City staff and consultants presented a downtown streetscape vision to the Laguna Beach City Council at a study session aimed at complying with AB 413—identified in the presentation as the California Daylighting Law—which requires a 20-foot no-parking zone on the approach side of crosswalks (15 feet where a curb extension exists). The session was informational; council members were asked for high-level direction, with final decisions to come later.

SWA Group designers said the requirements present “both a challenge but an opportunity,” recommending a kit-of-parts approach with two alternatives: Option 1, the minimum changes required under the law; and Option 2, a more comprehensive program that would add planting, permanent parklets and public art but could reduce on-street parking. The consultants said one proposed mid-block crossing aligned with the bus depot would remove about four parking stalls; they did not provide a confirmed total for maximum parking loss across all alternatives during the presentation.

Council members focused on trade-offs between a pedestrian-priority downtown and preserving parking. Several asked staff to return with a prioritization matrix and two packaged options—one closely aligned with the state requirement and one showing where an aggressive approach would place bulb-outs and how many stalls might be removed. Staff said the project would likely be programmed into the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and that timing and budgets would be clarified at midyear budget discussions.

Design details discussed include three bulb-out treatments—planting, parklets and integrated public art—plus tree-well treatments intended to reduce trip hazards. Presenters flagged site constraints, such as fire hydrants and stormwater infrastructure, and noted that some streets (notably Broadway) are Caltrans-owned and would require Caltrans approval for design changes.

Staff also said the Coastal Commission staff has expressed a preference not to eliminate parking entirely and recommended the city consider alternatives like bike or scooter parking when planning changes that remove stalls. Council members asked that fire‑department turning radius tests and other operational checks be included in future design steps.

The study session concluded with council direction to have staff refine options, assess CIP timing and return with clear choices on prioritization, parking trade-offs, and potential funding. The item will be revisited by the council at a future meeting.