Name of Organization:Visitors' Bureau
Date of Workshop:July 11, 2000
Number of Participants:
Facilitator:Barbara Wright

Summary of Assets

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

The Environment

Natural environment

  • Contained population
  • Beautiful visual, riviera
  • Beautiful world class beaches
  • Mediterranean climate

Downtown / Commercial Development

  • Central village

The People

Activist citizenry / values / diversity

  • Diversity
  • Craziness, interesting issues

The Community

Arts and Culture

  • Art, crafts, galleries, festivals

Image and Identity

  • Community "feel", community involvement. Not like rest of Orange County
  • Protected community, consistency
  • Casual environment
  • Warm and friendly people
  • Village identity

Summary of Challenges

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

The Environment

Natural environment

  • Beach pollution
  • Environmental impact
  • Mountain and narrow canyon corridor
  • Beach pollution by residents and growth of surrounding communities

Housing / Residential Development

  • Affordable housing

Downtown / Commercial Development

  • Balancing tourists needs and residents needs
  • Attracting compatible businesses

Transportation

  • Traffic - limitation for guests
  • Parking in general
  • Unfriendly meters

Infrastructure

  • Continual road construction

The Community

Arts and Culture

  • Maintaining quality, standard of the arts (all arts)
  • Financing the arts to maintain infrastructure
  • Enhancing art destination with financial support and participation

Image and Identity

  • Maintaining intimacy

Economy

  • Residents recognition of tourist economy
  • Perception that Laguna Beach is difficult to do business with (B to B)

Outside Issues

  • Growth surrounding Laguna Beach
  • Beach pollution by residents and growth of surrounding communities

Summary of Visions

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

The Environment

Housing / Residential Development

  • Studios, workplaces for artists (affordable) to preserve art colony
  • To make affordable housing - easy for artists and workers

Downtown / Commercial Development

  • Village entrance

Transportation

  • Public transportation - unique and picturesque
  • Close some streets
  • Pedestrian only streets
  • Shuttle service, park-like pedestrian walkways and crossing with entrance project
  • Extending two hour meters for visitors and locals

The Community

Economy

  • Support chambers of commerce

Governance

  • Improve city ordinances

Outside Issues

  • Work with surrounding communities to solve issues, e.g., South Orange County

Summary of Opportunities

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

The Environment

Downtown / Commercial Development

  • Support exciting shops that stay open past the tradition 9am -5pm times.
  • Create master plan for internal development of vibrant village

Transportation

  • Create a central ticketing office at village entrance
  • Provide public parking at Art Institute
  • Improve tram, transportation, e.g. Vail parking structure
  • Create friendlier pedestrian crossings
  • Provide convenient parking day and night

Infrastructure

  • Create better signage

The People

Activist citizenry / values / diversity

  • Promote more community participation (individuals, business and residents involvement) in process, council meetings, etc.

The Community

Image and Identity

  • Maintain intimacy while retaining a community "feel"

Governance

  • Build consensus
  • Share visions
  • Include "power brokers" in process

Outside Issues

  • Accept change by accommodating future growth in Laguna Beach and Orange County