Affordable Housing NCC

Here are the proposed elevation views for the "affordable housing" project by Related California at the Neighborhood Congregational Church site, St Anns and Glenneyre provided by Change.org. The project proposes 72-units on 3-floors atop a 108-space parking garage.

 

 From Change.org:   

Traffic and Parking Concerns: The proposed development lacks adequate provisions for parking, which will exacerbate the existing traffic congestion issues in the vicinity of St Ann's Dr. With 72 additional units, comprised of studios, 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom apartments with the possibility of over 200 new residents, there will be a surge in vehicular activity, further burdening the already strained infrastructure and making it increasingly challenging for residents to find parking spaces in the area.

"Lacks adequate provisions for parking" and "exacerbate the existing traffic congestion issues" and "there will be a surge in vehicular activity". Whew!  So the solution to traffic congestion issues must be build more of the same right?

If parking is the issue, then a parking garage must be the solution right?  Let's say something totally un-American and un-motorist here:  stop proposing auto dependent communities, build affordable housing instead. Low-income tenants find residential services are within walking distance of this site: 

• Ralphs grocery store: across the street at Glenneyre
• Sunset Drug Store: 1-block away at Thalia and Glenneyre
• Bank:  2-blocks away downtown
• Coffee Shop: Laguna Coffee Company 1-block away at Anita & PCH
  

True affordable housing in Laguna Beach (and elsewhere) is walkable and bikable. Stop building parking structures, garages for cars are NOT affordable housing. Build new affordable housing or refurbish and reuse existing vacancies, what-if Related California built that instead?

-LS