Name of Organization:South Laguna Civic Association
Date of Workshop:June 9, 2000
Number of Participants:
Facilitator:Marion Jacobs

Summary of Assets

The group identified the following community assets during group discussion and on written comment cards.

The Environment

Natural environment

  • Wildlife
  • Vegetation - doesn't have "paved" feel of many beach communities north

Downtown

  • Variety of restaurants
  • No large corporate businesses

Infrastructure

  • Creative problem-solving

The Community

Image and Identity

  • Casual atmosphere
  • Privacy
  • Low noise level

Summary of Challenges

The group identified the following community challenges during group discussion and on written comment cards.

  • Retaining the Festival of the Arts
  • Resisting change

The Environment

Housing

  • Housing issues: appropriate for seniors, quality anddesign control, affordable for low, middle income potential residents

Downtown

  • Pedestrian safety

Transportation

  • El Toro airport
  • Lack of bicycle trails

Infrastructure

  • Maintaining roads, infrastructure
  • Do away with variances
  • Historic preservation

The Community

Image and Identity

  • "Plein air" look

Governance

  • City government controlled by developers
  • Keep chain stores out of town
  • Creating a "green" and "blue" city government
  • State and federal listing of land/ocean species for permanent protection
  • Blocking building of tract homes
  • School buildings upgrade
  • Laguna for the people, not big money interests

Summary of Visions

The group identified the following as major visions for Laguna Beach during group discussion and on written comment cards.

The Environment

Natural environment

  • Open spaces around city used as "buffer zone"
  • Catch-and-release fishing in ponds
  • ecotourism
  • Channel water in the canyon so it does not flood

Transportation

  • No coast highway - reroute or underground
  • Free in-city transportation system
  • Recreational path through city
  • No cars downtown
  • Toll roads free
  • No commercial jets flying overhead

The Community

Image and Identity

  • More like 30 years ago: more tie-dye, less uptight, knock down surf and sand
  • Global model of sustainable harmonious living (people, environment)

Governance

  • All utilities underground paid for by city
  • Publicly funded municipal elections
  • City government more responsive to citizens
  • A much less pro-development council, approach

Summary of Opportunities

The group identified the following opportunities during group discussion and on written comment cards.

The Environment

Natural environment

  • Apply appropriate technologies and local talent to abate pollution

The People

Education

  • Involve schools

Community organizations

  • Citizen committee formed to monitor implementation of plan

Children/youth

  • Engage youth in process

Communications

  • More city-wide community gatherings like Vision Fair

Activist citizenry

  • Capitalize on community interest - we are at a crisis point

The Community

Image and Identity

  • Take leadership role for other communities
  • Don't let outsiders determine Laguna direction
  • Create culture of conscious consumption

Economy

  • Social value over private profit

Governance

  • Campaign-finance limits - publicly funded elections
  • Penalties for non-conformance of goals
  • Visionary people in office; pro-active governing body
  • Visionary legal counseling to implement vision without fear of litigation
  • Implement and enforce existing land use and ocean protection ordinances
  • Take advantage of local talent to lead community
  • Secede from county
  • Set priorities: safe water before new parking lots
  • Vote out any and all entities that lack and environmental vision