Perhaps we need to stop with the public workshops.
Have they ever actually helped move a project forward? Debatable. Most are just a few painful hours of yelling mixed with heartburn and high blood pressure.
The latest venting exercise happened Tuesday night at the Laguna Beach Community and Susi Q Senior Center, where about 100 people heard a brief presentation on the enhancements of Laguna Canyon Road. The organizers opened the floor to questions, and the very first person went on a rant about everything from the road to the Promenade to the efficacy of crayons.
Any optimism immediately left the room.
Perhaps it’s now ingrained as the “Laguna Way,” but every public meeting seems to grind to a halt.
Meanwhile, the project will be an extension of the work currently underway by Caltrans, more than 15 years in the making, improving the stretch from El Toro to SR-73. It will be completed by May 2025, but the city wants to keep the momentum.
At the meeting, there were potential options on what the new road might look like from El Toro to Canyon Acres Dr. At a minimum, there will be lane improvements, undergrounding, new bike lanes and better pedestrian walkways.
The city recently sent out a public survey to ask residents about the new project, and organizers gave a sneak peek at the results. Some people at the workshop grumbled at the vagueness of the survey, which will be closing soon. If you’d like to give input, the survey is here.
In many ways, the options are similar to the Caltrans improvements, but with a bit more Laguna flair – softer edges and a more rural style.
Other concerns revolved around the cost and impact to existing businesses. The funding is still a work in progress, but there are several cost analysis documents on the project site, located here.
It’s a process, to be sure, but does it have to be so dysfunctional?
This is the way.
