City considering benches and picnic tables
I am an attorney and a resident of Old Town Seal Beach. I am writing regarding the benches/picnic tables the city is considering.
I will attend the Recreation and Parks Commission hearing on Sept. 25. I will reserve my comments concerning the benefits of the tables until that time and considering there are many other people who will write to you in that regard. However, I am a strong advocate for retaining the tables on the beach.
I agree there should be some consistency in the benches. I believe the small-town atmosphere lends itself to the multicolored picnic tables with benches that are the general type now on the beach. To put Cement benches on the beach in their place would ruin that small-town atmosphere.
However, perhaps if the concrete benches were painted it might be an alternative and create consistency. However, to place concrete benches only at the street entries to the beach would then make it difficult for residents on the beach to take advantage of using park benches in front of their homes.
I am agreeable to some type of permit with a fee which would make the person putting the bench out responsible for maintaining that bench. Again, I would recommend a wooden picnic table with connected seating as the permitted type. Otherwise, we wind up with metal benches and other nonconforming tables and benches.
Stanley Hartford
Seal Beach
Conflicting goals of West County Connectors project
I am writing to draw attention to the conflict between the goals of the West County Connectors project and the effects of the I-405 Toll Lanes proposal. I’ll start by thanking the Sun for its recent detailed stories on opposition to the I-405 Toll Lanes proposal, as well as its coverage of the WCC “Bridge Bash” milestone.
As quoted in your piece, the purpose of the WCC project is to reduce the need for thousands of vehicles daily that use the HOV lanes to cross all but one or two lanes of these very wide freeways twice in order to go from one HOV lane to another.
As currently proposed, the Toll Lanes in Seal Beach would include the WCC project connectors, taking over the lanes between the two connectors and requiring drivers using them to have a transponder, and to have at least three persons per vehicle to use it free, with a new transponder incompatible with those used on other freeways
This will undo many of the alleged safety benefits of the WCC project.
Many of the HOV users on SR-22, I-605, and I-405 will not have the correct transponder or will not want to pay the toll. These drivers will go back to crossing the freeway to get out of the toll lane to the other side of the WCC project area, then crossing again to get to the HOV lanes, just as before the WCC project, but with even more lanes. In effect, most of the cost of the WCC project is retroactively diverted to creating three miles of toll lanes.
If the Toll Lanes option is selected, for safety reasons the toll requirement should only extend to the SR-22 connector, except to allow toll-paying traffic without passengers to connect to or from the I-605.
Matt Filler
Seal Beach
Dogged by frustrations
I have been a resident of Seal Beach for two years now. I love this beach city. It’s really like no other. When I moved here after my divorce, I was fortunate enough to find a place for myself and my 4-year-old shiz tu pug mix “Shugg.”
Shortly after I met someone who also had a small dog and we now live together. My landlord, who also has a dog, told me no other dog was allowed, even after offering him a second pet deposit of $400. I was told I would have to move.
Since then I’ve been looking, and every rental listing I have seen says no pets. Mind you that it has been 25-30 listings so far. It’s hard to believe. Every day, I walk my dog I see tons of other residents walking their dogs. Are they all homeowners I wonder? I really love Old Town Seal Beach and would not be happy living anywhere else. My second issue that I have addressed to the city on many occasions to no resolve is resident parking. The city provides plenty of public parking but in turn does not ensure resident parking by way of permit only. I live by Zoeter Field and have noticed in the last year that the number of events there have more than tripled, leaving residents in a large rental community area nowhere to park. So realistically, you’re looking at three to four days out of the week.
Residential neighborhoods one block away on 13th Street are ensured parking via a parking permitted street.
Bill Wilburn
Seal Beach
Landscaping brings out the neighbors
Thank you for your article on the landscaping at my home. The concrete panels are cured and looking good. The black mulch (my son’s idea), frames them well and they are practically maintenance free. Many people have stopped by to talk to me about my panels and my new landscape—almost finished, with only suffering a few minor heatstrokes.
This project has given me a chance to talk to those who have asked about the benefits of drought-tolerant plants, concrete’s behavior, and all sorts of other stuff that have no relevance to design or construction. Our mailman, Michael, called it his “zen corner.” I like that term as I want it to be a quiet yard to slow peoples’ pace as they move through space.
This project has attracted a lot of kindness and humanity from our neighbors. One brought cuttings from her own garden and another neighbor brought a huge succulent plant. They are all planted and happy in their new home.
We also have winged guests visiting the butterfly bush, milkweed and lavender on daily basis.
As this project nears it’s final phase, I realize how much I enjoy being out there, talking to grandma and grandpas, kids and new neighbors. I’ve decided not to reconnect the sprinklers and water plants and trees individually- every day or every other day in the heat and in their infancy to once a week when the weather gets a little cooler until they are established followed by once a month after that. This practice saves water and forces me to get out there and slow down my pace. It’s time for me to go to Lowe’s since they have their bags of mulch on sale for $2.50 this weekend and I need 25 more bags.
Fariba Khalvati Beighlie
Seal Beach
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