Laguna Beach planning commission continues review of South Laguna Fire Station 4 after design and outreach concerns

The Laguna Beach Planning Commission on March 19, 2025, voted to continue consideration of a proposed Fire Station 4 in South Laguna to May 21, 2025, after commissioners and dozens of residents raised concerns about building massing, streetscape impacts, rooftop mechanical equipment, and the scope of community outreach.

The project would replace an existing, seismically outdated station at 31796 Coast Highway with an approximately 8,400-square-foot, primarily two-story fire station intended to house three full-time firefighters and two ambulance operators plus associated apparatus and support spaces. City staff presented plans showing a three-bay apparatus area, living quarters, a small amount of public-facing glazing, about 10 parking spaces, and roughly 3,700 square feet of proposed landscaping.

Commissioners and residents pressed the design team on several technical and design details—ceiling heights, location of rooftop mechanicals, potential visual impacts on nearby houses across Virginia Way, generator noise and testing frequency, lighting design, and the project’s public-outreach record. Tom Perez, the city engineer presenting for the Public Works and Utilities Department, and Bruce Oh of PBK Architects answered detailed design questions. Fire Chief Niko King described operational and security needs for a modern station.

“Laguna Beach doesn’t have a modern fire station. A modern fire station hasn’t been built in this community in decades,” Fire Chief Niko King said, noting the need for secure storage of expensive equipment and 24/7 operational capability.

Why it matters: City officials say a replacement station is needed for operational and seismic safety reasons; residents say the corner location in South Laguna and the building mass require a stronger design response and more robust outreach. Commissioners said they wanted changes that would reduce perceived bulk and improve the building’s public-facing design while preserving operational functionality.

Key project details and staff clarifications - Location: 31796 Coast Highway (South Laguna Village commercial zone). (Tom Perez) - Proposed building size: approximately 8,400 square feet (presented by staff as smaller than the project analyzed in the November 2022 mitigated negative declaration). (Tom Perez) - Operations: proposed to house three full-time firefighters and two ambulance operators; three apparatus spaces with pull-through access for engines and paramedics. (Tom Perez; Chief King) - Access: apparatus ingress from Fifth Avenue; emergency vehicle egress onto Coast Highway was presented as part of the circulation plan. Staff said alternative access from Virginia Way was reviewed but judged infeasible because Virginia Way is narrow and elevated above the site. (Tom Perez) - Site design and setbacks: building set back roughly 4–5 feet from the Fifth Avenue right-of-way and about 55 feet from the Virginia Way right-of-way in the presented plan; staff said lot line adjustments (merger/adjustment of three parcels) would require subsequent City Council approval and recording with the county prior to occupancy. (Tom Perez) - Parking and landscaping: 10 parking spaces (consistent with the previously adopted mitigated negative declaration), approximately 3,700 square feet of new landscaping, and plant palette revisions discussed with the fire marshal to reduce high-fire-risk species. (Tom Perez) - Building heights and roof screening: staff said the highest part of the building is just above 28 feet, stepping down to roughly 22 feet and 17 feet in other areas; apparatus bay doors are 14 feet tall with three feet of additional clearance for door operation and exhaust systems; rooftop mechanicals and exhaust venting could not be entirely relocated to ground level for functional reasons, and staff proposed screening and parapet walls to reduce visual impact. (Tom Perez; Bruce Oh) - Signs and public art: signage would be simple, non-illuminated cast-aluminum letters reading “Laguna Beach Fire Station Number 4,” under the allowable size for the zone. Staff said a public-art piece is planned at a corner location and will be coordinated with the City’s Arts Commission. (Tom Perez) - Lighting and generator: presented photometrics show down-directed, dark-sky-compliant fixtures; parking lot poles approximately 15 feet tall. The proposed backup generator would be exercised monthly; staff acknowledged the need to study quietest available equipment and other mitigation. (Tom Perez) - Public restrooms: staff said the station plan includes two unisex public restrooms to address a shortage of public facilities in South Laguna; the design team proposed operational controls for hours and daily cleaning but residents questioned whether locating public restrooms on the corner of a fire station is appropriate or effective for the problem identified. (Tom Perez)

Public input and outreach concerns Residents and South Laguna community groups said outreach was insufficient. The project team described two prior public engagement steps: a small meeting on Oct. 3, 2023 (six or so participants from the South Laguna Civic Association and others) and a March 10, 2025 meeting attended by roughly a dozen members of the public. Several residents said those meetings were not broadly noticed by mail, and many nearby homeowners said they first learned of the project from the Planning Commission agenda.

“I think the process would have benefited considerably from having early discussions with the Planning Commission,” said public commenter Matt Lawson, who urged expedited construction but said earlier concept review would have improved outcomes.

Design and program issues commissioners pressed staff to revisit Commissioners and residents identified a set of recurring concerns the project team was directed to address in the redesign work before the next hearing: lowering heights where feasible, reducing visible screening and parapet bulk, shrinking rooftop mechanical profiles where technically possible, rethinking or reducing parking-lot pole lighting to minimize ambient light, exploring ways to keep mechanical equipment off the most-visible roof slopes, and improving the quality and cohesion of the building’s architectural composition so it reads as a single, civic structure rather than a series of disconnected pieces. Several commissioners specifically asked the team to look at lowering clear ceiling heights in non-critical living spaces (staff said the current proposal uses 10 feet of clear height plus a 4-foot interstitial cavity in some areas but that engineering review could explore reductions).

Commission action and next steps The Planning Commission voted to continue the public hearing on design review 25-0261, coastal development permit 25-0260, conditional use permit 25-0262, and sign permit 25-0401 to the May 21, 2025 Planning Commission meeting. The chair directed Commissioners George Dubin and Steve Goldman to work with staff and neighbors in the interim on focused design refinements and to disclose any contacts or meetings at the next hearing. The commission asked staff and the architect to return with options that reduce perceived massing, improve the public-facing elevations, and better document outreach and tree/landscape impacts.

What remains open and follow-up items - Engineering reviews to determine how much clear height can be reduced in living/office areas without compromising code/operational needs; (follow up: fire department/architect) - Detailed generator specifications and noise mitigation plan; (follow up: public works/fire operations) - Reworked photometric plan and alternative lighting approaches (wall packs vs. pole lights) that meet crew-safety needs while reducing ambient spill light; (follow up: architect/staff) - Reexamination of rooftop equipment sizes and screen-wall heights to minimize visible bulk; (follow up: architect/engineer) - Confirm whether the public restrooms at this corner meet the intended operational goals and consider alternate locations or operating hours; (follow up: maintenance/operations) - Additional public outreach and one or more community workshops with broader notice (staff indicated prior outreach was via city newsletter and social media and that the Oct. 2023 meeting was a small-group meeting requested by the South Laguna Civic Association). (Tom Perez)

Ending note Commissioners and residents repeatedly said they support the project’s underlying public-safety purpose but want a design that better fits South Laguna’s streetscape and view sensitivity. The hearing closed with a formal continuance to May 21, giving staff, the architect, the fire department and two commissioners an opportunity to bring a tightened, lower-profile, and better-documented design back for decision.

Speakers quoted in this article are identified in the meeting record and included in the speakers list below.