Closure of Laguna Beach street to continue as Promenade on Forest extends through January
The Promenade on Forest pilot program in Laguna Beach will continue through the end of the year after a unanimous vote by City Council members on Tuesday that will extend the closure of lower Forest Avenue through January.
The program was developed as part of the city’s economic recovery and business development plan to stimulate the local economy. As part of its implementation, businesses along the stretch of Forest Avenue between Coast Highway and Glenneyre Street could expand customer seating and retail merchandise displays into the street to allow for social distancing and operation during the pandemic.
Officials opened Promenade on Forest on June 15, with the intention of ending the program and reopening the street by Sept. 7.
City staff said in a report prepared for Tuesday’s meeting that a survey showed about 87% of businesses have seen a neutral or a positive impact on revenue. Project manager Jeremy Frimond said staff recognized that there were other factors involved but that he felt it was significant that businesses involved recognized the implementation of the Promenade on Forest as a benefit.
Data collected through the survey indicated that about 60% of four restaurants on the Promenade’s revenue came during July. Two restaurants reported an increase in revenue compared to July 2019, while one reported a decrease and another broke even.
The survey showed that 83% of the 18 businesses would be in favor of extending the pilot program through January. Frimond said there are approximately 28 businesses on lower Forest Avenue.
As part of the plan, the council also voted to extend the option for businesses anywhere in Laguna Beach to apply for a temporary use permit for outdoor dining and retail displays to match the end of the pilot parklets program on Apr. 30.
Most residents spoke in favor of Promenade on Forest, but others raised concerns about costs, parking and traffic circulation. Some floated the possibility of making the promenade a permanent fixture.
Assistant City Manager Shohreh Dupuis said the original budget for the Promenade on Forest was $250,000. About $25,000 remains in that budget and will be used to pay for leased decks, lighting and barricades. City staff said that it will cost an additional $119,000 to extend the program through January.
The $119,000 will be allocated from the Downtown Action Plan, with approximately $98,500 allocated to sanitation and safety practices and $20,500 for additional furniture, regulatory signs, replacement of broken assets and printing COVID-19-related materials.
Councilwoman Toni Iseman proposed creating special parking stickers for employees to encourage parking at the city’s public parking lots in the Village Entrance project. Mayor Pro Tem Steve Dicterow requested a condition be added to the program that would require maintaining current security guard deployment through the end of the program on Jan. 30.
Councilman Peter Blake spoke favorably of the program, describing it as made for the taxpayers and residents of Laguna Beach. He agreed with Iseman’s proposal to provide parking to employees and said he wanted to see staff look into making the Promenade on Forest permanent, which drew agreement from Mayor Bob Whalen.
“We can’t decide whether it can or can’t be [permanent] because we don’t know what the issues are, but if we don’t ask staff to prepare something, we’re going to be sitting here in January,” Whalen said.
The Promenade on Forest will be open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily through January 2021. Face masks are required.
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