Letter: Planning Fee Wants to Look at Resort Laguna

Village Laguna thinks it is essential that the Council apply the lessons acquired from its Brown Act violations about the lawful needs for transparency, standard procedure, and general public involvement and use them to the Resort Laguna’s renovation. Initially and foremost this signifies conducting an open and community approach for the resort. That process begins with Arranging Commission evaluate. For some cause, the Council has fully slice out the Setting up Fee from reviewing the Hotel’s renovation, denying itself and the community from the profit of the Commission’s abilities. 2nd, the Council should stand by the staff’s insistence that the Laguna Beach front Enterprise submit a thorough program for the Hotel’s renovation. A complete strategy is not just excellent scheduling. It is a legal necessity. So far, the City has been conducting a piecemeal assessment of the hotel’s renovation. It is plainly foreseeable, however, that the complete lodge will be renovated. The California Environmental Top quality Act thus involves that the Council perform an environmental review of the total job, not just the personal items that are underneath allow.

Relating to the information of the staff members report on the Resort Laguna, there are many subjects we raise now that we would have brought to the Council’s notice if we experienced experienced a appropriate public approach.

The workers report mentions the historical report which has not been publicly reviewed, and consequently its recommendations have not been vetted nor validated. The inside rework has been done with out public review, and we have no assurance that the variations that have been made are in compliance with the Secretary of Interior Benchmarks and with the tips of the historical report. This is a essential component of a CEQA evaluation observed above. There has been a dedication that the Hotel will stay qualified for the Countrywide Sign-up of Historic Spots and it is essential that that eligibility is not compromised.

The community is relying on the metropolis to implement its very own directives, the most essential of which has been to demand Mr. Honarkar to provide “a thorough strategy for the Hotel Laguna property” just before end-get the job done orders are lifted. Disappointingly, the town backed down on this prerequisite even however Mr. Honarkar has experienced about a 12 months to generate that plan.This betrays the believe in of our city’s inhabitants.

We seem forward to continuing to function with you on this critical task and hope that you will strongly enforce the city’s polices and standard procedures heading ahead.

Johanna Felder, Laguna Seaside