By Megan Miller, Special to the Independent
An initiative seeking to maximize public participation in major development projects in Laguna Beach will appear on November’s ballot, following unanimous City Council approval Tuesday.
The resident-driven measure targets overdevelopment that could affect traffic, city aesthetic, and quality of life for residents. If passed, voter approval would be required for certain major development projects located within 750 feet of Laguna Canyon Road or Coast Highway.
Opponents, however, argue Laguna Beach’s existing laws offer sufficient protection, and adding more layers to the City’s review process could discourage business growth.
“The ballot measure proponents use this phrase, ‘renew and reuse.’ That’s exactly what’s been happening in this town in years,” Mayor Sue Kempf said.
Voter approval would be required for projects that combine lots totaling 7,500 square feet, add at least 200 additional vehicle trips per day, exceed 36 feet in height, or include more than 22,000 square feet. The initiative excludes single-family homes and projects that exclusively add fewer than 10 market-rate units or are limited to low- to extremely low-income households.
“We have failed to compromise in this City Council for a long time… the initiative is going to make sure that the residents will be heard,” Councilmember Toni Iseman said.
To make the ballot, advocates were required to collect at least 1,835 signatures, about 10% of Laguna Beach’s voting pool. Orange County Registrar of Voters staffers validated 2,001 of the 2,659 total signatures filed by Laguna Residents First PAC a few weeks ago, marking a huge step in a nearly five-month-long journey.
While the ballot measure “started with excellent intent,” Mayor Pro Tem Bob Whalen said he feared “severe and unintended consequences” of adding another layer of bureaucracy to the City’s existing development issues.
Whalen called parking a “core” problem Laguna Beach faces and said the initiative does “too much and too little” to address grandfathered parking. Lower in-lieu fees also risk allowing developers to circumvent offering the number of parking spaces usually required by the City’s zoning codes.
Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, and Dana Point already have similar so-called “green light” laws in place. However, Kempf called the threat of overdevelopment in Laguna Beach a “scare tactic.”
“If there’s been no major development… why worry?” Councilmember George Weiss argued.
“I’m actually not worried about our current rules and I’m actually not worried about the way we handle some of these developments,” Kempf said.
She cited two recent examples of projects rejected by the Planning Commission—a replacement for the Holiday Inn in 2018 and hotel concept in 2019 – as evidence of the City’s rigorous review process.
Councilmember Peter Blake argued that the initiative blocks the development of leisure, entertainment, and dining opportunities.
“I want rooftop decks. I want fine dining,” Blake said, adding, “These people don’t want anything. They just want to block everything and they have for 50 years. I want nothing to do with them, or any of this.”
Weiss fired back on Blake’s characterization of the initiative’s supporters.
“I like rooftop decks myself. But I don’t want it to exceed the 36-foot height limit. That’s all. You’ve said that that’s a sacrosanct kind of rule, and yet we’ve violated it numerous times,” Weiss said.
The inclusion of the ballot measure heightens an already dynamic election season, with three city council seats up for grabs.
“I want to see this go to November, and in November it will be voted out, as well as anybody that runs under this platform of authoritarians that have been running this town for 50 years,” Blake said. “I welcome this in November. This is a joke.”
In a 4-1 vote, City Council also directed staff to look into provisions that would address the parking issues discussed, as well as outdoor dining. Weiss dissented.
Weiss is one of the founders emeriti of Laguna Residents First, along with Laguna Beach resident Michael Morris.
“We’ll see what the people do with [the ballot measure],” Whalen said. “If it passes, is the world gonna end? No, the world’s not gonna end.”
