Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council grants appeal, remands 1560 Sunset Ridge design review over height variance
Summary
The council granted an appeal of Design Review Board approval for 1560 Sunset Ridge and remanded the project after concluding it could not make the legal findings required for the requested height variance; Councilmember Jones recused from the item.
The Laguna Beach City Council voted on Jan. 28 to grant an appeal of the Design Review Board’s approval for renovations at 1560 Sunset Ridge and remanded the project back to the Design Review Board, citing inability to make the required findings for the requested height variance.
Background and contention: The owner proposed additions on multiple levels, new decks and an elevator corridor that required excavation and a variance because portions of the revised upper floor and associated deck would exceed the city’s 30‑foot height limit as measured from the lowest finished floor. Design Review Board members approved the project after two hearings (Oct. 26, 2023 and Feb. 8, 2024) and voted 4–0 to adopt conditions and a reduced deck design. Neighbors filed an appeal challenging the variance and raising concerns about mass, scale, privacy and view impacts.
Council action: After hearing appellants and the applicant, council members said the design-review approval itself was supported by substantial evidence but concluded they could not make the four legal findings required to grant the variance on a de novo review. The council therefore instructed staff to prepare a resolution granting the appeal, overturning the board’s decision on the variance and remanding the matter back to the Design Review Board. Councilmember Jones recused from the item under the Levine Act because of a campaign contribution by a party representative; the vote proceeded with the remaining council members.
Why it matters: The council framed the decision as limited to the variance findings; the board’s design-review discussion and many mitigation commitments negotiated among the parties were noted by council, but the variance—driven by excavation and how the city measures height from lowest finished floor—was the determinative legal issue.
Next steps: Staff will prepare a resolution implementing the council’s direction and return the matter to the Design Review Board for reconsideration consistent with the council’s ruling and with any additional design conditions the board or parties present on remand.
