Mailbag: Here’s a way to add artist, low-income housing

As the surge for increasing building size to make possible artist and lower-cost residences without rent control or the Department of Housing and Urban Development continues, affordable studios for artists and mid-to-low income renters could be created all over Laguna by repurposing commercial and residential space, such as old garages and offices that have adequate on-site parking.

Many older garages are unusable, being too narrow to accommodate newer vehicles or having been altered or blocked. Many of these potential studios already exist throughout the city and could be legally repurposed with little or no impact on neighborhoods.

These conversions could also be a means to increase low- to moderate-income dwellings for caregivers, students, seniors and local employees. They would legitimize and make possible benefits for retirees on fixed incomes and more likely ensure building code compliance. The city could enact a special-benefit circumstance and tax credit for legitimatizing necessary renovations, even for historic dwellings, as long as the integrity of the structure, off-street parking and the neighborhood are not compromised.

Creating small and individual studios will encourage creativity and diversity to flourish within the city without overbuilding, mansionizing or compromising precious resources and habitats. I urge the City Council and its commissions to consider this alternative.

Leah Vasquez

Laguna Beach

The writer is an artist and former Laguna Beach arts commissioner.

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Paris killers distort Muhammad’s teachings

Avenged, they said? The prophet Muhammad was not avenged by the massacre of the 12 people at the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

The prophet and the majority of Muslims around the world were betrayed by those who claim to hold Islam as their religion and use it for their own political gains. Shame on them.

But I’ll tell you, those murderer terrorists sure do have something in common with the prophet. It’s in the encounter between a victim and his oppressor. They are the prophet’s and Islam’s enemies. The enemies who would bully, attack and injure him. The enemies who would attempt to silence him. There’s something so ironic about that.

I find it perplexing and sickening that people think they can defend God and the prophet with violence. People who are confident in their religious convictions and in who they are would never be moved by an offensive depiction of their faith figures.

Disgusting.

Mona Shadia

Santa Ana

The writer is a former Coastline Pilot columnist.