Shores TResidents will meet to discuss aquatic businesses

[lterrero]

The attached article came on the recent La Jolla Light issue about a very important meeting by La Jolla Shores Association scheduled for next Wednesday.

When Leo started kayaking many years ago there were no kayak outfits and it was a breeze for local kayakers to launch, park, and just enjoy the ocean and fishing. He and I commented that these kayak outfits take more and more of our beach for their kayaks and customers than what we residents are allowed to use.

I believe it is in everyone's interest to attend this meeting and let your voices and concerns be heard as the decision taken during this meeting will impact how these business will operate for the next few years.

Please get involved.

Warmest regards to all,
Georgette de Terrero

P.S. I uploaded the article, not sure if I did it correctly...if you don't see it please email me at gdeterrero@earthlink.net and I will send you the PDF.

[jorluivil]

Why are they focusing on kayakers? I could be wrong but on a given day we probably account for 30-40% of the population at LJ. Why is there no mention of the tourist that come and visit the beach?

[Dan]

I can't make this meeting but would very interested if some does go to hear the bullet points.

[Deamon]

I've got no beef with you Iter but you brought it up. I'm not a resident of LJ so this is not my backyard. I have to fight for a spot as does every other non-resident but luckily I'm an early user...usually.
Would I want to restrict a business because it was thriving so the residents can park on their property and on the streets? Umm...no, sorry.
When I speak with people on the beach, most are not from SoCal so why wouldn't we allow them to enjoy these recreations and spend their money here? Being a tourist is not a crime.
When the MPA shutdown Black's Beach, I heard from quite a few that the residents above this beach backed the MPA plan. Yeah their parking issues have been reduced because they freaking shut out all of the fisherman who used to go down the hill to fish the very best surf fishing in the County...for what? To protect Barred Surf Perch and Corbina?
SoCal is crowded. The residents know what they're getting into when they move near the beach. What? Some of you have been residents long before the crowds and you're trying to get it back to the good old days? The residents would put up a long arse rope and buoys at LJ Shores Dr. and Torrey Pines Rd. to block ALL of us out if given the chance.

[bmercury]

Originally Posted by Deamon

I've got no beef with you Iter but you brought it up. I'm not a resident of LJ so this is not my backyard. I have to fight for a spot as does every other non-resident but luckily I'm an early user...usually.
Would I want to restrict a business because it was thriving so the residents can park on their property and on the streets? Umm...no, sorry.
When I speak with people on the beach, most are not from SoCal so why wouldn't we allow them to enjoy these recreations and spend their money here? Being a tourist is not a crime.
When the MPA shutdown Black's Beach, I heard from quite a few that the residents above this beach backed the MPA plan. Yeah their parking issues have been reduced because you freaking shut out all of the fisherman who used to go down the hill to fish the very best surf fishing in the County...
SoCal is crowded. The residents know what they're getting into when they move near the beach. What? Some of you have been residents long before the crowds and you're trying to get it back to the good old days? The residents would put up a long arse rope and buoys at LJ Shores Dr. and Torrey Pines Rd. to block ALL of us out if given the chance.

blacks beach shutdown? can you elaborate?

in any case, all of the rental kayakers are a hazard. they just sit there within and just outside the surf zone in the area that is for launching/landing and not for just sitting there.

[Deamon]

Originally Posted by bmercury

blacks beach shutdown? can you elaborate?

in any case, all of the rental kayakers are a hazard. they just sit there within and just outside the surf zone in the area that is for launching/landing and not for just sitting there.

The best natural rip in the county is just north of the pier, very close to Blacks. This entire area was closed to non-pelagic fishing including all surf zone species. Yeah, you can tell a ranger or The Man that your using ghost shrimp for Mackeral but you'd be lying. Now, us surf fisherman have to walk down the Gliderport path which puts us right into the middle old nasty naked men who flaunt their packages trying to accomplish God knows what...and no where near the best spot as previously mentioned.

I've launched and landed often at the Shores...I have NEVER had an issue with a rental kayak in the zone. Everyone gets in and comes out. This is no reason to block beach access to anyone. If anything, rip down the Beach Club's ropes and open that beach to everyone. What kind of lame control is that? "This is our beach and you must go around"...tell me why the locals wouldn't also do this same rope thing if they had the chance?

[Cbad Mike]

This is about the private business of kayak rentals, snorkeling tours, paddle board rentals and the like. It is NOT about closing the launch to the public for the launch and landing of their personally owned kayaks, paddle boards etc. Although if that's what it takes to control the growth of these businesses whose customers regularly contribute to the parking problems then I promise you that that's what is going to happen.
Yes, I get that their are whiny residents who move in and complain about something that's been there many years before them. Like the morons that moved to La Jolla and then complained about the smell of bird poop coming off the cliffs. Or a better example would be the people who decided that the children's pool shouldn't be used for what it was originally dedicated as and is now under the control of seals.
It is extremely important to understand that the launch could be closed to us and the rest of the public if the residents get too pissed off. I don't feel that they (the local residents) have a problem with the public using the launch for how it was originally intended although a very few might.
I have not been around long enough to state facts but what I believe is this..... Everything was fine and easily overlooked when there was one business renting kayaks to 20 customers a day. Probably even fine and dandy when there was two rental companies who each were catering to 30 customers a day. Well now look at how things have changed. Anyone who has been to the launch twice during the summer months has seen HUNDREDS of customers for EACH of the 3-4 rental businesses. THAT IS WHERE THE PROBLEM IS and the residents understand that.
Have you ever been to the launch and it's hard to drive onto the beach to load or unload because there wasn't any room? The reason that there wasn't any room is because the rental businesses take up the majority of the area with their kayaks and trucks that we are allowed to legally use.
I'm sorry for rambling on but I strongly feel that if we as regular LJ launch users ignore the problems of the residents then WE will ultimately lose out in the end.
Mike

[Scoot]

Well said!

