Laguna’s charm? That’s a trademark
During most public discussions of Laguna Beach’s economic climate, the topic of formula-based businesses inevitably arises — and, with it, a fair share of strong opinions on the issue.
Through the years, Laguna Beach developed a reputation as a city hesitant to welcome formula-based chains, instead preferring small mom-and-pop stores to maintain the town’s village-like charm.
Some residents, and representatives from MIG, a city-hired urban planning firm, said Laguna has done an adequate job of harboring a mix of stores, but others countered that the city could benefit by relaxing some of its current rules on the types of businesses occupying commercial spaces.
Expect further public debate this year as the city updates its downtown specific plan, a key document that outlines development standards such as land use and design in Laguna’s commercial core.
The current downtown specific plan states: “Importantly, the downtown must provide a diverse mix of uses that offer distinctive merchandise and that avoid the standardized product offering associated with formula businesses.
“The economic vitality of the downtown is dependent upon businesses selling imaginative, quality, non-mass produced products that cannot be found, or are in limited supply, elsewhere in the area. The downtown cannot and should not try to compete with regional shopping malls, but rather, build on the ambience of the established village character.”
Laguna doesn’t have “big-box” retailers such as Costco or Walmart, but the city has its share of businesses with footprints in Laguna and other cities. Examples include Whole Foods Market, BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, Hobie Surf Shop and Robin’s Jeans.
“We believe the worst thing is to see an empty storefront,” Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Laura Henkels said.
A formula-based business, when done right, can succeed in Laguna, Henkels said.
Henkels mentioned Tommy Bahama, a clothing shop and restaurant toting a relaxed, beach-centric image in the historic Heisler building, as an example.
“When the [City] Council and Planning Commission decide which formula-based businesses to approve, they ask them to tweak the form so it looks different than other businesses [in different cities],” Henkels said.
Decades-old black-and-white photos showing Laguna’s cityscape, along with a lifeguard uniform attached to a canvas, hang inside the walls of Tommy Bahama’s clothing shop.
Sam Goldstein, who owns the Heisler building, said he pursued Tommy Bahama for several reasons.
“They deliver a product perfect for the lifestyle of Laguna Beach,” Goldstein said of Tommy Bahama, which moved into the space six years ago. He said he also sought the company for its financial stability, because “they can pay rent.”
“They are a clean, ethical operation,” Goldstein said.
Others, though, cringe at relaxing rules that could allow more chain businesses to occupy spaces in town.
The grass-roots community organization Village Laguna sent a letter to the city in December that included a list of concerns as the city and MIG consider policy changes that will affect the type of merchants offering products to residents and summer tourists who blanket Laguna’s beaches and stroll the city’s sidewalks.
“Changes to the current methods of handling formula-based businesses could negatively impact the character of the downtown,” Village Laguna President Johanna Felder wrote in the letter.
Felder further explained the organization’s opinion during a phone call, saying, “People come to Laguna for the specialty stores. We see the downtown as vital, and don’t think it needs a lot of change.”
A group of residents established Village Laguna in 1971 to oppose construction of high-rise buildings along Laguna’s coastline, according to the organization’s website.
MIG officials admitted the days when one could conduct all errands in an area encompassing a few blocks are all but a memory, and that Laguna Beach is not the only city seeing shoppers migrate to the computer or other locations to purchase goods and services.
Laguna merchants reported seeing fewer residents visiting stores during last month’s holiday shopping season and worry the trend may continue, leading to reduced sales as some try to remain in business.
Goldstein acknowledged that maintaining a business in Laguna is difficult with high rents and the lure of online shopping. Entrepreneurs may need to discount merchandise to lure shoppers through the doors, he said.
“What are we going to offer to get them to stay?” Goldstein said. “You have to have companies that offer deals. People are so used to big-brand stores to get better pricing.”
The next joint public meeting of the City Council, Planning Commission and MIG will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall. City leaders will discuss parking and traffic concerns and how those issues factor into future planning.
City Hall is at 505 Forest Ave.
