Commission approves amendment to Aliso Creek Plaza master sign program, grants variance to exceed site cap

Laguna Beach's Planning Commission voted to approve an amendment to the Aliso Creek Plaza master sign program and a variance to exceed the city's 150-square-foot site cap on signage, allowing additional signage area suited to the center's larger, multi-parcel configuration.

Staff presentation: Anthony (staff) told the commission the center was developed in the 1980s under county jurisdiction and is comprised of 17 tenant spaces across six parcels with surface and subterranean parking. The existing master sign program dates from February 2002. Staff said the amended program would add signage for tenants not currently authorized and bring certain nonconforming signs into conformance; it also established a tiered wall-sign allowance based on tenant frontage and allowed blade signs, encouraged natural materials (aluminum or high-density foam) and permitted halo or external illumination. Anthony told commissioners the principal issue requiring a variance was the city's overall cap of 150 square feet for a site, which staff found impractical for a center of this scale; staff recommended approval of the sign permit and variance and found the actions exempt from CEQA.

Applicant and landlord comments: Tiffany Delgado of Western Sign, who helped prepare the proposed sign program, said much of the tenant frontage is visible only from inside the center and that tenants need at least the one-to-one square-footage entitlement (one square foot of sign per linear foot of frontage) to make spaces leasable. Luke Johnston, a representative of the landlord, spoke about property operations and confirmed there is an accessible restroom area that will be available for a tenant (Golden Spoon) but is not a public restroom.

Commission comments and action: Commissioners noted the center's atypical scale and that the original rules date to a prior era and jurisdiction. Commissioner Dubin said he could make the variance findings and supported the CEQA finding; Commissioners Whiting and Gopa also supported the program as drafted. A commissioner moved to adopt the resolution approving sign permit 24-2167 and variance 24-2168 and to find the action exempt from CEQA; another commissioner seconded. On roll call the four voting commissioners voted yes; the motion passed. The decision carries a 14-day right of appeal to the city council.

Technical notes: Staff said the program retains a cap computed by one square foot per linear foot of building frontage where feasible but seeks relief from the absolute 150-square-foot site cap for this unusually large, multi-parcel center. Staff also noted the freestanding monument sign up front is existing and proposed to remain. The program would allow landlords to administratively approve tenant signs consistent with the adopted master sign program, including letters taller than eight inches where the program permits that exception.

Votes at a glance: Sign permit 24-2167 and Variance 24-2168: approved; roll-call vote 4-0 (Kellenberg absent).