[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6484614,"mediaKeyId","5611840-71287425686f4f9cec582cd355f96643","parentId",5611840,"title","Planning commission grants design, coastal and use approvals for Laguna Nursery and approves limited sign variance","audioSeconds",5318,"startMs",1809000,"endMs",7127000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5611840-71287425686f4f9cec582cd355f96643&start=1809&end=7127","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5611840-71287425686f4f9cec582cd355f96643/thumbnail_1809000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6484614/Laguna-Beach/Orange-County/California/Planning-commission-grants-design-coastal-and-use-approvals-for-Laguna-Nursery-and-approves-limited-sign-variance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6484614-0b3877e273cadceabec0c848b603b80d/orig.mp4?Expires=1773605343&Signature=Zog8~Ua3QXBteXQYmz-heBe61WRURSRkc8Fw~8gy~aHCmXkf~tAPz7O2nT4OdPOGLNdTeDKeg16tjzwUIvRC62oY0mE2QCNCxlDvifShuEvVvQwHWKr3uLRvER2RtX34W4CmYtH2rRDlw0cgLJQZWSw~gGPJMWBczJWP5r0CEWutANo1z0857XRovRQwkztDatjkdWnd3TFsoXxKh8~Ejqa49luMlTPne3HETj6tLeteAnNfPz6a0F4wYnQBp0ztKubicdFtfyeSS0uBUXluC2WUbIViJFqa9T2J-rg8MZb~qtw8OawfiXTJHAkmyGVTqXkYhNkjZ-cyGecwIJbhdQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","CityofLagunaBeachCA","date","2025-08-21T05:07:24.323Z","article","The Laguna Beach Planning Commission on Aug. 20 approved a package of entitlements for Laguna Nursery at 481 North Coast Highway — including design review, a coastal development permit, a conditional use permit for outdoor display and valet parking, and a sign permit — and granted a limited variance related only to the site’s total allowable wall sign area after weeks of debate and more than a dozen public comments.

Planning staff summarized the application as a multi‑entitlement request for an existing multi‑tenant building occupied by Laguna Nursery, a massage center and a nail salon. The proposal included outdoor display areas around three sides of the nursery, five signs (four wall signs and a blade sign), parking lot restriping and exterior color changes. Staff said the project was submitted in response to a code‑enforcement case and that the applicant had installed signage and outdoor displays without required permits.

Staff told the commission the site’s allowable combined wall sign area (based on suite frontage) is 21 square feet, while the applicant’s proposal originally totaled 45.44 square feet and requested variances to exceed both the allowable sign area and the maximum number of wall signs. The application also showed 12 on‑site parking spaces where the code required 13 based on the proposed outdoor display area. Staff recommended approval of design review, the coastal permit, the conditional use permit and the sign permit conditioned to bring the project into code compliance, and recommended denial of the requested variances unless the applicant reduced the display area and eliminated signs.

The applicant proposed adjustments during the hearing. Owner Ruben Flores described the business as a boutique nursery that requires outdoor space for plants and goods and said he had field‑grown olive trees and planned to add a coast live oak; he proposed removing one wall sign and reducing another to meet code. \"Plants and soil and pots fountains all need an exterior environment,\" Flores said during his presentation.

Public comment included about 15 speakers supporting the nursery, emphasizing its role in community garden walks and local beautification. Several residents urged the commission to be flexible on signage and parking given the site’s recessed storefront and limited visibility from Coast Highway.

Commissioners and staff negotiated an outcome that would avoid approving broad variances for parking while addressing visibility and the nursery’s operational needs. The commission ultimately directed staff to return with a resolution approving design review 24‑21901, coastal development permit 24‑2411, conditional use permit 24‑21903 and sign permit 24‑21603, and approved variance 24‑2410 only as it pertained to total allowable wall sign area with the specific reconfiguration the commission described (move the existing cut‑letter nursery sign to the Coast Highway location proposed for Sign 5; eliminate the originally proposed Sign 5; reduce the north wall sign by 50 percent). Staff will prepare a final resolution reflecting those changes. Commissioner Sadler voted no on the variance; the other commissioners voted yes, and the motion passed.

