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Board approves variance and design review for pool, spa and additions at 31112 Holly Drive
Summary
Design review and a variance to exceed the rear-lot-line height limitation were approved for 31112 Holly Drive; staff supported the variance and the board accepted a late-submitted landscaping modification with low-growing species for fire-safety compatibility.
The Laguna Beach Design Review Board on June 26 approved a design-review application and a variance for 31112 Holly Drive that includes a one-story addition, an elevated glass-enclosed wading pool over the garage, and a spa recessed into the hillside.
Planning staff explained the lot’s steep topography and the applicable height measurement (building height measured above the rear lot line) that required the variance. The project preserves most of the existing roof forms, locates a shallow wading pool above the garage (about 3.5 feet deep), and places a spa in the hillside to the east. Staff reported no neighbor concerns and recommended approval for both the design review and the variance.
During the hearing the applicant and their landscape architect provided a late landscape revision that replaces two plant species with low-growing, fire-compatible alternatives to meet fuel-modification guidance; staff confirmed the change involved two species substitutions and did not propose additional lighting beyond a single spa light. The board discussed staging and construction impacts and urged the applicant to be considerate of neighbors during construction; the board voted unanimously to approve the project and accepted the late landscape-submittal condition into the permit record.
The board’s action approves the variance to the rear-lot-line height limit and authorizes the project to proceed to building permit review with the added landscape and construction-staging considerations.
