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Laguna Beach planning panel approves Rygoods expansion at Lumberyard Mall
Summary
The Planning Commission unanimously approved a conditional use permit amendment allowing Rygoods bakery/café to expand into an adjacent suite at 384 Forest Avenue, adding retail displays, storage and flexibility for future indoor seating subject to a city-reviewed seating plan and building-code verification.
The Laguna Beach Planning Commission on Nov. 5 approved a conditional use permit amendment allowing Rygoods, a bakery and café at 384 Forest Avenue, to expand into the neighboring Suite 5 at the Lumberyard Mall.
Sarah, a community development planner, told the commission the amendment would add about 847 square feet of floor area to the existing 1,100-square-foot Suite 4 for employee-only dry goods storage, expanded beer-and-wine retail displays, refrigerated and dry-goods retail and an additional point-of-sale counter. Staff recommended the amendment and found it exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act.
Commissioners asked whether the expansion would trigger additional parking requirements and whether indoor seating would need a return visit. Sarah and other staff explained parking requirements are based on square footage for this blended use and would not change if seating were added; they noted building plan check would verify any seating and accessibility requirements. To give the business operational flexibility without returning to the commission, staff drafted a new condition that would allow the applicant to submit a seating plan for Suite 5 to the Community Development Department for review and approval.
Applicant Jason House said the expansion would relieve a “pinch point” in the shop, allow relocation of shelving and enable new grab-and-go items. He also described a practical constraint: a shear wall limits the width of the opening between suites, so the owner cannot remove the wall entirely without prohibitive cost.
Commissioners praised Rygoods as a successful downtown business and supported adding a project-specific condition: the applicant may submit a seating plan for Suite 5 subject to city review so that, if granted, interior nonfixed seating can be added without a subsequent discretionary hearing. The commission voted unanimously to adopt the revised resolution and supporting conditions.
The commission’s approval includes the staff-recommended CEQA finding. If the applicant pursues interior seating in the future, required building-code and accessibility verifications will occur during the building plan check and inspection process; staff emphasized that those reviews, not tonight’s discretionary approval, will determine final seating counts and code compliance.
The commission closed the public hearing with no public opposition and carried the motion by unanimous roll-call vote.
