Council upholds planning commission on Laguna Presbyterian Blue House; denial of preservation claim leaves church free to demolish

Laguna Beach city council on July 22 upheld the Planning Commission’s earlier action and approved a design-review and coastal development permit application allowing Laguna Presbyterian Church to demolish a 1914 bungalow (the “Blue House”) and expand on-site parking.

Church representatives said the building has outlived its usable life for the church’s needs and that retaining the house limits the campus’ operations. Church volunteers and elders told council the congregation had followed the city process and that the structure is not listed on the city’s historic register in a way that would obligate permanent preservation.

Opponents, including members of the Heritage Committee and local preservation advocates, argued the bungalow is the last remaining example of the neighborhood’s early vernacular cottages, and that it had been part of the project package during the 2008–09 entitlement process. They urged the council to enforce what they described as a long-standing promise to retain the cottage as part of entitlements granted to the church as a package, pointing to Heritage Committee minutes and earlier application materials.

City staff and the city attorney reviewed the record and advised the council that: (a) the Blue House does not appear on the city’s historic register in a manner that creates a statutory requirement for permanent preservation; (b) the 2009 Council action and related entitlements did not include a recorded, enforceable condition that would require the Blue House’s future retention in perpetuity; and (c) the current proposal is a new application for discretionary approvals (design review and CDP) that the council may lawfully approve, deny or remand. Based on that review and legal guidance, council found no legal basis to force permanent preservation of the bungalow and voted to uphold the Planning Commission’s approval allowing demolition and parking reconfiguration.

The decision was contentious; council members repeatedly noted the extensive public record and the emotional significance the property has for local residents. The council approved the planning commission’s decision and included an explicit clarification in the adopted resolution noting that while the Blue House appeared on earlier project plans, the council found no recorded requirement in the 2009 approvals that would force the structure’s permanent retention. The resolution also directs staff to correct the historic index entry where the listing is ambiguous.

The vote to uphold the Planning Commission measure carried by a 3–2 margin. The council’s action allows the church to proceed to apply for ministerial permits needed for demolition and parking work, subject to any standard conditions attached to the design‑review and coastal permits.