Design Review Board denies Wildwood Road variance after neighbors urge tree preservation

The Laguna Beach Design Review Board voted 3–2 on May 14 to deny variance 2026‑0575 for 31652 Wildwood Road after neighbors and board members debated whether the variance should be approved to protect a large tree adjacent to proposed parking.

A neighbor who identified herself as Anne urged the board to approve the variance with a preservation condition, saying, “I urge you to adopt the resolution that is approving the variance and that you put a condition of approval that says that, you must preserve the tree as a condition of the variance because that's the reason for the variance.” She described the tree as a “monumental” red‑flowering gum whose roots and trunk could be damaged by alternative parking layouts.

Staff told the board the item reflected the board’s prior direction and that the current packet was intended to capture that record. Board discussion centered on whether approving the variance — which would allow on‑street/angled parking in the front — was necessary to avoid placing parking adjacent to the preserved tree or whether the property owner should be required to locate parking elsewhere on the lot.

In a roll call following a motion to deny the variance, the board adopted the denial by a 3–2 vote. The board’s procedural instructions note that any property owner or any member of the public living within 300 feet of the project may file an appeal within 14 days of the decision.

The decision resolves the current application at the Design Review Board; the denial, and any conditions tied to an alternative resolution, can be reviewed on appeal by the next level of local review if formally appealed within the statutory window.