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Laguna Beach city attorney warns housing laws expose city to litigation risk after 2020 settlement
Summary
City Attorney Megan Garibaldi told a community interview that Laguna Beach settled a 2020 DRB-related housing lawsuit for $2.5 million and warned a 2026 state penalty regime could add automatic fines for violations of housing laws, increasing the stakes for future permit decisions.
Laguna Beach City Attorney Megan Garibaldi said the city settled a 2020 lawsuit tied to a Development Review Board decision and cautioned that sweeping state housing laws and a new penalty regime raise financial risks for the city.
"The city ended up settling, including the attorney's fees, for 2 and a half million dollars to get out of it," Garibaldi said, describing a case she characterized as involving a reduction in project height and a finding under the Housing Accountability Act.
Garibaldi told host Tom Johnson and Mayor Alex Munnaghi that California's housing legislation has…
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