September 23, 2022 | Laguna Beach News | Page 16

Best Reasons For “ No on Q ” Come From Q ’ s Sponsors
16 lagunabeachindy . com SEPTEMBER 23 , 2022

Raber

PAGE 14

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CALIFORNIA DESIGN 430 Forest , Laguna Beach

Michael Conley , LIC # 546664 michael @ california-design . com | California-Design . com ability to build whatever they can get approved by a now developer-friendly City Council . In contrast , Laguna Residents First is funded exclusively by residents who care about our city and its future .
Measure Q requires the City to carefully evaluate commercial intensification proposals when they would impact neighborhoods existing businesses . Too much incremental intensification and development puts both the neighborhoods and existing businesses at risk and certainly deteriorates Laguna ’ s unique value .
An example that opponent Cody Engle cites in a recent letter is the proposed coffee bar at the very busy intersection where Forest meets Broadway . This seems to be an unlikely place for a successful coffee shop , especially given the noise and traffic at that location , but set that aside for a moment .
Measure Q allows for new parking exemptions where a finding is made that it would be in the public interest and does not negatively impact the neighborhoods . In this specific case , the largest downtown public parking lot is directly across the street from the proposed coffee shop , and there are no adjoining neighborhoods to impact . It ’ s hard to imagine why a city staff person felt that the finding couldn ’ t have been made .
The finding can easily be made if the City honestly examines the details here – no adjoining neighborhood and plenty of public parking within

Street Beat

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of misdemeanor DUI . He was held at $ 10,000 bail .
Mark Torralba , 61 , of Redlands was arrested on suspicion of a misdemeanor charge . He was held at $ 10,000 bail .
Disorderly conduct . John Patrick Kolb City , 47 Centreville , Virginia , was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor obstructing an officer and disorderly conduct under the influence of drugs . He was held at $ 500 .
Disobeying court orders . Richard Todd Pedersen , 55 , of Laguna Beach was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor contempt of court , obstruction of a police officer and willful cruelty to a child . He was held without bail . Monday , Sept . 19 DUI . A 35-year-old Anaheim man was arrested on suspicion of a misdemeanor DUI . His bail was set at $ 2,500 .
Trespassing . Obstruction of justice . Dominic John Bagarozzi , 55 , of Lake Forest was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor obstruction of a police officer and trespassing , refusing to leave the property . He was held at $ 500 bail .
easy walking distance . We support the decision that the City made to allow the new coffee shop . We are disappointed in the opponents ’ untrue speculation that Measure Q would have prevented its approval .
Further in Mr . Engle ’ s recent letter , he compares Measure Q to a business that would have to vote “ every time the business wanted to add a new product , service , or make a price change .” That is a bold exaggeration that defies civil discussion on the issue . Measure Q does not even remotely interfere with the important principles of businesses being run as the owner sees fit or that it requires a vote on everything . Measure Q leaves most development decisions to the City ’ s existing planning process . In most of the examples cited , minor adjustments could be made to the proposal to make it less impactful to the community and in compliance with the reasonable standards contained in Measure Q .
The proponents of Measure Q stand by the balanced constraints that are contained in the Ballot Initiative . Laguna will certainly change and evolve with the times . Measure Q provides flexibility and a reasonable set of guidelines so that developers will only bring well-thought-through plans that are compatible with the unique environment and value that Laguna offers to residents , merchants , and visitors alike .
Raber is the co-founder of Laguna Residents First .
GUEST OPINION
Best Reasons For “ No on Q ” Come From Q ’ s Sponsors
BY JOE HANAUER
The more you read from the authors of Measure Q , the more they provide reasons to vote no . Consider a Q author ’ s column in last week ’ s Indy . He lists projects that Q supports , including St . Catherine ’ s school ,
HANAUER , page 26