Laguna Beach council upholds design review approval for 1536 Morningside, approves access easement

The Laguna Beach City Council on Tuesday denied appeals of a Design Review Board approval for a new single-family residence at 1536 Morningside Drive and separately approved a grant of an access easement across an adjacent city-owned parcel.

The project, which requires a coastal development permit and required a planning-commission-approved indirect-access variance, drew extended public comment from neighbors saying the proposed house would be too tall and would reduce view equity for adjoining properties. The council rejected those objections and sustained the DRB approval, voting 3–1 to deny the appeal. Council later voted 4–0 to grant the property owner an 18.8-foot access easement and related terms.

City staff presented the project as a 13,866-square-foot lot with steep slopes and a proposed new single-family home with an attached two-car garage, retaining walls and elevated decks. Senior planner Shweta Sharma said the DRB considered neighborhood compatibility, visual bulk, materials and landscaping and added three…