City’s vision gets clearer

Barbara Diamond

The city’s vision is now in the hands of the planners.

The Planning Commission will take a lead role in bringing the

Vision Laguna 2030 to life, the City Council decided Tuesday.

“I hope this takes us to the next level,” said Councilwoman

Elizabeth Pearson, architect of the plan, which was approved

unanimously by the council.

Pearson muscled through her vision of implementation, which

anointed the Planning Commission as the lead agency.

“Basically, the policy groups will be working with the

commission,” Pearson said.

The council named Pearson the liaison to the commission, which she

had once served on.

Implementation of the seven elements recommended by the Vision

Steering Committee will be handled by community groups that

volunteered or by city committees recommended by Pearson and approved

by the council. Some of the tasks in the elements have already been

completed or are in progress.

“We want the Arts and Cultural Element,” Linda Dietrich said on

behalf of the Arts Alliance. “We are running with it.”

It was a natural pairing. Many every art groups in town, including

the city’s Arts Commission, are members of the alliance.

“Two action items have already been completed,” Dietrich said.

“Only five action items remain to be done.”

The Chamber of Commerce volunteered to take on the Economic

Sustainability Element and was appointed to head up part of the

Resident and Civic Participation Element that the League of Women

Voters declined, an assignment chamber President Ken Delino did not

seem to relish.

“I haven’t discussed this with my board,” Delino said.

Community Character, People was assigned to the city’s Housing and

Human Affairs Committee. Community Character, Place went to the

Planning Commission, separate from its oversight role. The Historical

Society, the city Heritage Committee and the Recreation Department

are expected to have input. The Parking Traffic and Circulation

Committee was charged with implementing the Resident and Visitor

Mobility Element.

The council also expanded the duties of the city’s Open Space

Committee to include action on the Environmental Responsibility

Element. The committee will be renamed the Environmental Committee

and will eventually absorb remnants of the Wastewater Advisory

Committee when it sunsets.

“I’ll sign up for that,” said Melissa O’Neal, a member of the

wastewater committee.

A Public Safety Element was added to the original seven at the

insistence of Councilman Steven Dicterow. He suggested Neighborhood

Watch head the policy group. Councilwoman Cheryl Kinsman’s request

for a Kids Element and specific attention to seniors did not fare so

well.

Pearson lumped them in with the Community Character, People

Element, and prevailed.

“They are people,” Pearson said. “I’ll explain how that works

later.”

Dicterow also wants recognition that Vision 2030 doesn’t end on

Jan. 1, 2031.

“I want it to be a rolling 30 years,” Dicterow said.

Pearson’s recommendations included the creation of a Laguna

Foundation. She said she has worked with Rancho Santa Margarita and

the city of Orange on creating private foundations to raise money for

community projects.

Summarizing her proposals, Pearson repeated advice given her by

Steering Committee Chair Fred Droz: “Remember, this is not a static

plan. It’s a starting place.”

Visioning participant Bonnie Hano said it was a place she never

expected to visit.

“When I participated, I knew, I knew nothing would ever come of

it,” Hano said.

Now that something has come, Hano echoed Steering Committee member

Marion Jacobs, who urged the council to keep the process inclusive, a

collaboration of city, community groups and individuals.

“It’s all going to come back to us,” said Councilman Wayne

Peterson, who would have preferred a council sub-committee as the

point guard of the implementation phase.

However, a council majority supported Pearson’s recommendation for

a Planning Commission sub-committee to track the action items

proposed by the policy groups. Commissioners Norm Grossman and Anne

Johnson were appointed.

“Norm and I will work hard to do what you want us to do,” said

Johnson, who served on the Vision 2030 Steering Committee. “As I see

it, we’d report back to you [the council] because we are accountable

to you.” Policy groups will report results to the full commission at

the first meeting in June 2004.

Finally, the council also approved mailing the steering

committee’s summary report to all residents, for which the committee

had pushed.

For a quicker look, visit the city’s Web site

www.lagunabeachcity.net and click on Vision Final Report on the home

page.