Board orders compromise on tree heights at 276 Cajon Drive to balance view equity and privacy

The Laguna Beach Design Review Board on March 13 approved a landscape plan for 276 Cajon Drive with conditions intended to balance privacy for the uphill property and view equity for the downhill neighbors.

Applicants and neighbors debated a group of trees along the shared property line. The uphill neighbor, Garth Jorgensen, said the trees had been maintained for years and raised concerns that allowing them to grow to the heights proposed would block established views and reduce property value. The applicant’s representative, Steve Kuartani, described prior trimming and proposed limits; Kuartani agreed to lower a lemon tree and to work with staff on additional trimming.

Board deliberations led to a compromise motion: the trees along the property line between 280 and 276 Cone (Cajon) shall not exceed the elevation of the existing upper-level railing at the neighbor’s property (measured as of March 13, 2025), and staff will memorialize that elevation on the approved landscape plan. The board also required the lemon tree that affects the lower unit’s view corridor be trimmed to 9 feet above grade. The resolution approving the project (resolution number cited in the hearing as 242559 / design review 242550) passed by roll call.

Board members said the condition provides a clear, enforceable standard and preserves privacy while protecting the uphill neighbor’s view corridors. Staff will update the landscape plan with the measured railing elevation and the agreed tree heights before issuing permits.