Laguna Beach council directs staff to refine Aliso Beach parking rehab with compact row, preserved lawn

Laguna Beach city staff presented three alternatives for rehabilitating and reconfiguring the two Aliso Beach parking lots and the City Council gave staff direction to pursue a modified version of the larger-capacity alternative while preserving the lawn and protecting sight lines.

The presentation, led by Mark McEvoy, director of public works, outlined three options: (1) repave and restripe the lots as they are, keeping about 275 stalls; (2) a low-impact reconfiguration that would add about 36 stalls by narrowing stalls to a 9-foot standard and making minor concrete and landscaping adjustments; and (3) a higher-impact reconfiguration that would add roughly 90 stalls by relocating and removing some trees and reimagining the coastal layout. McEvoy said the city has “averaged about $2,500 per space on the revenue side” since it took over the lots and estimated the additional annual revenue at about $90,000 for alternative 2 and about $225,000 for alternative 3. He told the council the base paving and restriping project is “roughly around a million dollars.”

Why it matters: City staff are already scheduled to repave the lots; council discussion focused on whether to accept added costs for more stalls and more annual revenue, while balancing public access, aesthetics and vegetation preservation. The lots are adjacent to important public amenities — a playground, grassy areas used by families and the beach access — and the council also must consider the…