Staff also recommended a condition allowing the applicant to seek an administrative adjustment to outdoor display if the city’s upcoming zoning code update changes parking rules; staff said a new condition would allow administrative review and approval for additional display if later code revisions made the display lawful without variances.

The commission’s decision resolves the outstanding code‑enforcement case provided the applicant follows the approved site plan and conditions; staff will verify compliance before closing the enforcement matter.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Planning Commission Meeting - August 20, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Laguna Beach Planning Commission on Aug. 20 approved design review, a coastal development permit, a conditional use permit and a sign permit for Laguna Nursery at 481 North Coast Highway and approved a limited sign variance tied to a specific sign reconfiguration.","taxTitle","Laguna Beach, Orange County, California","taxId",56774,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6484619,"Planning commission approves sign permit for Hotel Le Petit Pali; signs already installed",829,955000,1784000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5611840-71287425686f4f9cec582cd355f96643&start=955&end=1784","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5611840-71287425686f4f9cec582cd355f96643/thumbnail_955000.jpg","/articles/6484619/Laguna-Beach/Orange-County/California/Planning-commission-approves-sign-permit-for-Hotel-Le-Petit-Pali-signs-already-installed","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6484619-3d7eb4c0f70fdba4c29438677ef9bac9/orig.mp4?Expires=1773605343&Signature=TQ-Zri1Hkxpd6tLvWdxckRh3cWwFK5T2PL2fsT9JjbG0E91QwQIyg-HDtJjEdO2V4R~LoAak3eBFl1m4XXCaUIIFHHcMG5Fp~7onkZxaW74trggpPYYwWGt-wWXLNBMWzb7ZWpbHbqRnUvJxpbi2lV1xtsfZE~b3P6ddL~82sMXh2BS0YtEbjQr~7AiUzOvHbISGkKAWLA8VSwOGNWEOkOH1IAYM~heApOzpidon4h4Pjd44pPRTZpBpy8oAeReqVec56IyELDGzw5ktx-sriOXuGPekm3POtDhI113hRURmbWF8A5moAMt0KHVBysnS-PpQ4Hx94yZQL6rGfisoXQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Laguna Beach Planning Commission voted Aug. 20 to approve a sign permit for Hotel Le Petit Pali at 30806 Coast Highway, after staff told the commission the signs had already been installed without prior permit approval.

Planning staff said the hotel — a 39‑guest‑room property that received design‑review approval in May 2024 for its renovation but did not include a sign permit at that time — installed two logo wall signs and a retrofit freestanding monument sign before applying for approval. \"The wall sign near the lobby will be approximately 6 square feet with 20‑inch tall letters,\" staff said, and the other wall sign is about 4 square feet with 17‑inch letters; both are halo‑lit channel letters with green painted aluminum faces. The monument retrofit sign is approximately 7 square feet.

Commissioners questioned why the signs were not processed administratively if they complied with the sign ordinance; staff replied the wall‑letter height exceeded the eight‑inch threshold that requires a formal permit. Staff also said it discovered the installed signage during building permit inspections and has withheld issuance of a building final until the sign permit is processed. Staff added the hotel is currently open and functioning, and the property has had temporary certificates of occupancy that the owner has had to renew.

The applicant’s architect said the team moved quickly to submit the sign permit upon learning the signs had been installed and that the monument sign reused an existing monument structure and has electricity available, so the signs are not solar powered.

After public comment that included a mix of aesthetic critiques and praise for the hotel’s renovation, the commission voted to adopt a resolution approving sign permit 25‑1615 and finding the action exempt from CEQA. Commissioners voted in favor on a roll call: Sadler yes; Whiting yes; Dubin yes; Chair Pro Tem Goldman yes; Chair Kellenberg yes.

