Mansions on many voters’ minds

The issue of mansionization was raised at all three public forums sponsored so far this month by the South Laguna Civic Assn., Oct. 5; the Arts Alliance, Saturday; and the American Assn. of University Women, The Laguna Beach Woman’s Club, the Laguna Branch of the League of Women Voters and Laguna Beach Seniors Inc., Tuesday. No other topic was common to the three forums.

By Tuesday’s broad-based forum, which had an audience of about 75, the candidates had honed their responses on mansionization: They all agreed that neighborhood compatibility was key.

Kelly Boyd tacked on view preservation as a consideration. Verna Rollinger opined that limits on house sizes should be included in the city’s land-use element which is being revised, but said she didn’t know which would be the best formula to use — calculations based on neighborhood averages, an absolute limit or lot size.

Both said codes are on the books that would prevent overbuilding if enforced.

“The intent of the mansionization ordinance was neighborhood preservation,” incumbent Elizabeth Pearson-Schneider said. “We’ve got some good codes on the books, but something is not working.

“We need more specificity. Property owners need to know what they can do and what they can’t do.”

Incumbent Toni Iseman said early warnings by staff would help prevent people from spending a lot of money to buy property or pay for an architect’s time and then not get what they want.

To date, Tuesday’s forum was the only one at which the question of the Day Labor Center was raised.

“We are an extremely caring community,” Rollinger said. “I think we should put Laguna in charge of the country. We have crafted a solution that is good for the neighborhoods, good for the workers and good for the employers.

“I am extremely proud of how the city has handled the problem.”

Pearson-Schneider said the center was created at the request of North Laguna residents who wanted the congregation of job seekers moved out of their neighborhood. She said she would support the center as long as it is legal.

Iseman said hardworking people found a solution to the neighborhood’s problem and created the center in Laguna Canyon, where hard workers could find jobs.

Closing the center will not solve the national problem of illegal immigration, Iseman said, despite the actions of people who are trying to force closure by suing the city.

Boyd said the center’s hours of operation should be limited to 6 a.m. to noon and he would like a count of how many people are actually hired. He also said the city should not pick up the tab for cleaning the area.

The candidates all agreed that Measure M money should be used to expand the city’s public transit system if it passes. Measure M funds transportation projects and could also be used for construction of the Village Entrance garage, which affects circulation in the downtown.

Boyd said the shuttle service should be expanded to serve year-round tourists.

Asked to choose three services to privatize, Boyd declined, saying he would want to see the costs for contracting services now performed by city employees before he would consider going that route.

“We already outsource a lot,” said Pearson-Schneider, who, like Iseman, lobbied the city manager for more frequent contracted street cleaning.

Rollinger would prefer to evaluate services regularly, and if contracted services are not working, reverse course.

Iseman would be choosey about outsourcing.

“Privatization of street cleaning with the best equipment makes sense, but I am not sure I want to privatize park maintenance,” she said.

Candidates were given three minutes to make opening statements, one minute each to answer questions and two minutes for closing statements.

The forum was aired live and will be re-broadcast twice before the Nov. 7 election.

SOUTH LAGUNA FORUM

The “SUPER” project, named for the goals of Aliso Creek Stabilization, Utility Protection and Environmental Restoration, was a hot topic at the South Laguna Forum, held at a Fred Lang Park meeting room and attended by about 40 residents. Federal funding is being sought for the $45 million project.

Candidates were asked what they had done in the past four years to improve the creek and Aliso Beach.

Boyd said since he had not been on the council, he had done nothing, but he has a vested interest in the area — his grandfather homesteaded Aliso Canyon and Boyd was raised on tales of salmon in the creek. He did have some proposals for future activity.

“When it comes to Aliso, we need to work with the people upstream,” Boyd said. “We should bring them down here and stick their heads in the water.

“The SUPER plan is long-term; we also need a short-term solution.”

Iseman recounted her service as co-chair of the Waste Water Committee and actions taken by the council which included huge expenditures to renovate city sewers and more frequent cleaning, as well as grease management program ordered for restaurants.

Rollinger, who retired from city employment almost two years ago, said her efforts have been confined to participation in Beach Clean-up Days.

She hopes the SUPER project will be effective but thinks the three-year start date is too long to wait to clean up the creek.

“I see no reason why we can’t take the water out, treat it and find another use for it,” Rollinger said. “It’s not inexpensive, but it is a cost we can bear.”

Pearson-Schneider has voted in favor of sewer repairs, the ordinance to clear roots from lateral lines and the ban on Styrofoam, and co-authored with Iseman the ban on smoking on beaches — the second such ordinance passed in the county.

Most recently, she has turned her attention to the SUPER project, lobbying Congressman John Campbell and contacting elected officials in upstream communities, in partnership with Iseman. She supported a diversion program of creek water into the treatment plant as suggested by South Lagunan Michael Beanan.