Summer Beach: Seabreeze Summer, page 7
However, the internet connection at the house didn’t reach upstairs, so that gave him an excuse to go downstairs and find a chair in the library, where he discovered she worked every evening, reviewing pending reservations with Poppy or discussing plans for yoga and horticulture classes with Shelly.
“It’s pleasant enough there,” Bennett finally said. He glanced up. “Please keep looking.”
“I will, but it’s the summer vacation rush. And the horse races in July. And well, August is booked out months in advance.” She shook her head. “You might as well be asking me to make reservations to the moon, especially since you need long-term lodging.”
“Do what you can, please.” He’d boarded up the rear of his house that the fire had swallowed and put a tarp over the gaping hole in the roof, but it would be weeks, at least, until the work was done and he could return.
Nan fidgeted her bright pink nails. “Oh, well…”
As she left, Bennett had the distinct impression that Nan was avoiding this task and conspiring to keep him at Ivy’s.
However, the reports loomed before him, so he turned his attention back to his work.
An hour later, Bennett heard a tap on the door. Boz poked his head in. “Time for the council meeting.”
“So it is.” The reports were pretty dry reading, but he had the gist of the arguments down again.
“There’s been a change in the agenda,” Boz said.
“And what’s that?”
Boz came in and stood before him, flexing his fingers as he spoke. “Has to do with an emergency rezoning issue.”
“On what property?”
“The old Las Brisas property. Ivy and her attorney are here, and I think you’ll be interested in hearing what they have to say.”
“Ivy has an attorney?” He hadn’t heard Ivy say anything about this. “Let’s go.” Bennett clenched his jaw and followed Boz into the chamber where the City Council met.
Bennett was surprised to see Ivy and Imani seated in the small audience. “We’ll start in just a moment.”
With her professional face on, Ivy nodded, as did Imani. Ivy seemed a little nervous, and his heart went out to her. He knew how much the rezoning meant to her—they talked about it over coffee in the morning, but she hadn’t mentioned that she’d be here today. But then, wasn’t that precisely what he’d told her to do? To follow the guidelines and appeal to the City Council? And she’d come prepared. He was pleased that she’d taken his advice.
Bennett picked up his gavel and struck it on its small wooden platform. “The Summer Beach City Council has now come to order.”
The small council—just five members, including himself—decided on general business matters first. A proclamation honoring a retiring teacher was made, and then the council moved on to several issues regarding the recent fire.
The meeting moved along fairly quickly. Bennett consulted the agenda. “Jim Boz, director of planning, is next on the agenda. Mr. Boz, you’re up.” He laced his fingers in front of him, listening intently.
Boz nodded toward Ivy. “I’d like to introduce Ivy Bay Marin and her attorney, Imani Jones, to discuss a matter regarding emergency housing in Summer Beach.”
Ivy stood and faced the council members.
“Ms. Marin, how can we help you?” Bennett asked, trying to keep his tone professional and respectful. Ivy looked especially nice today. He’d seen her in her dark jeans and a white T-shirt before he’d left the Seabreeze this morning, but she’d added a coral necklace and earrings that brought out the highlights in her hair and a nubby white jacket.
Ivy squared her shoulders. “We’ve been talking to Jim Boz in planning, and he asked us to provide additional details on how we impacted the city during the recent Ridgetop Fire, as well as our plans for the future.”
While Ivy paused, Bennett saw Boz nod to her. So Boz was in on this and hadn’t told him. Bennett steepled his fingers and motioned for her to go on. Not that Boz needed to keep him informed of every detail. Bennett trusted his staff to manage their departments.
“My house, which was formerly known as Las Brisas here in Summer Beach, has been housing evacuees for the last week.” As she spoke, Ivy made eye contact with every council member. “Several of the guests have suffered severe damage to their homes. Due to the high summer season, reservations at nearby hotels have been booked months in advance.” She paused and turned to Imani, who handed her a sheaf of papers. “We’ve taken the liberty of surveying the accommodations in Summer Beach, as well as in the surrounding communities, and we’ve found that there are no long-term vacancies for these people. We’ve calculated the number of residents we’re serving.”
Bennett leaned in. “May we see those numbers?”
Ivy handed the papers to him. She wore a serious, earnest expression on her face. As Bennett took the documents from her, he saw Darla and a couple of her friends slip in the rear door and sit down. This isn’t going to be easy, he realized.
Bennett flipped through the document, nodded, and passed it to the next council member. “You’ve been quite thorough.”
A brief smile touched her lips. “I’m concerned that people who have businesses here in Summer Beach would suffer, and we’d lose some of what makes this community unique.” She waved her hand toward Imani.
“Imani has a popular flower stand, Blossoms, in the village,” Ivy said. “And Celia is a volunteer with the school district and runs an important musical program there. Gilda writes for magazines—frequently about Summer Beach. We can’t turn these people away from their community, particularly when they’ve suffered the worst and lost everything they had in the fire.”
Bennett watched his colleagues nodding as Ivy spoke. She made some excellent points.
