When Laguna Beach resident Bette Anderson’s husband Ken suffered a severe stroke in 2009, his convalescence involved months in nursing care in San Juan Capistrano and Laguna Woods as well as a stint at home requiring 24-hour help. For the months her husband, in his 80s, was in the nursing homes, Anderson made the daily [...]
Merchants, shoppers, property owners and residents interested in the regulatory blueprint of Laguna’s downtown might do well to attend special Planning Commission workshops welcoming public ideas. The workshops aim to look at specific topics affecting the downtown from a “philosophical point of view” before making policy decisions, said Commission chairman Norm Grossman. What emerges will [...]
Residents craving a Brooklyn-style pizza will soon be able to save their airplane miles and instead head over to Dom DeMarco’s Pizzeria and Bar, which plans a casual and affordable family-style restaurant on Ocean Avenue. First, though, the owners intend to restore the 68-year-old building to its Spanish Colonial Revival design. Laguna Beach’s City Council [...]
A sea change is reshaping downtown’s Ocean Avenue as business owners tied by common threads redefine their neighborhood. Four years after Peter Blake Gallery staked a claim to a spot on a street losing its vibrancy, Carl Smith, owner of CES Contemporary, also relocated his gallery there. The two gallerists who envisioned cohesiveness among fellow [...]
Does Laguna Beach’s charm arise from its architecture? Its geography? Its people? Does it matter what views pedestrians have as they make their way around town? What kind of trees should line the streets? Should policies be set to make improvements? Ideas on Laguna’s “village character” and how best to define and preserve the views [...]
Last week I had to hunt in the depths of my drawers and closet looking for my ballet outfit and shoes. There they were under piles of department store bags and exercise clothes from yoga and water aerobics. Although quite stiff, the slippers still fit. I could even get into the leotards despite disappointing silhouettes [...]
As part of an effort to discuss potential changes or improvements to the city’s downtown specific plan, the public is invited to join the town’s Planning Commission on a walking tour in surveying the downtown and discussing ideas on Saturday, Jan. 12 from 10 a.m. to noon. The group will meet in front of City [...]
The Laguna Beach Planning Commission will evaluate options for “complete streets” features on Glenneyre Street in a public hearing Wednesday, Dec. 12 at 6:30 p.m. The options to be evaluated, as outlined in a recent study prepared by a transportation consulting firm, are crosswalk enhancements at intersections and installation of bike lanes between Thalia Street [...]
Editor, It is with enthusiasm that I share my endorsements regarding Laguna Beach’s City Council race – and to ask you to consider supporting my choices: Jane Egly (an incumbent) and Bob Whalen (a current Planning Commissioner). As many know, I have served on the City Council nearly 10 years, now – and before that, [...]
Editor: City Council elections are important. This is the level of government that can affect you most directly. There are two incumbents and three challengers for two seats. Verna Rollinger is extremely knowledgeable about the workings of the city of Laguna Beach. Having served as City Clerk for 29 years and now running for [...]
Editor, Re: “Kelly Boyd Signals His Support,” Letters, Oct. 5. Who is this Whalen person with the whale on his sign I see around town? Is he trying to get us to think he’s Wyland? Does he realize that whalers kill whales? He was on the Planning Commission? The same Planning Commission that let the South [...]
Editor, (This letter was also addressed to the Planning Commission) In three years of meetings with residents, city staff and city council members, the Complete Streets Task Force (CSTF) identified sources of public funding for infrastructure projects as early as June 2009, again in April, July and August 2010 (see Minutes). The city never applied [...]
Editor, (This letter was also addressed to the Planning Commission) In three years of meetings with residents, city staff and city council members, the Complete Streets Task Force (CSTF) identified sources of public funding for infrastructure projects as early as June 2009, again in April, July and August 2010 (see Minutes). The city never applied [...]
Laguna’s Planning Commission will host a Downtown Specific Plan Workshop on Wednesday, Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 505 Forest Ave. The commission is seeking ideas from community members, design professionals, and downtown business and property owners for improving downtown prior to updating the Downtown Specific Plan. For additional information, contact [...]
Editor, Last week I attended Mobility Planning Meeting and Visioning, an open workshop organized by the LB Planning Commission to familiarize attendees with the the Land Use and Circulation Elements and a new visioning for Complete Streets Policy. Deja vu, where had I experienced this planning process before? Then I remembered meetings I attended previously. Each [...]
Police Use Taser to Subdue Assault Suspect
An assault involving three men escalated into a struggle with Laguna Beach police, who ultimately deployed a taser twice to subdue the younger combative suspect in the 300 block of Cozumel around 1:15 a.m. Friday, May 10, police said. Police ultimately arrested Laguna Beach resident Sergio Gabriel Borgognone, 51, for allegedly resisting arrest and his [...]
