SLCA Bulletin Winter 2015southlaguna.org

South Laguna Civic Association • Non-profit organization founded 1946 • Dedicated to Protecting the Quality of Community Life

he hearing room was packed with interested and concerned Lagunans, including the City Manager, the

mayor and three additional city council members, when the appeal of The Ranch at Laguna Beach was heard by the California Coastal Commission in Santa Monica on January 8, 2015. The development, owned by the Laguna Beach Golf and Bungalow Village, LLC at 31106 South Coast Highway had been approved by the City in May.

The appeal, filed by an uphill neighbor, cited potential environmental harm, limit of public access to recreational areas, inadequate parking, and the need for lower-cost hotels in the area.

The Coastal Commission staff argued that the proposal to split large rooms into smaller ones, thus adding approximately thirty-one hotel rooms to the resort facility was an intensification of use that required mitigation. Their recommendations included the dedication of a "floating" easement for a future trail skirting the golf course, accommodation of limited camping for youth groups on the old Girl Scout property, payment of an in-lieu fee of $1.1 million and a temporary shuttle service until the trail was created.

Those endorsing most, or all, of the Commission’s staff report, pointed out that a trail had been envisioned by the County for forty years and had been included in the Aliso and Wood Canyons Specific Plan. Some who testified criticized the City for not examining habitat and historical issues that a project of this scope in such a sensitive environment would normally require. SLCA was represented at the hearing supporting: the principles of the Local Coastal Program, the approach of the Ranch in revitalizing the beloved canyon property, and a trail connection, along with suggestions on other details. The full text of our letter is available at SouthLaguna.org.

The final nine to one vote of the Commission resulted in the granting of a coastal development permit to The Ranch.

In-lieu fees were dropped, as was the shuttle. Regarding youth camping, the Commission required a minimum of twelve tent stay opportunities per year at the Girl Scout site with as many forty students at a time. The Ranch agreed to donate $250,000 to be used to explore the location and development of a trail connecting the ocean to the interior canyons.

Before the permit can actually be issued, The Ranch must comply with certain conditions. Coastal staff is preparing a “revised findings” report, including how the easement and the $250,000 trail fund will work. The meeting for the Commission to approve the report has not yet been scheduled. Coastal staff says it could be possible to grant the permit before that hearing takes place if the “pre-issuance” conditions are met.

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Coastal Commission OKs The Ranch at Laguna BeachBy Barbara Miller

SLCA Annual Membership MeetingThursday, February 26, 2015 at 7 p.m.

South Coast Water District31592 West St., South Laguna

Our principal topic will be a Bluebelt presentation, which will feature photos and video of Laguna Beach’s marine reserve and how it looks after two years.

Also, this year we will hear from our newly elected City Council Member, Rob Zur Schmiede, who will give us a 10-minute update on how things are going from his end, followed by a brief question and answer session.

As always, we will have the annual election of SLCA board members.

This will be a special evening of getting acquainted with your neighbors, sharing local information, and lively conversation. Topping it all off, there will be beverages, and food will be furnished by Ferdinand of Cafe Vienna fame.

So come and make new friendships; see you all there.

Cover banner: This year’s whale migration has brought an abundance of sightings along our coast. SLCA Director John Thomas observed these gray whales spouting near-shore just off of Table Rock.

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he Guy Skidmore ( S t o n e h e n g e )

house (at 31381 Coast Highway) that SLCA fought to save has been demolished, after our appeal was denied by the California Coastal Commission. This sad and unnecessary loss has, nevertheless, led us on the trail to more discoveries about the 1920s and 30s in South Laguna. Because of the articles in the paper about the history of Guy’s house we were contacted by members of the Skidmore family, and we learned more about Guy’s brother Joe, sisters Lee and Anita,* and the founding of Coast Royal by the brothers and their mother Catherine Brooks.** The family has works of art by Joane Cromwell, Joe’s second wife and acclaimed artist. Photographs of the South Laguna coastline were discovered, complete with notes pointing out Guy and Joe’s houses, the first ones built in Coast Royal.

That got us history buffs wondering if the Joe Skidmore house is still here. Indeed it is…and we’re going to share the thrill of discovery.

Laguna Beach historian Jane Janz found a Joane Cromwell painting on eBay, described as being of Crystal Cove. But Jane recognized Goff Island and knew that must be Aliso Beach in the mid-ground. In the foreground is a red tile roofed house with a small tower, just like the image in the early photograph; it’s Joe’s house. Joane had done a painting of the house that, tragically, her husband would lose in the Great Depression.

Soon the painting arrived from a collector in Minnesota.Do a little sleuthing and see if you can find this house. Clues: The

tower is no longer, and you can walk there.The house was listed on the historic inventory in 1981. Now a

consultant for the city is evaluating the list of historical buildings again. Are they E (excellent), K (key) or C (contributive)? The Joe Skidmore house was originally rated C (the lowest category), but now the City’s consultant is recommending that it be considered ineligible for local historic listing. Armed with our newfound research that unraveled the mystery of the painting, SLCA will be asking that the building’s historic significance be recognized.

This re-rating is just one of the components of the city’s historical preservation program that will be considered in the coming

Mystery Painting Embellishes South Laguna HistoryBy Ann Christoph

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months. The Heritage Committee meets monthly in the City Council chambers. The next meeting will be March 16. Historic preservation is a key component of keeping South Laguna unique. Discovering the stories behind our quaint cottages, documenting and sharing them, these are the first steps to preservation.

* For whom Anita Street was named** Brooks Street was named for Catherine and her husband Nate

Brooks.

