up and smell the coffee: This is Laguna not Irvine.
My analyses, 14 years ago, though not as technical as the “today me” would like them to be, are even more pertinent regarding perspective.
These retreads are just that: An attempt to provide a solution that’s a lot like pigeons: Think of parking stalls as bird seed. Keep building them and you’ll just wind up with more pigeons.
At this stage of being run over by the hordes, disincentives not incentives should be pursued.
Since we’re now like a Disneyland-type annex, peripheral parking and circulation strategies.
To do otherwise is to bring them in closer to residents, into already over-crowded streets.
OK, cue up:
My Back Pages: “I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now.” Bob Dylan
Correction:
The 6 columns were published around 2013 or so, NOT 2010.
And I should acknowledge assistance from engineer friends of mine: Les Miklosy, Vic Opincar and Gary Alstot (both now deceased) plus Scott Tenney (he of Bluebird Farms).
It was a bad idea then, it’d be a bad idea now.
The surface/subsurface hydrology and hydrogeological issues, coupled with the seismic risks alone convinced me after soliciting their help.
Many “purloined,” aka “borrowed” my bullet points in my formal CEQA input without attribution—-sincerest form of flattery, the idea was to stop it, if not here then at Cal Coastal Commission or Superior Court.
Person godmothered Whalen up to City Council from Planning Commission due to his bond portfolio. If possible, basically bond via a LBCC agenda bill without a public vote—taxation without representation.
Being a guitar player and lead vocalist years before in a band, my theme song while writing columns and letters over the years (as it never seems to die, never goes away):
“They stab it with their steely knives but they just can’t kill the beast.” HOTEL CALIFORNIA
Confused, sooo $6million was given and $6million was spent, the houses were built (wonder if any vote by residents was done on the city expendure) and here we are. Is this a plea by Ms. Pearson to build another huge building in Laguna for parking, assuming that is the point, gee, just what I moved away from, concrete all over the place, traffic nightmare, too many people flowing into this town..more parking, more people..It’s a travesty what has happened to this town.
Does anybody reading this believe Laguna Beach can build parking structures faster than Orange County can build homes for beach day-trippers? Why should Laguna Residents be tasked to manage visitor’s automobiles and pay for their visitation too? Laguna Beach MUST examine their 1950 mobility policy and adopt the new one for 2030: Complete Streets Policy.
So this is no surpise to anyone. Just plain development feeds our economy. So why diss them? Sell to them! If 10,000 more visitors are here to buy per weekend, that would be hundreds of thousands in sales. Get smart Laguna. Wake up and smell the roses. Quit whining about NIMBY issues.