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

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.

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