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Laguna Beach council authorizes staff to pursue coastal permits for parking rate plan and location changes, with public review
Summary
Laguna Beach authorized staff to pursue coastal development permits for a five‑year parking rate structure and attendant parking program changes, and to coordinate with Caltrans on South Laguna encroachment feasibility.
Laguna Beach City Council authorized staff to file for coastal development permit(s) to renew the city’s five‑year parking rate structure and to pursue permit work for other parking components under the city’s certified Local Coastal Program.
Acting transit and community services director Alexis Braun outlined the rationale: parking revenue funds support parking operations, pay‑stations and transit services that the city runs (including free trolleys and Laguna Local microtransit). The staff proposal follows the expiring 2021–25 CDP approval that allowed a tiered approach: lower off‑season rates and higher rates during the city’s summer and festival seasons, plus peripheral lots, free trolley connectivity and on‑demand services.
Under the staff recommendation the city would: (a) apply for CDP approval of a five‑year parking rate structure that would follow the existing model (immediate non‑summer rate increases plus up to 10% increases during summer/festival seasons over the five‑year term); and (b) request permission to pursue additional parking‑location changes (for example, South Laguna feasibility) subject to Caltrans encroachment permits where work would be in state right‑of‑way. The council also directed staff to continue public outreach, particularly with South Laguna neighbors, and to proceed carefully with any residential-area time‑limit or permit proposals because those changes require careful signage, Caltrans approval for highway areas and public transparency.
Staff emphasized the CDP process is quasi‑judicial: staff will gather evidence and hold hearings; city decisions on CDPs can be appealed to the California Coastal Commission. Councilmembers emphasized they wanted to keep the process transparent and to hold additional public meetings before modifying residential parking and before changing the Coast Highway striping or meter locations. Council voted to move forward with the permit applications and Caltrans coordination.
