Laguna Beach Design Review Board approves multiple home projects, denies one coastal resolution
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Summary
At its June 12, 2025 meeting the Laguna Beach Design Review Board adopted several project approvals and one denial. Major approvals included projects on Dumont Drive, Chelan Way, Zelle Drive, Skyline Drive and multiple La Mirada properties; the board also adopted an MND tied to a San Clemente Street project.
The Laguna Beach Design Review Board on June 12 approved a slate of housing and site-improvement items — including design reviews, coastal development permits and a CEQA mitigated negative declaration — and adopted a resolution denying one previously heard application. The board approved routine minutes and consent items and took final actions on eight substantive agenda items after public hearings and staff presentations.
The meeting opened with procedural announcements and a roll call. Board members participating in votes were Chair Tom Gibbs, Chair Pro Tem Gannon, Board members Coveney, Balta, Bauta and Weil (where noted). Several contested items drew public comment and detailed deliberation before the board reached final votes.
Why it matters: The board’s decisions permit several single‑family remodels, additions and outdoor improvements that change built form, landscaping and site grading in hillside neighborhoods. One denial preserves the status of a previously contested Bluebird Canyon application and records the project opponents’ and applicants’ legal positions for potential further action.
Votes at a glance - Consent calendar (4.1–4.4): Approved unanimously; continuances and minute approvals recorded as proposed. - 4.5 (51560 Bluebird Canyon, DRB 24‑2509; CDP 24‑2510; Revocable Encroachment 24‑2511): Board adopted a resolution denying the earlier design review and related permits and found the action exempt from CEQA guidelines cited in the staff report. Roll call: Bauta — No; Coveney — Yes; Weil — Yes; Gannon — No; Gibbs — Yes. Outcome: denial (resolution adopted). - 5.1 (175–177 Dumont Drive, DR 24‑1742; CDP 24‑1743; Variance 24‑1744): Resolution approving the project and required variance; conditions added to limit tandem garage space to vehicle parking. Roll call: Balta — Yes; Coveney — Yes; Weil — Yes; Gannon — Yes; Gibbs — Yes. Outcome: approved. - 5.3 (2878 Chelan Way, DR 25‑0746): Approval for retaining walls, patio, fireplace, in‑ground spa and grading outside the house footprint; CEQA exemption cited. Roll call: Bauta — Yes; Coveney — Yes; Weil — Yes; Gannon — Yes; Gibbs — Yes. Outcome: approved. - 5.2 (2840 Zelle Drive, DR 23‑0834; CDP 24‑2429): After extended public comment and negotiation with neighbors, the board approved the project with conditions including a reduced rear patio footprint (staff to confirm redline), landscape revisions (height limits on new plantings), reduction of certain lighting, and removal of a specified window. Roll call: Bauta — Yes; Coveney — Yes; Weil — Yes; Gannon — Yes; Gibbs — No. Outcome: approved with conditions. - 5.4 (1211 Skyline Drive, DR 25‑0641): Approved with plan modifications agreed at the meeting, including a revised deck plan that pulls the deck back and added privacy screening/trellis above the spa area; condition added to ensure spa equipment meets the city noise code. Roll call: Bauta — Yes; Coveney — Yes; Weil — Yes; Gannon — Yes; Gibbs — No. Outcome: approved with modifications. - 5.5 (1234 La Mirada Street, DR 25‑0908): Approved as presented following staff review; no public objections at the hearing. Roll call: Balta — Yes; Coveney — Yes; Weil — Yes; Gannon — Yes; Gibbs — Yes. Outcome: approved. - 5.7 (1265 La Mirada Street, DR 25‑0989; Variance 25‑0990): Approved; the board found the proposed retaining wall and related alterations meet variance criteria for the steep lot. Roll call: Bauta — Yes; Coveney — Yes; Weil — Yes; Gannon — Yes; Gibbs — Yes. Outcome: approved. - 5.8 (1425 Samoa Way, DR 25‑0774; CDP 25‑0775): Approved following staff and applicant presentations about terraced design and fire‑safety access improvements. Roll call: Bauta — Yes; Coveney — Yes; Weil — Yes; Gannon — Yes; Gibbs — Yes. Outcome: approved. - 5.9 (2354 San Clemente Street, DR 21‑8817; CDP 21‑8819; Variance 21‑8820; adoption of IS/MND 23‑0346): Board adopted the mitigated negative declaration and approved the revised project and variance after staff confirmed revised plans address prior board direction and include required mitigation measures and fire‑safety provisions. (Roll call recorded with attending members; staff noted one member had stepped away earlier in the meeting.) Outcome: CEQA MND adopted; project and variance approved.
What the board added or required most often: the board frequently attached site‑specific conditions: (1) limits on landscape heights where neighbors raised view/privacy concerns; (2) reductions in exterior lighting intensity and fixture type to reduce glare; (3) clarifications and redlines to reduce patio or deck footprints to limit grading and privacy impacts; and (4) adoption of geotechnical monitoring recommendations where proposals required deep excavation.
Speakers, appearances and roles (selected): Chair Tom Gibbs; Chair Pro Tem Gannon; Board members Coveney, Balta, Bauta, Weil; staff presenters Heather Stevens (Senior Planner), Kate Kazama (staff); architects and applicants including David Parker, Steve Hartman, and Scott Rosenbaum; neighbors and members of the public who registered to speak during public comment periods.
Next steps: Most approvals included standard conditions and will be subject to building‑permit review; several approvals were conditional on staff reviewing redline plan changes and confirming compliance with the board’s on‑record modifications. The denial (4.5) was appealed‑eligible by nearby residents within the statutory 14‑day period noted in the board’s procedures.
Ending: The board adjourned to its next meeting on June 26, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. Items approved at this meeting will move forward to department review for permit checks and construction plan review per standard municipal processes.
