CITYSCAPE ROUNDUP: Toll Road hearing is postponed

An Oct. 11 California Coastal Commission hearing in Long Beach on the proposed Foothill Toll Road extension through South Orange County was postponed and no new date has been set.

The toll road proposal has generated heated opposition from local environmentalists and surfers.

Members of the Laguna Canyon Conservancy and Surfrider Foundation had planned to charter a bus — and provide lunch — to those who planned to attend and argue against the proposed 16-mile, six-lane toll road.

The road as proposed would begin at the 241 Toll Road terminus at Oso Parkway and run through San Onofre State Beach near Trestles Beach, a prime surfing spot in San Diego County.

The project cannot go forward without a finding of “consistency” with the Coastal Act.

Coastal staff had recommended against such a finding based on numerous alleged adverse effects on wildlife and endangered species as well as potentially harming the “near perfect waves” at Trestles, according to the coastal staff report.

More information about the project and the Coastal Commission staff report can be found at www.coastal.ca.gov.

Veterans plan Oktoberfest bash

Laguna Beach VFW Post 5868 is planning its annual Oktoberfest fundraiser from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Veterans Memorial Center, 684 Legion St.

Authentic German cuisine will be served, including bratwurst, strudel, red cabbage and potato salad. A raffle with prizes will also be held.

A donation of $10 per person is requested, with proceeds going to hospitalized and disabled veterans and other charities.

For reservations, call (949) 494-8616.

Challenge grant awarded to shelter

Hearts of Montage has awarded a $15,000 challenge grant to the Friendship Shelter. Under the terms of the grant, individual and corporate gifts and foundation grants awarded Friendship Shelter will be matched on a 1:1 ratio until the award amount is reached. These monies will be used to fund core programming and help launch new employment and education initiatives.

Hearts of Montage is a volunteer outreach group founded and led by the employees of Montage Resort & Spa in Laguna Beach.

League continues series on immigration study

The League of Women Voters and the Social Action Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Laguna Beach are offering Session 2 of the League’s Immigration Study at 9:15 a.m. Saturday at the Fellowship, 429 Cypress Drive.

Zohreh Behbehani, a retired professor of International Business and Immigration Law, will lead this session, focusing on federal immigration policy and laws in the United States. Included will be a discussion of family reunification as an important aspect of federal policy, and possible reforms in and enforcement of the immigration laws

Patriots Day Parade work begins

The Laguna Beach Patriots Day Parade Committee has begun organizing the 42nd parade which will march through Laguna March 1.

Officers re-elected to a new term are: Charlie Quilter, president; Douglas Miller, vice president; Jean Law, secretary; and Sandi Werthe, treasurer.

The 2008 Parade theme is “Stars and Stripes Forever.”

The program advertising deadline is Jan. 11, and the entry deadline is Jan. 18. For more information, call Werthe at (949) 494-6016.

Unwanted electronics to be collected Saturday

Surterre Properties will host an “e-waste” collection from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday at the Laguna Beach Unified School District parking lot.

Outdated, unused or broken electronic equipment may be delivered the parking lot at 550 Blumont St. on the corner of Park Avenue.

Computers, monitors, television sets, keyboards, “mice,” fax machines and printers all will be accepted. There are no forms to fill out or fees to pay.

Dropoffs will be taken to a recycling center and profits will be donated to Earth Resource Foundation.

For more information, call (949) 874-9293.

— Barbara Diamond

Turnabout Thrift Shop receives a face lift

Recent renovations to the Laguna Beach Assistance League’s thrift shop were further enhanced by a donation of repainted and new signs from Jerry and Linda Werner, owners of 3D Signs. In addition to the signage, the shop’s exterior has a new coat of white paint while the interior has been re-carpeted.

Shop hours are Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The store is located at 526 Glenneyre St., with parking under the shop and behind, off Goff Street.

Quality donations to the shop are always welcome. The shop is the major funding source for the league’s many philanthropic programs.

For more information, call (949) 494-5977.

Design Board, Housing committee openings

The Laguna Beach City Council is accepting applications for open seats on the Board of Adjustment/Design Review Board and the Housing and Human Services Committee.

Appointments to the Design Review Board will be made to fill two regular terms to Feb. 1, 2010, and the term of the alternate to Feb. 1, 2009. Interviews will be at 6 p.m. Nov. 20 at the regular Council meeting. Council members request applicants attend two current meetings of the board prior to the interviews.

Applications are also being accepted for one vacancy on the Housing and Human Services Committee. The committee term is for the period of Nov. 1 to Oct. 31, 2009. The Committee consists of seven members who serve two-year terms.

Board of Adjustment/Design Review Board members serve a two-year term and are compensated in the amount of $230 per month. The Board’s regular meetings are the first four Thursdays of the month at 6 p.m.

The Board of Adjustment is a five-member body that considers requests for variance from the zoning code and coastal development permits. They also sit as the city’s Design Review Board. The alternate member prepares for and attends all meetings, but sits as a member only when fewer than five members are present and participating.

A time commitment of approximately 10 hours per week is necessary to be a Design Board member. In addition to weekly meetings, board members and the alternate are expected to visit the sites and review the plans of projects prior to the meeting. The board acts on an average of 15 items per week. It is desirable to have or be able to understand and conceptualize architectural drawings, and to visualize building mass and volumes based on site-staking plans. Experience in the building trades, architecture, historic preservation, landscaping, planning and/or real estate would be an asset.

Laguna Beach residents who are interested in joining the Board of Adjustment/Design Review Board should obtain an application from the City Clerk’s office or at the www.lagunabeachcity.net and file it by 5 p.m. Nov. 13.

Laguna Beach residents who are interested in applying for the Committee seat must submit an application by 5 p.m. Oct. 30, available at the City Clerk’s office or online at www.lagunabeachcity.net. Applicants will be interviewed by the Council at their regular meeting, 6 p.m. Nov. 6.

Questions may be directed to the City Clerk’s office at (949) 497-0705.