Planning commission approves one-day Lagadelic festival at city parking lot with insurance condition; decibel limit removed before vote

The Laguna Beach Planning Commission on April 16 approved a temporary use permit (TUP 25-0390) for a one-day music, food and art festival called Lagadelic to be held Saturday, June 14, 2025, at City Parking Lot 10 (725 Laguna Canyon Road). The motion passed 4–1; Chair Pro Tem Kellenberg voted No.

Staff presentation and event details Sarah of the Community Development Department told the commission the 1-day event is proposed to run from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m., with music ending at 9:30 p.m. and full cleanup completed by midnight. The event is ticketed (tentative $35) and staff estimated total attendance over the day at about 500 people. The site plan calls for a single stage (approx. 25 ft by 18 ft by 3.5 ft), four elevated main speakers, four low-end speakers under the stage, generators behind the stage, five portable restrooms (one ADA unit) and handwashing stations. Security barriers and fencing would separate artist-only areas and meet ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Control) requirements for staging alcohol service. The application includes an ABC license application; staff said liquor service would be managed by restaurants and vendors at the event.

Staff acknowledged the first Lagadelic event in August 2024 had not been processed through formal city entitlements and that Laguna Beach Police Department had received two calls for service at that earlier event (one medical emergency and one complaint of music before 9 p.m.). The Fire Department and Building Division reviewed the 2025 proposal and did not identify occupancy concerns; the police department recommended, and the applicant agreed to, 8–10 on-site security personnel.

Applicant statements and nonprofit involvement Jay Calliger, identified as event coordinator for Lagadelic, said the event expects many local attendees using walking, biking, the municipal trolley and rideshare, and that banners shown in the application were from last year’s artwork and would be updated for 2025. Calliger said the Maui Ola Foundation (a nonprofit working with children with cystic fibrosis and other activities) will hold the ABC license for the event and will run a brand activation; Calliger said the event itself was not framed as a fundraiser.

Noise, liability and conditions Commissioners discussed noise given the canyon topography that can amplify sound and asked whether decibel limits or hard curfews should be imposed. Staff noted the municipal code allows amplified music until 9 p.m. and that temporary events can receive modified hours at the Planning Commission’s discretion. The staff conditions are written to give code enforcement and police authority to require volume reductions if the event is a nuisance. The commission and applicant discussed a measured decibel condition; the applicant agreed to use a professional sound engineer and to manage the system on site, but commissioners elected not to adopt a numeric decibel limit at the time of the vote.

City attorney and insurance The City Attorney advised that while leases and indemnities can limit municipal exposure, insurance is an appropriate, common requirement. The commission added a condition requiring liability insurance “in both form and amount satisfactory to the City Attorney’s office” to be provided to the city prior to the event; the applicant indicated it intends to secure general liability insurance for the festival as it did the prior year.

Final action After discussion, the Planning Commission moved and approved TUP 25-0390 with a condition requiring liability insurance satisfactory to the City Attorney’s office. A proposed specific decibel limit (95 dB at the venue edge) was discussed but was removed before the final vote. The motion passed 4–1; Chair Pro Tem Kellenberg cast the lone no vote. Commissioners noted the event’s date (June 14), the ticketing plan, the applicant’s agreement to staffing and security, and the 14-day appeal right to City Council.

The approval is subject to standard temporary-event conditions, including compliance with ABC licensing rules, police cooperation on crowd safety, cleanup by midnight, and any additional administrative conditions spelled out in the staff resolution.