Staff will finalize the building permit after the sign permit is executed and related conditions are met.","The commission approved a post‑installation sign permit for Hotel Le Petit Pali at 30806 Coast Highway. Staff said the hotel installed signage without a permit and staff withheld final building permit until the sign application was filed; the hotel is open with a temporary occupancy status.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6484623,"Laguna Beach planning commission approves Piatti restaurant sign permit",446,465000,911000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5611840-71287425686f4f9cec582cd355f96643&start=465&end=911","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5611840-71287425686f4f9cec582cd355f96643/thumbnail_465000.jpg","/articles/6484623/Laguna-Beach/Orange-County/California/Laguna-Beach-planning-commission-approves-Piatti-restaurant-sign-permit","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6484623-47ea42eed987d65439f14239ea38ec70/orig.mp4?Expires=1773605343&Signature=VjiJll0zT4H~a7MXzbOp726yfLZRB4ccSovVkE73bs25cV0JOpjIN7gaYyLutZehdgn3kfMFPCzDcgsRkuipOuOlIoVk~StYUEUut~m79JFW7MRg-Gt-vchSdLwN1WaoDuETjVcTOmGa-q53TCH-ZceDRyVhZiRT5SJL03StU2yym1ErbLbNuV2hr3VNNqj3gOccbCUACRxNktb5vFQNDPh6P~mOLe2TGBt~6sDo0QxiMOQDwmyAdhwpi6yRxLXGlC~B0GjXscxCz70aabDMuXf1v6WWkftb4OXC08MuMovigb6CuR73oBWiqBInjyWXnfKqPa~ObwdGzDTacaieSQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Laguna Beach Planning Commission voted unanimously Aug. 20 to adopt a resolution approving a sign permit for the Piatti restaurant at 222 Ocean Avenue.

Staff presented the application as a request for one non‑illuminated wall sign and one illuminated blade sign on a property listed on the city’s local historic register. \"The proposed wall sign will be approximately 7 and a half square feet with letter heights of 17 inches,\" planning staff told the commission, and the blade sign would be 1.9 square feet with 5½‑inch letters, powered by solar panels with 3,000 Kelvin LED bulbs.

Staff said the city architectural historian advised reducing the wall‑sign letter height to better match the building’s previous signage and that the reduced lettering is reflected in the plans. \"Overall, staff finds that the proposed signs meet the requirements of the municipal code and design standards of the downtown specific plan and recommends ... approving the sign permit and find said action exempt from CEQA,\" the staff presenter said.

Commissioners asked technical questions about the blade sign’s construction and the proposed solar lighting. A sign contractor confirmed the blade sign would be hollow rather than one‑inch solid aluminum, and staff suggested the commission could make running electrical (instead of solar panels) a condition of approval if the commission preferred powered lighting for aesthetic reasons.

A motion to adopt the resolution approving sign permit 25‑1575 and finding the action exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act passed on a roll‑call vote: Commissioner Sadler, yes; Commissioner Whiting, yes; Commissioner Dubin, yes; Chair Pro Tem Goldman, yes; Chair Kellenberg, yes.

