Laguna council approves bike safety measures

Cyclists in Laguna Beach scored a victory at the City Council meeting Tuesday.

In two separate votes, the council unanimously approved bike routes, designated with signs and sharrows, and a beefed-up education and enforcement campaign developed by the Laguna Beach Police Department.

A slew of recent collisions involving motorists and cyclists, including the deaths of two Laguna Beach residents in the past 14 months, fueled efforts to improve safety on Laguna’s streets.

A working group of cyclists that included Max Isles, Chris Prelitz, Coastline Pilot columnist Billy Fried, City Manager John Pietig, Mayor Pro Tem Bob Whalen and Councilman Kelly Boyd developed the plan.

The goal of the north-south routes is to steer cyclists away from Coast Highway, known for its narrow shoulders and occasional blind spots, which place riders in danger of being struck by cars.

Routes from Ledroit Street in north Laguna to Nyes Place will be marked with signage and sharrows — pavement markings reminding motorists that bicyclists are permitted to use the full lane.

For example, a portion of Glenneyre Street already has sharrows but more will be added from Bluebird Canyon Drive south to Nyes Place. Routes will also loop inland along Mountain Road and Temple Terrace near Laguna Beach High School.

Cliff Drive also has sharrows, but more will be added to mark the road as it connects with Beach Street, according to a map included with a city staff report. The route links Forest Avenue with 2nd and Mermaid streets downtown before heading south onto Catalina Street and eventually Glenneyre.

The council’s approval also includes creating a dedicated bike lane in the existing shoulder along Monterey Street in north Laguna, with the pavement painted green at intermittent points.

Caltrans must still approve certain routes along Broadway Street, which should take six months, the staff report says. In the meantime, the city can stripe and add sharrows on city-owned streets. The city already has the $20,000 needed for signage and sharrows in its budget.

Sharrows will be placed immediately after every intersection and every 250 feet until the next intersection.

Councilwoman Toni Iseman was concerned that a portion of Glenneyre Street approaching Nyes Place might be too narrow for sharrows in both directions and wondered how cars and cyclists could safety navigate the area.

“People take turns passing each other,” Iseman said. “A sharrow headed northbound is going to be in the southbound lane. There is not eight feet [from the center of the road]. You have a narrow space.”

But consultant Steve Brown from the transportation planning firm Fehr & Peers said sharrows could be placed in both directions of the road.

Iseman also expressed concern that certain cyclists might not be familiar with Laguna’s undulating, narrow streets.

“We’re going to be advertising this to people all over,” Iseman said. “How do we say, ‘You’re going from an intermediate slope to a black diamond slope on a bike?’”

Brown suggested offering cyclists maps as a public outreach.

“It’s not explicitly safe or appropriate for all users,” Brown said. “In this case, it is safer than Coast Highway.”

Laguna Beach police will embark on a public relations campaign to remind people that cyclists share the road with motorists and pedestrians.

Police will place digital message boards at major thoroughfares throughout the city during peak times for pedestrians and bicyclists.

On four days, officers wearing reflective vests bearing the words “bike, walk, board-safe” will interact with pedestrians, cyclists and skateboarders who travel against red “no crossing” signs or jaywalk, according to the staff report.

The idea is to issue written warnings — instead of citations — to gain compliance, the report says.

Extra police officers will patrol crosswalks on eight designated days to catch violators. Funding for the added staff time will come from the city’s budget and California Office of Traffic Safety grant money, according to the staff report.

Speakers during the public comment portion said police need to focus more on catching distracted drivers.

“If I see one more person texting or drinking coffee or fixing hair while driving, I’m going to get a water gun, fill it with red dye and shoot at people,” former Mayor Jane Egly said. “Speeding is horrible. I was coming into town on Hillcrest [Drive] going 25 mph, and an SUV passed me and frightened a lady with a baby carriage. Slow down ... put the phone away.”

Resident Mick Donoff said he currently opts to ride in Dana Point or surrounding cities, calling Laguna a “scary place to go.”

Donoff, though, thinks the steps taken Tuesday are a good start.

“I applaud you for finally making a move to protect us,” Donoff said.

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Rooftozp deck approved

Also Tuesday, the City Council unanimously approved a rooftop deck atop the historic Heisler building.

The building at 422 S. Coast Hwy., which houses Tommy Bahama and Rock N’ Fish restaurants on the first and second floors, respectively, will have a 1,348-square-foot dining space — raised 3 1/2 feet — with umbrellas at eight fixed locations and a transparent railing bordering the space.

With the deck, the building, deemed exceptional for its historic value to the city, will exceed allowable height limits, but the council granted a variance, heeding the Planning Commission’s 2-1 approval of the project last month.

The deck will seat 75 customers and be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, according to a city staff report.

Plans once included an elevator, but that idea was scrapped after residents said views could be blocked.

Deck backers lauded the space as way to revitalize the area and provide a dining option offering views of the ocean and surrounding hillsides.

Not everyone was happy with the decision.

Former Planning Commissioner Barbara Metzger, on behalf of preservationist group Village Laguna, said the deck and diners will be visible from the street and will block views of Bird Rock from a nearby parking structure.

“We think this would wreck the building,” Metzger said. “This is not the way the historic preservation ordinance is supposed to work. The [U.S] Secretary of Interior’s Standards are clear that a rooftop structure should not be visible from the street.”

In its staff report, the city claims the project is consistent with standards for preserving, rehabilitating and restoring historic properties, and the Heritage Committee vetted the deck at three public meetings.

“The Heritage Committee and Planning Commission got it right,” Councilman Steve Dicterow said. “[Building owner] Sam [Goldstein], your building is the most beautiful downtown. I think we should be encouraging rooftop dining and sidewalk dining.

“Whether this will make things more viable downtown, the marketplace will determine that. When you look at other areas around that do stuff that revitalizes the area, it makes for greater public safety. This is a win-win.”

Before the city issues a building permit, the Planning Commission must review a plan to include lights on the underside of umbrellas, architect Todd Skenderian said.