Laguna Seaside OKs $2 million for tourism impression fixes

Graffiti on rock formation in Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park in February. Courtesy Mike Sweeney.

By Lou Ponsi, special for independents

Laguna Beach City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a plan to improve the quality of life for residents by reducing the impact of visitors on paths, parks, beaches and adjacent neighborhoods.

The Neighborhood and Environment Plan includes several measures to reduce nuisance activities, eliminate waste and improve public safety.

The cost of executing the $ 2 million plan includes $ 935,000 for the remainder of FY 2020-21 and approximately $ 1.1 million for FY 2021-22.

Mayor Pro Tem Sue Kempf brought this proposal to the city council during his planning retreat on January 30th. The cost is absorbed through additional revenue generated by increasing parking revenue by $ 1 per hour, as well as through the Measure LL sales tax fund.

Most mitigation measures could be implemented by May, city officials said.

“This council action will better protect our neighborhoods and preserve the natural beauty of our beaches and open spaces,” Mayor Bob Whalen said in a press release. “Through numerous neighborhood meetings with our residents and neighbors over the past year, we’ve heard that more police protection, park attendance and rubbish collection are needed to maintain the quality of life we ​​all expect.”

Highlights of the plan include reinforced signage to prevent litter and nuisance behavior, as well as the addition of bottle filling stations at beaches, parks, and trails.

Laguna Beach will also partner with the Laguna Canyon Foundation to provide part-time workers to act as hiking trails ambassadors on weekends May 1st through September 6th. City officials are also urging OC Parks to provide more park rangers.

The Laguna Beach Police Department will add two more officers and form a neighborhood improvement team to address quality of life issues in the neighborhood. City officials are planning to install a gate and two additional cameras in Alta Laguna Park to prevent criminal activity, especially when the park is closed at night.

Additional lifeguards will also be stationed on high-traffic beaches such as Shaw’s Cove, Treasure Island, Crescent Bay Beach, and Victoria Beach. In South Laguna they will support the OC Lifeguards agency commissioned by the district.

Garbage disposal teams are deployed in different parts of the city and trash cans are placed in new locations.

A mitigation plan became necessary because city officials said visitor numbers to the city have increased dramatically, in part because Southern Californians have been engaging in more outdoor activities due to the coronavirus and the popularity of Instagram-worthy open spaces.

In the past, visitors raved about the main beach, festivals, and downtown Laguna, but now they are invading residential areas and causing quality of life issues.

A team led by Deputy City Manager Shohreh Dupuis, which included members of the public works, police, water quality and marine safety departments, has visited the neighborhoods in recent months and met with residents to solve the problems.

“We have gathered a lot of information,” said Dupuis. “We had a lot of listening sessions and wanted to make sure we developed a program to study the impact of visitors on the neighborhoods besides the beaches, parks and trails.”

Council members also directed staff to make a number of changes to the Code that would prohibit the use of plastic straws and containers on beaches and paths, feeding wild birds in city parks, and using large shady structures on beaches to avoid the lines of sight of the waves for to maintain public safety employees. City officials will return with their legislative proposals later this year.

The council will also consider banning the parking of bicycles in Heisler Park and Main Beach, expanding the relinquishment of personal property in public places, and calling for non-coastal community parks to close at 10 p.m.

“This puts residents first,” said Councilor Toni Iseman. “And I think the community will see the attention to detail that this has and recognition of the complaints they have made over the years.”

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