Dear Friends:
We owe many THANKS to State Senator Tom Harman and his staffer, Emanuel.

TODAY was the day that Caltrans was to transfer the land to the City of Laguna Beach, but after pictures were posted on the website www.betsyrosspatriots.com that showed the workers GAMBLING, LOITERING, and RUNNING THROUGH TRAFFIC Senator Harman called for an emergency meeting with Caltrans to address this dangerous safety issue.

The City of Laguna Beach claimed there was no safety issue, but upon seeing the photos Caltrans immediately pulled the land sale and ordered a 90 investigation.

Please read article below and click on the link to add your own comments. You can view the original photos taken at www.betsyrosspatriots.com

http://www.ocregister.com/news/beach...7-state-center
(please click on this link and add your comments to the story)
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Laguna Beach labor site sale delayed
Caltrans director Will Kempton asked local staff to put a 90-day hold on negotiations for the property.
By AMY TAXIN and CHRISTA WOODALL
The Orange County Register
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Caltrans has delayed the sale of the site of Laguna Beach's day labor center after an Orange County lawmaker complained that the land was being sold too cheap.
In a letter to Sen. Tom Harman, R-Huntington Beach, Caltrans' director Will Kempton said he would put negotiations for the sale of the property on hold for another 90 days after the two met on Tuesday. The only bid to buy the land came from Laguna Beach, which currently leases the 16,810-square foot site for a non-profit that manages the city's day labor hiring center.
Harman said he asked for the delay because he was concerned the state was selling the land too cheaply after lowering the price from $1.26 million for commercial development to $18,000 for open space. He also raised questions about safety, arguing that workers park across the street on another state-owned lot and dart across Laguna Canyon Road, posing a safety problem.
"I think we should take the time out and try to see if we can't get the highest and best value for this property the state has owned for nearly 30 years," said Harman, whose district includes Laguna Beach.
The Laguna Beach day labor site has been at the center of the local debate over illegal immigration for the last few years. The California Department of Transportation found itself caught up in the controversy when a city resident and anti-illegal immigration activist uncovered that the state agency owned the parcel.
Caltrans then put the property up for sale last spring but had no bidders at the commercial price, and later decided to sell the spot as open space. The city of Laguna Beach, which has long used the dusty lot as a hiring center and had discussed zoning it as open space, was the only bidder, according to Kempton's letter.
Laguna Beach City Manager Ken Frank had not received formal notice that the sale had been delayed but did not appear worried. "We have no problem with a delay, and we have no problem with meeting with Senator Harman and Caltrans," Frank said late Wednesday.
Laguna Beach created the hiring site more than a decade ago to prevent laborers from seeking work in residential neighborhoods and create a more orderly process for job-seeking.
Caltrans spokeswoman Pam Gorniak said the delay would not give other bidders the chance to buy the property. Rather, it would give Caltrans and the city an opportunity to meet with Harman to try to resolve some of his concerns, she said.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7722 or ataxin@ocregister.com
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