Top 10 stories in Laguna Beach for 2014

Mobility throughout Laguna Beach, whether by foot, car or bicycle, was a recurring theme in 2014 as the city took strides to address safety on the busiest thoroughfares, including adopting a bike safety plan after a cyclist was killed along Coast Highway in June.

The city hired urban planning firm MIG to solicit community input and develop recommendations for possible changes downtown regarding building height, parking and land use.

A hotel renovation at The Ranch at Laguna Beach and a 30-unit artist live-work facility were both appealed to the California Coastal Commission because of environmental and other concerns.

Local restaurateur Jon Madison found himself at the center of controversy leading up to this fall’s City Council election after the Orange County Register reported that he might have lied about earned university degrees. Voters didn’t choose Madison to fill one of three open council seats — incumbents Toni Iseman and Kelly Boyd and Planning Commissioner Robert Zur Schmiede were elected.

Here are the top 10 stories selected by the Coastline Pilot staff.

1. Student’s death leads to traffic signal at Laguna College of Art + Design: The death of 22-year-old Laguna College of Art + Design student Nina Fitzpatrick while walking in a crosswalk on Laguna Canyon Road in front of the campus in April sent shockwaves through the community, which immediately called for enchanced safety measures for pedestrians.

Caltrans installed a traffic signal with flashing red lights in front of the college this fall, and the Police Department has boosted patrols at crosswalks.

2. City addresses bicyclist safety: In October, the City Council approved bike routes to move cyclists off Coast Highway and a dedicated bike lane on the shoulder of Monterey Street as part of a plan to create safer means of travel throughout Laguna.

Residents had flocked to City Hall, demanding the city improve bike safety, after resident John Colvin was struck and killed while riding his bicycle along Coast Highway near Irvine Cove in June. Colvin’s death came less than one year after Laguna resident Debra Deem was killed while cycling along Coast Highway near Newport Coast Drive in Newport Beach.

3. Permanent supportive housing proposed: Residents filled City Council chambers in April as proponents of a facility that would house mentally and physically disabled homeless clients in Laguna Canyon presented their vision.

Friendship Shelter and Jamboree Housing Corp. are teaming up on plans for a 40-unit building. Supporters said the facility would get people off the streets, but opponents are worried that the facility does not fit in the canyon and that clients’ safety could be jeopardized if they need to walk on the side of Laguna Canyon Road to get downtown.

Friendship Shelter and Jamboree offered a tour last summer of similar facilities in Anaheim and Midway City, though the parties have not presented official design plans to the city.

4. Council candidate Jon Madison faces questions about his resume: Laguna resident and restaurateur Jon Madison came under scrutiny during this fall’s City Council race when the Orange County Register reported that the owner of Madison Square & Garden Cafe and chairman of the city’s Heritage Committee might have lied about his credentials.

Madison claimed he earned multiple degrees from Cornell University and a law degree from UCLA. Representatives from both universities said they had no record of Madison attending the schools. California voter registration records revealed two birth dates for Madison, adding to the confusion.

Madison said he was the victim of identity theft and that university records departments had lost track of his transcripts. He did not earn one of three open council seats and remains on the Heritage Committee.

5. Appeal of sculptor Louis Longi’s 30-unit artist live-work project: Longi’s proposed artist housing in Laguna Canyon received the go-ahead from the City Council on a 3-2 vote, but opponents appealed the ruling to the Coastal Commission, claiming the facility is too large for the area and violates land-use rules.

Proponents say the housing units would allow artists to live in a town known for its artistic heritage.

6. Appeal of The Ranch at Laguna Beach’s hotel renovation: Laguna Beach Golf & Bungalow Village LLC, led by principal investor Mark Christy, began stripping the 1960s-era suites to their wood frames in a renovation effort intended to bring the hotel into compliance with fire safety and Americans With Disabilities Act rules.

The Planning Commission approved the project in May, but a month later resident Mark Fudge appealed the plan to the California Coastal Commission on grounds that the work could hurt the surrounding environment — the hotel and nine-hole golf course sit close to Aliso Creek within a canyon — and hinder public access.

The Ranch at Laguna Beach also faces a trademark infringement claim brought by the owner of the Ranch Restaurant and Saloon in Anaheim.

7. Planning Commission approves Top of the World trail improvements and , road widening: At their November meeting, commissioners approved renovations to a dirt path that links Top of the World and Arch Beach Heights neighborhoods, and also agreed that a portion of Top of the World Drive, a private road, should be widened. Some residents oppose the road widening.

The trail, used by schoolchildren, bicyclists and pedestrians, contains deep crevices and steep rock-faced surfaces while traversing private property.

The city is negotiating with the property owner to get clearance to make trail improvements that would include decomposed granite, asphalt and landscaping. The City Council will hold a public hearing Jan. 6.

8. City’s parking code scrutinized: The experiences of two local businesses fueled debate over whether Laguna’s parking rules need revision.

The Planning Commission allowed Shirley’s Bagels to move to a larger suite in the same office complex, but only after the business proved that enough parking spots would be available. A larger shop comes with greater city parking requirements — particularly when food preparation is done on site.

The owner of Mozambique, a popular restaurant and nightclub, won a concession when the City Council allowed management to open a first-floor dining room to customers without adding any parking spaces to cover additional patrons.

Mozambique attorney Larry Nokes argued that owner Ivan Spiers should receive credit for offering van service to restaurant patrons, along with leasing more than 100 off-site spaces for employee and valet parking, which the city doesn’t count toward a business’ parking requirement.

Nokes said that Mozambique’s issue is symptomatic of a larger problem.

9. City contracts with MIG for downtown makeover: The City Council in June hired urban planning firm MIG to lead a community effort to revise the Downtown Specific Plan, a key document that sets standards for building heights, aesthetics and land use in downtown Laguna Beach.

MIG closed off a portion of Ocean Avenue for three hours in November to gather public sentiment on favorite types of architecture, the possibility of grassy seating areas replacing unused asphalt, and whether downtown parking lots could be converted to another use. MIG will eventually make recommendations to the council.

10. Familiar faces return to City Council: Incumbents Toni Iseman and Kelly Boyd prevailed in this fall’s City Council election, which also saw Robert Zur Schmiede elected to the five-member body, which includes Bob Whalen and Steve Dicterow.

Voters elected Iseman to her fifth consecutive term, making her the longest serving member in Laguna’s 87-year-history, while Boyd, a longtime resident and original owner of the Marine Room, earned his third straight council term. Boyd led all candidates with 3,611 votes, followed by Iseman with 3,565 and Zur Schmiede, who tallied 3,485.