Laguna Beach to adopt ordinance to amend business permitting, parking requirements in Downtown Specific Plan

The Laguna Beach City Council will consider relaxing business permitting and parking requirements in the Downtown Specific Plan, a document that guides the growth, design and development standards of downtown Laguna Beach.

The city council approved an ordinance to relax permitting for a second reading in a 4-1 vote in June, with Councilwoman Toni Iseman dissenting. Unless otherwise directed Tuesday, the formal vote on adoption will reflect the vote taken at the June 16 meeting.

The ordinance amends some of the Downtown Specific Plan to limit the requirement of a conditional use permit to businesses that have the potential to impact surrounding neighborhoods such as restaurants that serve alcohol, bars and souvenir shops. All other commercial uses would be considered permit-by-right.

Parking regulations will also be relaxed, with city staff saying that “many of the buildings in the downtown [area] were not originally developed with on-site parking, and as such, cannot accommodate new uses that would potentially increase the parking requirement” in a staff report prepared for June 16.

The City Council directed staff to revise the ordinance to address how parking standards included in the Downtown Specific Update would affect existing properties that do not have conforming parking; have the discretion for City Council and the Planning Commission to amend a land-use table; and update a definition for stores to be considered a souvenir store if at least 20% or more of the total display area must be dedicated to souvenirs.

Parklets pilot program

The City Council will also be considering a pilot program to allow for parklets as a potential addition to the city’s economic recovery and business development plan to stimulate the local economy.

As part of the plan, the City Council gave city staff greater discretion on approvals of temporary use permits for outdoor dining, retail displays and temporary signage in May. A staff report prepared for Tuesday’s meeting said that since then private parking lots and outdoor commercial spaces have been converted to outdoor dining spaces that allow restaurants to continue providing service as the pandemic continues.

Community Development Director Marc Wiener said Tuesday, so far, the department has issued 10 temporary use permits for outdoor displays and dining for businesses.

Wiener said at the City Council’s meeting on Tuesday that the community development department received requests to allow for dining in parking spaces, which are called parklets. Parklets would be considered as another option of the temporary use permit application for businesses without private parking lots, outdoor commercial spaces or wide sidewalks to create outdoor dining areas, city staff said.

City staff recommends that the City Council allow the community development department to approve temporary use permits for parklets in commercial districts on public streets and city parking lots. This would not include Coast Highway.

Implementation of the pilot program would require the allowance of restaurants to use limited on-street parking and city parking lots for parklets through the current temporary use permit application process and authorization of city staff to develop design and safety criteria to address COVID-19 and vehicular traffic.

It would also include requiring alcohol consumption be compliant with Alcohol Beverage Control standards in parklets, relax sign code to allow for limited signage, maintain sufficient parking in areas surrounding parklets and consideration of a monetary incentive for the city to contribute to construction thereof.

Parklets would only be allowed for restaurants that currently operate from a fixed location within the city.

The end date of the program is tentatively be scheduled for April 30.

Tuesday’s meeting will begin at 5 p.m. and can be viewed on Cox cable channel 852 or livestreamed through the city’s website at lagunabeachcity.net/cityhall/citygov/cityclerk/mam.htm.

Residents are encouraged to send comments on agenda items to City Clerk Lisette Chel-Walker at lchel@lagunabeachcity.net. All communications must be received by noon Tuesday.

Residents can also call in at (669) 900-9128 to listen to the meeting and comment during designated periods. While calling, dial 97429973661# and press *9 to comment on an item. Time for remarks may be limited.

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