Festival’s façade redesign in the works

City officials want more information about the Festival of Arts’ proposed redesign of the façade before approving the cost of the project.

Festival officials unveiled a concept that would move the façade 15 feet closer to Laguna Canyon Road, making a more gracious entry to the grounds. It was one of two festival projects presented Tuesday for council approval.

The council instructed staff to work with the festival on a more detailed plan for the façade and determine if the California Coastal Commission will approve the elimination of 15 private parking spaces to make way for the new entry to the grounds.

“We started this process about a year ago,” said Scott Sebastian, designer of the concept presented to the council. “We had a lot of interesting meetings. The only consensus was that no one liked the way it looked and not many liked the way it worked.”

“We want to bring back the landscaping it used to have and relate it to the structures.”

The plant palette would include sycamores and native shrubs for year-round greenery. Although not native, a Torrey pine and eucalypti on the grounds are proposed to be retained.

Newly elected President Fred Sattler said the proposed facelift would improve the looks of the whole area and make the festival grounds more fire-proof and functional.

“We have a big anniversary in 2012,” Sattler said. “We’d like to unveil the new frontage, but to do that we need to begin the project at the end of the 2011 season.”

Under the terms of the lease with the city, the festival must contribute a percentage of its revenue annually into a trust fund reserved for capital improvements. The city must approval expenditures from the trust fund.

“I think this is a great idea for them and for the city, but I am not at this point ready to approve a façade tonight,” Councilman Kelly Boyd said. “The Coastal Commission might question the removal of the parking spaces and we need a more detailed plan for the façade.”

City Manager Ken Frank said the council would need to weigh improvements in the façade against the loss of the spaces, which he thought could be justified.

The Coastal Commission requires that public parking spaces must be replaced in the immediate vicinity, which can be provided.

Festival immediate past President Wayne Baglin opined that the loss of the 15 spaces should not be a commission concern. The spaces are on private property and reserved for festival board members and staff, Baglin said.

“But you never know when it’s the Coastal Commission,” Frank said.

And the public has taken advantage of the spaces when attending events on the grounds that did not require staff or board member attendance.

“Seniors need to park near the facility,” Councilwoman Verna Rollinger said.

The festival had a more positive response to its second request: city permission to landscape the hillside behind the festival grounds and maintain it, thus reducing the city’s responsibility and expense for land that is connected to the Irvine Bowl.

Festival officials are willing to take on the tasks to provide a buffer from the lights and noise of homes above the bowl.

Sebastian was retained to prepare the plans and has been meeting with city staff.

Design Review approval will be required, but staff appeared ready to support the proposal. On the recommendation of the city manager, the council approved the proposal 4-0, with Mayor Elizabeth Pearson absent.