Will the cottages be saved?

Property owners will have 18 months to comply with all requirements to acquire any of the four Third Street cottages that will be moved to Big Bend on Laguna Canyon Road, pending council approval of a temporary-use permit for the relocation.

The council voted 3-2 Tuesday to start the clock ticking the day the cottages are moved, subject to the permit.

“I said early on if someone commits in writing that I am for saving the cottages, but I do not favor putting them out there and letting them rot,” said Councilman Kelly Boyd, who voted against the relocation.

“I hope I don’t have to say I told you so.”

Councilwoman Elizabeth Schneider announced that she would vote for the move to end speculation that City Atty. Philip Kohn’s advice that Councilwoman Cheryl Kinsman could vote on the temporary-use permit to allow the removal was a stratagem to block the relocation.

Kohn said the means of removing the cottages from Third Street, either by demolition or relocation, had no financial effect on Kinsman, who owns property within 500 feet of the proposed community/senior center site. One way or another, the cottages would be gone in order to begin construction on the project, Kohn said.

His decision was questioned by members of the audience, as well as Councilwoman Jane Egly, an attorney.

Mayor Toni Iseman said the validity of Kinsman’s vote could be challenged to the Fair Political Practices Commission, which would delay the start of the community/senior center cite cleanup.

“The issue is a TUP [temporary-use permit] on Laguna Canyon Road, not what’s happening at the senior center,” Kinsman said.

A majority of the 15 speakers from the audience favored preserving the cottages on the original site if possible, elsewhere if not.

“First of all, I would like to clarify that the official, unanimous position of the Heritage Committee, of which I am a member, is to preserve the cottages and [their] historic district, and barring that, to relocate the buildings for future use,” said architect Linda Morgenlander, an outspoken critic of the center.

“Contrary to what you might think, I am not generally an activist unless seriously provoked. It wasn’t until the Crystal Cove cottages were endangered and people with knowledge and appreciation of our heritage rallied that I was motivated to speak up.”

Boyd said comparing the Third Street cottages to the Crystal Cove State Park project was not appropriate.

“Those [Cove] cottages are being rented, and the state is making a lot of money,” Boyd said.

The council has set aside $220,000 for the relocation of the Third Street Cottages, although the actual cost is expected to be considerably less.

“This is the fourth time we have asked you to save these [Third Street] cottages,” Ann Christoph said. “Withdrawing now is not fair to all the people who want to save them.”

Laguna Beach Taxpayers Assn. President Martha Lydick advised the city to be cautious.

“My position, our position, is if somebody is going to buy a cottage, get the check up-front,” Lydick said.

The cottages were slated for demolition until December, when Schneider proposed to Iseman that some of them might be saved.

“There was never a deal to save the cottages to get the center,” Schneider said. “We never offered to sell them. They are free and we will store them until the entitlements are approved.

“When the cost was $200,000, I was queasy, but now [that] it is down to $110,000, it is more palatable to me.”

The Third Street cottages are being offered free to anyone who can provide a “final resting place,” pay to move the cottage there and to meet city codes.

Letters of interest have been received by the city on all four cottages, city officials said. However, only one person spoke at Tuesday’s meeting about acquiring one of the cottages.

Ronald Kaufman said he had property around the corner from the center project site, but he is hesitant to make a firm offer or incur engineering costs without knowing if the city would approve his project.

Under the present concept, the cottages would be moved to Big Bend and then one of them would make the return trip to almost the same location — if Kaufman’s proposal is approved.

The council previously discussed the proposed relocation of the cottages at the Dec. 12 and Jan. 30 meetings.

A special council meeting will be held Feb. 20 to review the Planning Commission’s recommendation on whether a temporary-use permit to move the cottages should be granted. The commission meeting is set for Feb. 14.