The permit allows Piatti to install the two signs as revised in the plans presented to the commission; staff noted the applicant had incorporated the architectural historian’s recommendation on letter height. The commission did not add other conditions at the hearing.","The planning commission unanimously approved a sign permit for Piatti at 222 Ocean Avenue, allowing a non‑illuminated wall sign and a small illuminated blade sign after staff and the city architectural historian recommended letter‑height adjustments. The action was found exempt from CEQA.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6484609,"Design review for 1110 Glen Eyrie continued; commission asks applicant to maximize retention of 'crazy‑quilt' brickwork",5600,2436000,8036000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5611840-71287425686f4f9cec582cd355f96643&start=2436&end=8036","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5611840-71287425686f4f9cec582cd355f96643/thumbnail_2436000.jpg","/articles/6484609/Laguna-Beach/Orange-County/California/Design-review-for-1110-Glen-Eyrie-continued-commission-asks-applicant-to-maximize-retention-of-crazyquilt-brickwork","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6484609-396b7e665f5c390cd2af43f500f44c2b/orig.mp4?Expires=1773605343&Signature=PL3bqS1TRiLKmEYhgTOuqcfqqIr2Uk~NLekWWTzfnBh2WYjOBZYPX6uthA42AJpYYXyAnsPQ~FFBCEabMKGywokf5sx0IZVhTTU8WGGWuCL2COKGIuT~pzAlNVIlRolwmqJtyzOXUFTAnsGmZeKqeiRU16xiRbHzLs2rkK7Zv2rlXyM20NJbedz75NjGB8sGnZcfFKSO1YnR~tsFHp5m6yho1yV9NpOWQZpgqfhq58vc6CgUAN70-jMSfq77aXPRABwebfa4tji0KcuOUO2Aj0AGFbs2ztONhblTb4FpNpfaf8y672jQwkD3ctXU2RQQA7QucQ3Hrg0L0wP-3jzAKA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Planning Commission continued the design review hearing for 1110 Glen Eyrie on Aug. 20 and directed the applicant to return with revised plans that respond to City Council direction to \"maximize the retention of the existing character‑defining brickwork.\"

Staff summarized the project as facade improvements and associated site changes for a building originally reviewed by the commission in 2023. Since the project was remanded from city council, the applicant revised plans in several ways — increasing replacement trees, changing materials and colors, and proposing partial replacement of perimeter walls — but staff said the most important outstanding issue remained how much of the site’s distinctive \"crazy‑quilt\" brick cladding would be preserved or replaced in kind.

Assistant planner Jessica Mendoza told the commission the applicant submitted contractor and engineering letters saying some brick and site‑wall elements show waterproofing and structural issues; those consultants recommended removal and reconstruction in places, and the engineer suggested demolition of a 12‑foot chimney because of seismic risk. Staff recommended a conditional approval approach that would require the applicant, where preservation in place is infeasible because of documented damage, to reconstruct the brickwork \"in kind\" and to involve skilled masons; staff proposed a condition that would require documentation and a qualified craftsman to ensure replacement matches the existing character.

Commissioners and members of the public raised concerns about relying solely on the applicant's technical reports without independent peer review and asked for photographic inventories and mock‑ups to show how replacement brickwork would appear. Several neighbors urged denial and preservation of the building and mature trees, while the project architect described a six‑step plan to catalog and salvage existing masonry and said the applicant would engage experienced masons and produce mock‑ups before construction.

After deliberation the commission continued the item to Oct. 15 and set a resubmittal deadline of Sept. 10 for revised plans and materials samples. Commissioners said the resubmittal should show elevations that incorporate the council’s direction — maximizing retention or in‑kind replacement of the brickwork (except the chimney, which staff said could be removed because it is structurally compromised and functionally obsolete). The commission also encouraged clearer material samples and a photographic inventory documenting existing brickwork so staff and commissioners can compare preserved versus replaced sections prior to final action.

The motion to continue was adopted on a unanimous roll call; the record notes the decision is appealable to city council.","The commission continued design review for facade and site changes at 1110 Glen Eyrie, directing the applicant to return with revised drawings that reflect the City Council's instruction to maximize retention or in‑kind replacement of the property's distinctive 'crazy‑quilt' brickwork; resubmittal due Sept. 10, continued hearing set for Oct. 15.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Planning commission grants design, coastal and use approvals for Laguna Nursery and approves limited sign variance

Planning commission approves sign permit for Hotel Le Petit Pali; signs already installed

Laguna Beach planning commission approves Piatti restaurant sign permit

Design review for 1110 Glen Eyrie continued; commission asks applicant to maximize retention of 'crazy‑quilt' brickwork