LAGUNA BEACH

Frustrated by the ongoing dispute between the city and the Festival of Arts organization, festival board member Hedy Buzan has resigned from the board of directors.

Buzan sent a letter last week to Mayor Kathleen Blackburn highlighting the reasons behind her resignation. “I am profoundly disturbed by the lease offer proffered to the Festival by the City of Laguna Beach,” she stated in the letter. “I find it unfair to the Festival, disrespectful of the Festival’s past contributions to the community, and lacking in vision and regard for the future of the arts in Laguna Beach.”

The Festival of Arts filed a federal lawsuit last week against the city, contending that the high rent charged by the city is discriminatory and a violation of the nonprofit group’s 1st Amendment rights. “I am philosophically opposed to lawsuits as a method to resolve differences,” Buzan wrote. Buzan said she will continue to volunteer her time to the festival, despite her resignation.