Letters to the Editor

Proposed Third St. parking structure is the best solution for our Downtown parking needs

(The following letter was sent to City Council and copied to “Stu News Laguna.”)

I’ve been reviewing the Parking Management Plan that you are considering and want to comment on it, particularly with regard to the proposed Third Street parking structure opposite the senior center. I’ve lived in Laguna since 1970 and have witnessed a great many projects that have been either completed or never made it off the drawing board. When the Glenneyre parking structure was first proposed, there was a great deal of opposition to it. I wasn’t a fan, either. It turns out I was wrong. That structure has been a godsend for our community – it made it possible for our Rotary Club to flourish when we met at Hotel Laguna, and has energized our Downtown businesses. Having learned that lesson, I firmly believe that the Third Street structure would be a similar treasure in that it will be heavily used by locals for shopping and accommodate the overflow from the senior center and the community clinic. Since the creation of the Promenade, parking in the Downtown area has become even more challenging for residents. This proposed new structure will compensate for that loss of parking.

The other plan for a structure at the “village entrance” has been dead-on-arrival for many years, partly because many residents don’t feel comfortable with such an obtrusive, multi-level building in plain sight at the gateway to our city. Third Street, on the other hand, is tucked away in a location that is already a parking lot and it is shovel-ready today. And it is close to many Downtown stores, banks, restaurants, and city and water district offices.

Please consider these benefits when making your decision on its future. Of all the options presented, Third Street is the clear winner and has the least baggage.

I attended the parking workshop last week. It was just another gripe session by the same people in town who want to see no forward thinking or progress. Fortunately, they represent a minute portion of the people of our wonderful town. Most of them couldn’t get their “facts” straight while at the podium. Please listen to the majority of residents who believe this is an elegant solution to our parking challenges.

Jerry Immel

Temple Hills

Laguna city council approves proclamation in support of National Gun Violence Awareness Day

Kudos to the city council and Moms Demand Action for supporting the June 2 National Gun Violence Awareness Day. With mass shootings happening virtually every day now, I have to ask: Who isn’t aware of the problem?

What’s not so obvious is how to solve it. With this thought in mind, here is what I recently asked President Biden to do: Take a page out of Jimmy Carter’s 1978 playbook and convene a Camp David gun summit.

Recall that when the former president brought together old warriors Anwar Sadat of Egypt and Menachem Begin of Israel, it took nearly two weeks of intense negotiations before they forged a peace agreement. Today, Mr. Biden needs to bring representatives of the National Rifle Assn., 2nd Amendment, law enforcement and grieving relatives together to find common ground on gun safety measures.

It won’t be easy, but I’m sure they can do it. Once that happens, the group’s next step would be to hold hands and visit lawmakers in Washington who oppose new gun laws. Having worked on Capitol Hill, I believe their new Camp David agreement will give members of Congress the political coverage they need to support new initiatives.

Like I said, this won’t be easy; but, I am convinced all roads to new gun safety laws lead to Camp David. I hope the city council and Moms Demand Action agree.

Denny Freidenrich

Laguna Beach