Board continues Dumont Drive parking variance after finding special circumstances

Laguna Beach’s Design Review Board on May 22 concluded it could make the legal findings required for a variance that would allow tandem covered parking spaces that cause the structure to exceed the local 29‑foot height limit at 175 and 177 Dumont Drive. Because the variance finding would be needed to approve the design review and coastal development permit, the board directed staff to prepare a resolution for approval and continued the item to the board’s June 12 meeting.

Staff had recommended denial because it could not identify special circumstances that would justify the height variance. The applicant’s attorney and project team argued the narrow street, lack of curbside parking and surrounding recessed driveways created a practical need for additional on‑site parking; they also cited prior variances in the neighborhood. Several board members said they saw a special circumstance: the subject house’s garage sits flush with the street and lacks room for in‑front parking available to other nearby properties, so adding covered tandem spaces at a lower level would provide the same parking privilege enjoyed by neighbors.

The board agreed to allow the variance if the board could tie the approval to specific findings and conditions. Members emphasized that any additional lower-level space be used primarily for parking, not converted to habitable space, and discussed the limits of local authority given state ADU law. The board voted to continue to June 12 so staff could present an approval resolution with a condition that the two added parking spaces be used primarily for parking.

The continuance was unanimous with direction to prepare findings and the draft approval resolution for the June 12 hearing.