[lterrero]

Originally Posted by Cbad Mike

This is about the private business of kayak rentals, snorkeling tours, paddle board rentals and the like. It is NOT about closing the launch to the public for the launch and landing of their personally owned kayaks, paddle boards etc. Although if that's what it takes to control the growth of these businesses whose customers regularly contribute to the parking problems then I promise you that that's what is going to happen.
Yes, I get that their are whiny residents who move in and complain about something that's been there many years before them. Like the morons that moved to La Jolla and then complained about the smell of bird poop coming off the cliffs. Or a better example would be the people who decided that the children's pool shouldn't be used for what it was originally dedicated as and is now under the control of seals.
It is extremely important to understand that the launch could be closed to us and the rest of the public if the residents get too pissed off. I don't feel that they (the local residents) have a problem with the public using the launch for how it was originally intended although a very few might.
I have not been around long enough to state facts but what I believe is this..... Everything was fine and easily overlooked when there was one business renting kayaks to 20 customers a day. Probably even fine and dandy when there was two rental companies who each were catering to 30 customers a day. Well now look at how things have changed. Anyone who has been to the launch twice during the summer months has seen HUNDREDS of customers for EACH of the 3-4 rental businesses. THAT IS WHERE THE PROBLEM IS and the residents understand that.
Have you ever been to the launch and it's hard to drive onto the beach to load or unload because there wasn't any room? The reason that there wasn't any room is because the rental businesses take up the majority of the area with their kayaks and trucks that we are allowed to legally use.
I'm sorry for rambling on but I strongly feel that if we as regular LJ launch users ignore the problems of the residents then WE will ultimately lose out in the end.
Mike

You got the point, Mike. As the article says "the City's general fund has taken annually more than $350,000 in business license fees and not returned any of this money to improve parking, trash collection and maintaining our beaches in the Shores." When these businesses started they began taking 6 feet of the launching pad, then they took 20 feet, then they took 50 feet, then they took 100 feet and on and on, pushing the regular beachgoers further to the side. The meeting is about the expansion of these businesses and the new agreement that will govern the rules and regulations by which the kayak operators must abide for the next coming years.

[alanw]

Sounds like the city needs to spend the money they collect from the rental businesses to provide parking, or limit the rentals. Perhaps they can provide a park-n-ride during summer from an off-site parking area direct to the beach, and force all rental customers to use it. Also, as a business owner myself I have to pay rent on a building. They should charge the rental businesses by the footage they use on the beach, and only allocate a certain amount to be used for rentals.

I know what the residents are feeling. Here in Dana Point it blows to not be able to get beach parking in my own city during summer. It didn't used to be this way, but it's pretty bad now. It's probably worse in LaJolla. I prefer winters here now because of the tourists. Tourism helps line McDonald's pockets but I think it does little to make this a nicer city to live in.

[GregAndrew]

I don't have any problem with companies making money. But I do have a problem with them using large portions of in-demand public property as their personal storage facility. We have a very similar problem at the Redondo hand launch. A paddle board, and now branching out into other paddle and even sail craft, takes up much of the available space on the ramp and dock of the hand launch. In both cases, I don't mind the patrons using the areas for launch and landing as they are set aside for. But I have issues with giving more rights to public property to one person than another. The problem is that by this time the governing body probably already has their hands in the registers of the businesses in question. And they hate to give up money in their pockets.

[mclanea]

OK, this is related to an issue I had at LJ a few weeks ago. I had no problems doing drop off. Just pulled up and dropped my gear, my wife sat with the boats for the 20-30 min it took me to find parking and walk back.

We launched and returned, no problem. It was a Saturday, the beach launch area was PACKED with outfitters and big groups of people coming in and out. Like 20 kayaks at a time.

I dumped on the way in and an outfitter was very kind to help me out. No problem, everything was super awesome and we pulled our kayaks up on the beach away from the action. I was a little pissed that I dumped so I went back out and practiced, in and out, in and out. OK, no problems.

I walked the 8 blocks back to my car and started to make the drive back. When I got there I could see my wife was in the process of dragging our boats and all our gear basically up to the sidewalk, past the sandy turnaround loading/unloading zone. Did I mention we had a 3 year old with us? Yeah, dragging 13 foot boats and herding a toddler is a good time all by yourself. She was pissed.

"What's up?"

"A life guard came up and said I had to move. That I wasn't allowed to wait for you. I basically just got kicked off the beach."

We weren't too upset about it. It just didn't make any sense. Our stuff was just like 15 feet off the water and didn't seem to be in anyones way.

What did we do wrong? Are there like unwritten rules at LJ that I need to know about? There sure weren't any signs that said we were somewhere controlled by an outfitter.

Anyone?

[ZepBonham]

Dragging them to the street is unnecessary. Drag them north along the cone line or south right along the wooden fence, before getting your car.

[mclanea]

Originally Posted by ZepBonham

Dragging them to the street is unnecessary. Drag them north along the cone line or south right along the wooden fence, before getting your car.

OK, thanks.