“And are these people paying for their lodging?” Bennett asked. He had to put this into the record. “In full disclosure, I’ve been staying there since the fire, and I’m remitting payment through iBnB, on online vacation rental service.”
“As a service to the community, we comped everyone for the first two nights, yourself included,” Ivy said. “We have other community service plans, too. My sister Shelly is starting a horticulture club and will be giving weekly garden walks for residents and tourists. I’m planning art classes and an annual art exhibit to bring artists and art lovers to Summer Beach, thereby creating a positive economic impact. And we have large rooms—a ballroom and dining rooms and spacious verandas and a terraced pool area where we can host weddings and parties. This will also employ local residents, such as caterers and students, and bring more money to circulate in the community. On the next page, you’ll find a complete impact analysis.”
As Bennett and the council members reviewed Ivy’s reports, one older council member spoke up. “So what is it that you propose, Ms. Marin?”
“I’d like to have my property zoning changed to allow it to be used as an inn, which will benefit the community,” Ivy said. “The property already has an important historic designation. Julia Morgan, the first licensed female architect in the state of California, designed it. She also designed the Hearst castle, and architecture students still visit to study her style and techniques. In fact, we found the original house plans, and the university made copies for students to study.”
Narrowing his eyes, the older council member tapped the table. “Your husband tried to get an aggressive rezoning, too. Cost our community a lot of money. One has to wonder if you have the same goal, but a different strategy.”
The color drained from Ivy’s face, but she stood firm. After a brief word with Imani, she went on. “Some of you might find it hard to believe, but I knew nothing of this property until my husband’s death. My goal is to maintain and improve the property in keeping with its historical designation. To make economic sense and provide long-term service to the community, I need the proper zoning. But this is the only zoning change I will ask for.”
Bennett thought her response was good, but she hadn’t convinced the council member who’d asked the question. He’d been dead set against Jeremy’s plan, and he also lived in the neighborhood just a few houses from Darla. Ivy wouldn’t get his vote.
A female council member leaned forward. “You’ve submitted your request for a rezoning?”
Boz nodded. “She has, and we’ve had it under review.”
The council member jotted a note. “What’s your opinion?”
Bennett couldn’t read this council member’s face. She was known for her keep-Summer-Beach exclusive campaign, so it was a toss-up as to which way she would vote.
“We’re favorable toward it,” Boz said. “My team and I have been monitoring this situation. Because we have a housing shortage for our evacuees—and this house is an asset that the community can utilize—we recommend the zoning change.”
In the back of the room, Darla shot up her hand.
“Thank you, Mr. Boz, and Ms. Marin,” Bennett said, preparing himself for Darla’s arguments. “We’ll open the floor to comments from others now.”
Darla strode to the podium, her dark blue hair shimmering under the overhead lights. The rhinestones on her visor also captured the light and shot it back out like tiny, multicolored lasers.
Darla grasped the edges of the podium. “I think the council should consider the damage to the neighborhood that an inn will have.”
A council member leaned in. “Such as?”
“The increased traffic and noise.”
“What kind of noise?” the council member asked. “Anything after 10:00 pm?”
Bennett glanced at his colleague, who was an old friend of Darla’s. Bennett could imagine how he’d vote. In fact, Ivy had probably lost his vote before she’d even arrived.
Darla thought for a moment. “One night, one of the guests had a screeching cat. Kept me up half the night.”
“I can just imagine how Ms. Marin’s guests felt,” a council member said.
A chuckle rippled among the council members.
“Well, they’ve taken some of the street parking,” Darla said. “Beach visitors have to park farther away.”
A couple of the council members took notes. A new, younger council member asked Darla, “Besides the angry cat and limited parking, which we all struggle with, is there anything else?”
“It ought to remain a private home like all the rest in the neighborhood,” Darla said, straining to get her point across. “Strangers running around the neighborhood put an old woman like me at risk.”
The young council member merely raised an eyebrow.
Bennett saw Ivy give Darla a compassionate look, and it intrigued him. He’d thought the two of them were locked in disagreement. Celia had told him about a heated encounter on the front lawn of Ivy’s house between Darla, Ivy, and Shelly. And Darla had been the instigator.
The young council member tapped her fingers. “In the summer, a lot of people visit our public beach, which is next to the Las Brisas home.”
“But they’re not traipsing across my property,” Darla said, sputtering.
Another council member asked, “Anything else, ma’am?”
“I should think that’s enough,” Darla said before returning to her seat.
Bennett called for a vote for emergency rezoning, hoping that Ivy would be granted her petition.
Within moments, the rezoning request was approved.
Bennett picked up his gavel. “If there’s no other business, then this meeting is adjourned.”
“Thank you all so much.” A broad smile lit Ivy’s face, and she turned to hug Imani, and then Boz. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”
Imani laughed. “Oh, I think we do. I’ll see you later, I’ve got to get back to Blossoms.”
Bennett longed to take Ivy in his arms and congratulate her on the approval, but he had to maintain his professional demeanor and distance. Instead, Nan congratulated Ivy by throwing her arms around her.
