Zone changes to Act V parcel questioned

Barbara Diamond

The proposed annexation of the Laguna Canyon parcel known as ACT V,

includes a zone change that has some environmentalists scratching their

heads.

“We disagree with the proposed ‘institutional’ zoning,” said Greenbelt

Inc. President Elizabeth Brown. “ACT V is a buffer area for all of the

greenbelt, the (Laguna Coast Wilderness) park and the Nature Reserve.

Zoning should allow for only low-impact intermittent uses. Institutional

zoning allows for uses, which are too urban and intense for this parcel.”

The city’s Public/Institutional Zone allows public, quasi-public and

private institutional facilities, including, but not limited to civic and

government buildings; schools; public or private parks and playgrounds;

long-term, low-income housing; child-care, preschools and nursery

schools; medical or dental offices and clinics; public utility buildings

and structures; and philanthropic and charitable institutions.

All uses would require a conditional use permit.

“I favor the annexation, but I opposed the zone change and the change

in the code when this came before the Planning Commission,” said

Commissioner Anne Johnson. “I did not think enough people had been

notified.”

The commission approved the package, 3-1, and sent it to the City

Council, which voted 4-1 for preliminary approval at the April 16

meeting. The council could give final approval at the May 7 meeting.

Councilwoman Cheryl Kinsman also favored annexation but opposed the

change in the zoning code.

“The two things should have been separated,” Kinsman said. “I would

have voted for the annexation, but I can see no reason to change the

zoning code.”

Under the county’s jurisdiction, ACT V was zoned tourist/commercial or

community/commercial. Permitted uses, subject to county Planning

Commission approval, included destination resort and commercial

recreation uses, restaurants, health facilities, public or private golf

courses, cultural facilities and public works facilities and commercial

recreation that totaled no more than 75,000 square feet.

“The city’s proposed zone is better than the county’s, but I still

think it should have been more restrictive,” Johnson said.

The change would allow a skateboard park on the parcel or tennis

courts in the city’s Public/Institutional land-use category.

Councilwoman Toni Iseman, who was among the leaders of the opposition

to the relocation of the corporation yard to ACT V and also opposed a

skateboard park on the site, said she will take a closer look at the

proposed city zone when it comes before the council.

ACT V has been traditionally used for peripheral parking, particularly

during festival season, when trams shuttle people from the lot to town.

The city purchased the 8.52-acre parcel from the Irvine Co. The

proposed annexation would bring the parcel into the city’s jurisdictional

boundaries. The Laguna Beach County Water District has already filed an

annexation application with the Local Agency Formation Commission.

All annexations are subject to LAFCO approval. The county, Irvine

Ranch Water District, the Laguna Beach County Water District and the

California Coastal Commission also must approve the city’s application.

* BARBARA DIAMOND is a reporter for the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot.

She may be reached at 494-4321.