• Support
  • Advertise
  • Locations
  • Contact Us
Saturday, May 27, 2023
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTERS
The Capistrano Dispatch
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye On SJC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit A Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SJC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • Dana Point Times
    • San Clemente Times
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SJC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit A Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Submit an Obituary
    • Announcements
    • Submit An Announcement
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Guide
    • Go See Do
    • Good Eats
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Inside/Outside Home
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Summer Camp Guide
    • Swallows Day Parade & Mercado Event Guide
    • The Green Issue
  • SJC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye On SJC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit A Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SJC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • Dana Point Times
    • San Clemente Times
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SJC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit A Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Submit an Obituary
    • Announcements
    • Submit An Announcement
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Guide
    • Go See Do
    • Good Eats
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Inside/Outside Home
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Summer Camp Guide
    • Swallows Day Parade & Mercado Event Guide
    • The Green Issue
  • SJC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who
No Result
View All Result
The Capistrano Dispatch
No Result
View All Result

Letter to the Editor: Response to Traffic Story in Last Issue

by Capo Dispatch
July 10, 2022 5:00AM
in SOAPBOX
At a Standstill: Daily Traffic Gridlock Causes Difficulties for San Juan Capistrano Residents

Frequent heavy traffic on Ortega Highway causes some nearby San Juan Capistrano residents to take a back route when they want to travel throughout town. Photo: Collin Breaux

0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

ROGER BÜTOW, Laguna Beach

Depending on whom you believe, either Benjamin Disraeli or Mark Twain said, “There are lies, there are damned lies, and then there are statistics.”

The city manager (CM) seems to be hiding behind a data point or two and gives them more weight than the voices of outrage within the community that he serves. Now add the fact that he and his family live 10 miles away here in Laguna Beach, so what does he personally know about navigating SJC year-round?

Many of these angry voices are long-term residents and this, unfortunately, resembles our issues here in Laguna Beach; hence, our local controlled growth initiative on the ballot this fall.

No small irony, the CM served as our Deputy CM himself. He has a long history of experiencing and observing what happens when you throw open your community’s doors and entice and encourage year-round tourist destination hordes.

As the CM indirectly admits, what was originally zoned per the Los Rios Specific Plan as several acres of passive park space within the Los Rios District is being converted to one humongous parking lot to accommodate those visitors and the increased staffs of tourist-serving restaurants and bars.

Those lots don’t serve residents, they assist outsiders—–and don’t be surprised when, like here in Laguna, SJC is end-to-end lined with parking meters and locals are forced to purchase a $100-per-year permit to park in their own town. This is, in fact, how villages morph from quaint towns into urbanized cities.

We have the identical conundrum here in Laguna. Formerly, we had respite from Labor Day to Memorial Day. Now, every day traffic and gridlock mimes peak circulation of those 3½ high-season summer months.

A local could find parking downtown the rest of the year. No mas.

Like SJC, we have a predominantly pro-growth (commerce first, residents second-class citizens) City Council these past four years.

Regardless, the sense of place and time and the character of a small community is being eroded and gradually taken away by people who appear unwilling to “just say no” to more money but lessened quality of life (why locals live in a place, sink in their roots and stay their entire lives).

Consultants are hired only if they bring back sustaining, cherry-picked evidence that supports City Hall’s stance. Otherwise, these contractors would never get rehired. They tell governance what they want to hear and deliver what’s been pre-ordained. Otherwise, it’s next up.

And Councilmember Bourne reveals what is truly broken: the “get-out-of-jail-free card.” (That is, he admits that for members like himself, 10 years down the road is too far to allow reasonable decisions to be made.)

So, if this Council majority can’t tell good from bad long-term impact decisions, what does their decision tree actually look like?

That Mayor Reeve found no support is a definite poker tell. There is neither the will nor the staff mentality willing to face the eventual consequences head-on. The adverse ramifications will be a legacy left for subsequent councils and staff to deal with … kick the pro-development can down the road. Someone else’s problem.

Share this:

  • Share
  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
Tags: CaliforniaCity CouncilCity ManagerDevelopmentLaguna BeachLetter to the EditorOpinionOrange CountySan Juan CapistranoTraffic
ShareTweetPin

Capo Dispatch

Related Posts

Otra Mas Celebrates 10th Anniversary with San Juan Community

Otra Mas Celebrates 10th Anniversary with San Juan Community

May 26, 2023 - Updated on May 27, 2023
City Considers Adding Enhancements to Serra Park

City Considers Adding Enhancements to Serra Park

May 26, 2023
On Life and Love After 50: A Night to Remember in Dana Point Harbor

On Life and Love After 50: 2 Senior Men Discuss the Challenges of Senior Dating

May 26, 2023
Adoptable Pet of the Week: Connor

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Connor

May 26, 2023
Next Post
At the Movies:  ‘Elvis’ Dazzles at Full Speed

At the Movies: 'Elvis' Dazzles at Full Speed

Discussion about this post

No Result
View All Result

The Dispatch Daily
Get important news and updates delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up here.

Subscriptions
Don’t get The Dispatch delivered to your home? Subscribe today.

Advertising
Get new customers and drive traffic to your business. Advertise with us.

Support Local Journalism
For less than the cost of a couple of cups of coffee a month, become an “Insider” member and continue to get “Local News You Can Use” from the only independently owned, dedicated local news organization in South Orange County.

Contribute today.

Picket Fence Media is a proud member of the SoCal Media Network.

  • Current Issue
  • Contact Us
  • San Clemente Times
  • Dana Point Times
  • About Us

© 2023 Picket Fence Media

No Result
View All Result
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye On SJC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit A Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SJC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • Dana Point Times
    • San Clemente Times
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SJC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit A Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Submit an Obituary
    • Announcements
    • Submit An Announcement
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Guide
    • Go See Do
    • Good Eats
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Inside/Outside Home
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Summer Camp Guide
    • Swallows Day Parade & Mercado Event Guide
    • The Green Issue
  • SJC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who

© 2023 Picket Fence Media

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.