“I’m so happy for you,” Nan said. “I’ve been on your side ever since you arrived in Summer Beach. You were nothing like your husband, God rest his soul, of course.”
“Walk you to your car?” Bennett said after Ivy gathered her papers.
She nodded. “Thanks for your vote.”
“I could have abstained—and some may argue that I should have—but this was the best choice for the community.” If Ivy were ever going to have a real shot at making something of the old house, she had to have this zoning change to offer the services she needed to attract guests. And an inn was far preferable than having to wait for a property tax sale. Realistically, after what the community had spent to defeat her husband’s plan, it could ill afford the cost of purchasing the house, even out of a tax sale. No, this was the best path, and that’s why he had voted for it. His vote had nothing to do with what he felt for Ivy.
And he was feeling plenty for this woman who stood beside him.
Ivy glanced at the large clock that hung at the back of the room. “Oh, I didn’t realize how late it was. I’m supposed to meet Jamir at the hardware store.”
“Then I probably can’t talk you into lunch, either?” He smiled, wishing he could take off, too.
“Jamir is starting the cleanup on the maid’s quarters in the back. Going to need a lot of work.”
“That gives you a few more units?”
“Four. Plus another one that was marked chauffeur’s quarters on top of the garages. I hope to have them ready soon.”
“I’m sure you will.” His gaze fell to her lips, and he felt himself aching for her. “See you later then.”
“Thanks again,” she said.
“Thank the council members who voted for you—and Boz.”
“Nan has been helpful, too. She’s the one who put together the occupancy list of other hotels for me. On her own time,” Ivy hastened to add.
“I see.” Now Nan’s earlier odd behavior made sense. He guessed she really had surveyed all the hotels. If one could trust that, of course. He smiled to himself as Ivy hurried off.
Nan hurried toward him on her way back to her post.
“Nice work on the occupancy list,” he said as she passed.
She turned with a guilty look on her face.
“Relax. Ivy said you did that on your personal time.”
Nan looked relieved.
“And that’s all correct, isn’t it?”
“Absolutely.”
“So you backed the plan for the Seabreeze Inn.” Now he was having a little fun with her. “You wouldn’t have any other motives, would you?” Nan was well known for her matchmaking efforts around town.
Nan’s face turned the brightest shade of red he’d ever seen—it almost matched her bouncy curls.
“I can’t imagine what you’re talking about,” Nan said, her eyes wide with practiced innocence. “I think the world of Ivy and Shelly, that’s all.”
“Just so long as we’re on the same page.” Letting his guard down for a moment, he added, “And I want to thank you for not finding another place. I think I may have already found one.”
Surprise washed across Nan’s face. “Here in Summer Beach? Where?”
“Not too far.” He grinned. No, indeed, not far at all. Maybe a little distance would be a good thing.
Chapter 7
“WE’RE LEGAL!” IVY SHOUTED WHEN she walked into the foyer of her house. She’d had to stop at Nailed It to pay for the materials Jamir needed for the back cottages, but she’d been dying to tell Shelly. Fine time for her phone to have run out of battery.
Shelly raced in from the library. “Woo-hoo! You did it!” She grabbed her, and they jumped up and down together like they had when they were kids. “I was waiting for your call. Dead battery again?”
Ivy nodded. “Like Imani said, it was a close vote,” she said, still flushed with excitement over the change in zoning. “Thank goodness she helped me prepare some excellent talking points.”
Poppy rounded the corner from the library, waggling her hands overhead. “I’m so happy for you, Auntie.”
“Your work paid off, too.” Poppy had helped her prepare the community events they were offering by doing the layout and images. “The visuals you prepared are so professional that it swayed the council.”
“Was you-know-who there?” Shelly asked.
“Darla spoke out against us, of course, but she didn’t really have anything solid. Actually, I felt sorry for her. She talked about strangers putting her at risk. That made me wonder. Anyway, as Imani said, one of the council members was an old friend of hers. But three out of five was enough to pass.”
Celia and Megan came in from the living room, where they’d been working on their laptops, and joined the celebration. Although they were guests, they had a stake in Seabreeze Inn’s success, too. Megan was writing the documentary script, while Celia was bringing in music students from her school program to practice their performances in the music room. She’d even paid to have the piano tuned. Ivy loved hearing music fill the house.
“Time to celebrate,” Shelly said, thrusting an arm in the air. “It’s Sea Breeze time, and now it’s official. We should have a sign made.”
“I’ve got the website ready to go,” Poppy said, twirling Shelly around.
All the women wound up in the kitchen, laughing and talking about future plans. Ivy watched Celia, who seemed happy to have company. Ivy felt terrible for her. On the day Tyler had stormed out, he’d taken the boat and set sail, not telling her where he was going. She’d been tracking his movements on social media ever since. though he wouldn’t take her calls. So Ivy had started including her in activities. Celia had even helped Shelly plant flowers.
Shelly mixed pink grapefruit and cranberry juice, while Ivy pulled out a tray of cheese and added crackers and grapes.
Celia glanced around. “I can help. How about I make a salad? I bought fresh vegetables from the Farmers Market.”
