6 lagunabeachindy . com SEPTEMBER 2 , 2022
Please know if you do not already know that the travesty of the live-work , so-called ArtLofts are very upsetting to many of us . Below is what is going on Nextdoor if you have not been aware . The coalition in the Canyon paid lots to attorneys to not this this miserable , traffic-causing mess to happen and City Council and the Design Review Board approved it . The only win is for Louis Longi and Chris Dornin as far as I know . How could this city pass this monstrosity in our beautiful canyon when the rents are not for low-income artists . You have done a great disservice to our city . We need to have boundaries and if we cannot trust our government city officials , we the people must have a say . This is the most disappointing council we have had in my experience .
“ This is the perfect reason to pass the Ballot Initiative . The canyon people were not against an artist live-work complex as long as it was compatible with what was already in the canyon . This clearly is not . The City Council majority allowed this to happen . I doubt if it had been submitted to a vote of the people that it would have been designed this way or , if it was , it would never have been approved .” - from the neighborhood . Listen to us as we pay taxes and your salaries . Christine Shields , Laguna Beach
Skip Hellewell ( Better Guidance , Aug . 26 , 2022 ) returns to the pages of the Indy to enlighten us with his deep thoughts on climate science . However , instead of exhibiting any growth in his thinking , he doubles down on his absurd claim that man-made climate change is a hoax .
Skip , I agree with you that much in life is unknown to us , but you and I have different approaches to complex problems . I think we should use our God-given senses to look at the evidence around us and use our Godgiven reason to look for solutions . You seem to believe that if a problem is so difficult that it makes our brains hurt ,
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we should declare it unknowable , bury our heads in the sand , and take our guidance from a text that was written when people thought the sun revolved around the Earth .
Wasn ’ t it your spiritual predecessors , men who were just as devout and fervent in their beliefs as you are , who persecuted men like Galileo and Copernicus for daring to declare that the Earth was not the center of the universe ?
You say you don ’ t want to “ live the lie ”, and I commend you for that . If you are serious , I challenge you to open your eyes and see that there are many religions in the world , some of which are much older that the one your parents taught you , and all of which are exactly as valid as yours . Whatever God you believe in , how do you think She feels about us despoiling and destroying the beautiful home She blessed us with ? I don ’ t think She would be pleased at all .
For heaven ’ s sake Skip , there is too much at stake for us to entrust the future of our children and grandchildren to a book of fairy tales . Prayers are not enough . We must take the lead of our best scientists and make sober decisions before it is too late . There ’ s meaning in that .
Tom Tayeri , Laguna Beach
Farewell to the Editor
I was struck by the announcement in last week ’ s paper that Daniel Langhorne will be stepping down as the editor of the Indy . I am grateful for his service to our community and the tone he stuck with the paper during his tenure , balancing news with culture and giving us a window into our town ’ s happenings . In a world where local journalists have had to do so much more with less , I was impressed that he authored several bylines each week which ran the gamut from local news and politics to cultural happenings . At times , he even investigated important local issues . I wish Daniel the best in his future endeavors .
Stephanie Wander , Laguna Beach
I love that the residents ’ ballot initiative is Q — Q for quality of Laguna life and quintessentially sensible to let residents vote . Enough of these stealth density projects that get a wink and a nod ( when the commercial developers aren ’ t being told to “ wait until after the election ”). Dana Point and Newport Beach have gone to resident voting on commercial projects , so now developers are eyeing our limited coastal and canyon areas for their jumbo projects . As we ’ ve seen in the Canyon , these projects can always be enlarged “ in process ” and get City and CC approval if they “ don ’ t pencil out .”
Sure , the City Council majority has recently passed a new city law that allows developments longer than 125 feet and 15,000 square feet or larger outside of 500 feet of downtown or in the downtown area as long as sections
LETTERS , page 8
LAST WEEK ’ S QUESTION
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Total Votes : 209
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To vote , visit the poll tab at lagunabeachindy . com . Submit poll questions to daniel @ firebrandmediainc . com .
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CITY HALL MEETINGS :
HOW TO CONTACT THE CITY COUNCIL
Sue Kempf Mayor 439-3001
Bob Whalen Mayor pro tem 497-0796 skempf @ lagunabeachcity . net bwhalen @ lagunabeachcity . net
DESIGN REVIEW BOARD SECOND AND FOURTH THURSDAYS , 5 PM LOUIS WEIL : lweil @ lagunabeachcity . net KRISTINE THALMAN : kthalman @ lagunabeachcity . net DON SHERIDAN : dsheridan @ lagunabeachcity . net JESSICA GANNON : jgannon @ lagunabeachcity . net DEBORAH NEEV : dneev @ lagunabeachcity . net
Wednesday , Sept . 7 . Joint Design Review Board & Planning Commission Meeting at 5 p . m .
Peter Blake Council member 584-1224 pblake @ lagunabeachcity . net
PLANNING COMMISSION
Toni Iseman Council member 494-7648 tiseman2 @ aol . com
1ST AND 3RD WEDNESDAYS , 6 PM STEVEN KELLENBERG , steve @ kellenbergstudio . com KEN SADLER : 616-0517 , ken . sadler @ cox . net JORG DUBIN : 497-2618 , jdubinart @ cox . net STEVE GOLDMAN : 203-554-2290 , steveg415 @ ymail . com SUSAN McLINTOCK WHITIN : 838-6317 , whitinsusan @ gmail . com
George Weiss Council member 295-0832 gweiss @ lagunabeachcity . net
Ann Marie McKay City Clerk 497-0309 amckay @ lagunabeachcity . net
Laura Parisi City Treasurer 949-497-0327 lparisi @ lagunabeachcity . net
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