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Two Laguna Beach projects — fire station and promenade — appealed to Coastal Commission
Summary
City Council actions on a new South Laguna fire station and a promenade design (including permanent Lower Forest closure) were appealed to the California Coastal Commission; the commission will first decide whether the appeals present a "substantial issue."
Laguna Beach officials reported that two council-approved projects were appealed to the California Coastal Commission and described what happens next in the coastal appeal process.
On the Fair Game program, City Attorney Makin Garibaldi said the City Council on June 11 took action on two separate projects: design approvals for the promenade (including a more permanent closure of Lower Forest) and the siting/design of Fire Station Number 4 in South Laguna. Both decisions were appealed, and the appeals were received in July, Garibaldi said.
Garibaldi explained the two-step appeal process: Coastal Commission staff first determine whether the appeals raise a “substantial issue.” If staff or the commission finds no substantial issue, the appeals end; if there is a substantial issue finding, the Coastal Commission will schedule a merits hearing to review whether the projects comply with coastal resource protections and the city’s certified local coastal program. Garibaldi said the substantial-issue time window is likely to run into early September.
The program host described the appeals as “disappointing on both fronts,” and said the fire station “is desperately needed.” Those remarks reflected the host’s perspective after the council vote; the transcript did not include vote tallies or speaker-level findings from the June 11 decisions.
Why this matters: Both projects are significant local infrastructure and public-access matters. The promenade work involves public access and the permanent closure of a public street segment (Lower Forest), and the fire station is a public-safety facility the city says it has not built in more than 50 years. A Coastal Commission review could require additional findings or changes to reach compliance with coastal protections.
What’s next: If the Coastal Commission staff recommends finding a substantial issue, the commission will hear the merits at a later meeting. If the commission finds no substantial issue, the appeals will be dismissed and the city’s approvals stand. City officials said they will update the public on scheduling and outcomes once the commission acts.
