Laguna Beach council clears procedural steps for West Street undergrounding, sets public hearing

Laguna Beach City Council voted May 20 to begin the ballot process for the West Street Utility Undergrounding Assessment District, preliminarily approving the engineer’s report, setting a public hearing and balloting date and directing staff to cast the city-owned ballots in favor.

Council’s action starts the formal Proposition 218 balloting phase; the district is not formed unless a majority of weighted ballots supports the assessment at the public hearing scheduled for Sept. 23, 2025. The council also acknowledged an intended city contribution of roughly $1.4 million toward the district’s general-benefit share if the district is approved and bonds are issued.

City staff and the assessment engineer said the district’s total construction and incidental cost is estimated at about $7.0 million. After the city’s contribution and estimated bond-financing costs, the report shows roughly $6.4 million would be assessed across 101 parcels, with individual assessments ranging from about $24,000 to $111,000 (average about $60,000). The South Coast Water District parcel is an outlier because of its unusually large lot size and receives a substantially higher assessment than most parcels.

Why it matters: the council framed the work as an infrastructure and fire-safety investment. Supporters who addressed the council said undergrounding reduces ignition risk from overhead equipment, improves emergency access and helps preserve property values. Opponents questioned the fairness of the…