● dues for 2015This is the time to pay your dues, thereby renewing your SLCA membership. The date on the mailing label is the date your membership ends.

If it is 1/2015 or before, please send your check along with the membership coupon at the top of page 3.

ALL 2014 MEMBERSHIPS EXPIRED JANUARY 1. Clip the coupon and mail it with your check

in the enclosed envelope to:

SLCA, P. O. Box 9668, South Laguna, CA 92652-9639

Extra contributions are welcome and appreciated!

Coastline from Coast Royal by Joane Cromwell, late 1920s, early 1930s

afé Vienna was an exceedingly popular spot in South Laguna.

For breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the summer, there was no place more pleasant and the food was superb. Well guess what; there is a new version of Café Vienna at Aliso Beach, and it has been rebranded as Café Vienna 2 Go. It serves dinners only, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday thru Saturday. Entrees include Wiener Schnitzel, Beef Stroganoff, Rack of Lamb, and much, much more. Check out all the details at www.cafevienna2go.com or call (949) 715-7745.

South Laguna Civic Association Dues SLCA Boa rd of Directors

Café Vienna Reborn!By Bill Rihn

Greg O’Loughlin . . . . President . . . . 499-2241Bill Rihn . . . . . . . . . 1st Vice Pres . . 415-1312Mike Beanan . . . . . 2nd Vice Pres . . 499-6367Jim Joseph . . . . . . . . . Secretary . . . . 499-5974Mary Ives . . . . . . . . . Treasurer . . . .499-2857Mel Harwell . . . . . . . . .Director . . . . 499-0541Cindy Love . . . . . . . . .Director . . . . 499-9100Barbara Miller . . . . . . .Director . . . . 499-0505Tom Osborne . . . . . . . .Director . . . . 499-4809John Thomas . . . . . . . .Director . . . . 499-5099Barbara Bowie . . . . . . .Director . . . . 499-9452Morrie Granger . . . . . Alternate . . . . 499-2746James Henry . . . . . . . Alternate . . . . 510-5771Tom Joliet . . . . . . . . . Alternate . . . . 499-1751Ann Christoph . . . . . . .Emerita . . . . 499-3574

Individual $25

Family/Business $45

Supporting $100

Name _____________________________________________________________

Phone (Day) _____________________ (Evening) ____________________________

Address ___________________________________________________________

City ______________________________________________________________

Email _______________________________________________ Date __________

SLCA is a non-profit organization; however, your contributions are not tax deductible . Tax-deductible contributions to the South Laguna Garden Park should be made to CVOC/SL Garden and mailed to SLCA .

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Sponsor $200

Contribution for historical research $ ___________

Friend of the South Laguna Community Garden Park $100

Bob Meyerhof, SLCA Board Director Remembered (1919 – 2014)

ong time SLCA Board Director Robert (Bob) Paul Meyerhof (September 9, 1919 to November 17, 2014)

passed away late last year at the age of ninety-five. As his Los Angeles Times obituary (January 11, 2015) indicated, Bob was a WW II hero, an accomplished architect, ceramicist, and beloved spouse, father, and grandfather. Born in Germany, as a young man he was an alpine skier before attending Cambridge University. When England entered WW II, Bob was unable to finish at Cambridge and risked possible internment as a German citizen. So he immigrated to the United States, living in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he worked at the Hunters Point Shipyards among other places. When the United States entered WW II he volunteered for the US Army’s storied Tenth Mountain Division. Bob trained soldiers in downhill skiing. Serving as a medic in Italy, he won a Bronze Star for bravery by rescuing a

wounded comrade under fire and carrying the soldier to safety. After the war, Bob graduated from UC Berkeley’s School of Architecture on the GI bill, and then worked in Pasadena with renowned architect Richard Neutra. Bob met his to-be wife, Sonia, in a class at UC Berkeley. The couple was married sixty-four years. He remained an avid Cal supporter to the end of his days. Bob and Sonia were longtime residents of Three Arch Bay. Former Laguna Mayor Ann Christoph noted that “Bob was a faithful member of the South Laguna Civic Association Board.” SLCA

Director Cindy Love fondly recalls Bob and Sonia attending SLCA picnics, bringing Bob’s homemade German-style plum pie. “It was his signature dish! Even the crust was homemade – by him … I’m so sorry to learn he’s gone. He sure lived a long and full life. Our community was richer for his presence.”

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Chef Ferdinand Lettner

P.O. Box 9668South Laguna CA 92652-7639

New Local BusinessBy Greg O’Loughlin

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Inside• Annual Meeting to feature Bluebelt marine

reserve and Councilman Rob Zur Schmiede• Coastal Commission hears The Ranch • 1920s SL painting discovered• New business in the village

Join Us!SLCA Annual Meeting Tues. Feb. 26, 7 p.m.at South Coast Water District

ne of my favorite new businesses in our village is Po Siam Thai Massage.

It is located at 31641 South Coast Highway, just south of Coyote Grill.

What a great addition to my workout routine. I use this style of massage more like an assisted stretch therapy. The massage therapists can do basic Swedish style but I prefer the Thai style to improve my flexibility and open up areas that have become tight. Angie, the woman in charge, was trained in Bangkok at the Wat Po Medical School; her therapists customize treatment to your specific needs, so be sure to let them know what will work for you.

They have done an extensive remodel inside so that it feels like a trip back to Thailand and they also have a double room for couples. Their pricing is very affordable.

Phone: (949) 499-1133; Web Address: http://posiam thaimassage.com/users/editorialdisp.php?mn=718765& fn=menu