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Laguna Hills planning agency approves 180-unit La Paz Village senior housing amid intense public opposition and legal pressure
Summary
After more than five hours of public testimony and legal briefing, the Laguna Hills Planning Agency approved a 180-unit, age-restricted La Paz Village senior housing project that invokes state "builder—s remedy" and AB 130 CEQA exemptions. The decision passed 3-1 amid continuing resident concerns over parking, traffic, hazardous soil vapor and potential litigation risks to the city.
The Laguna Hills Planning Agency approved a site development and parking use permit on Sept. 23 for a 180-unit senior living complex at the La Paz Village Center, adopting a resolution that includes a 10-percent set-aside for very-low-income units and a long list of conditions staff say will guide construction. The vote was 3-1, with Mayor Sweeney and Mayor Pro Tem Kaskey voting in favor, Council Member Wheeler voting "aye" under protest and Council Member Hazel opposed.
The project, proposed by La Paz Village Investors LLC and developer Nick Buchanan, would replace part of the existing La Paz Village retail center with a five-story, 61-foot building containing studios and one- and two-bedroom units, a range of resident amenities and a parking structure with 253 stalls. Staff presented the project as an infill housing proposal that the applicant contends qualifies as a "builder—s remedy" development under SB 330 and, therefore, is exempt from some local zoning constraints and from CEQA review under AB 130 if it meets statutory criteria.
Why it matters: The developer—s use of state housing statutes limited…
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