Another view of Montage houses

Bill Rihn

Regarding the approval by the Design Review Board of the first new

homes at the Montage Resort, I offer a different perspective on this

issue.

Let me start by quoting a couple of sentences from the Coastline

Pilot of March 26 and the Design Review Board minutes. Morris

Skenderian, project architect, said: “Little review was needed since

[in his opinion] the home met the criteria of the Treasure Island

Specific Plan. The design respects the guidelines.”

The first Design Review Board member to speak, Ben Simon, said: “A

lot of time was spent in developing the design criteria for this

property. Our job was done a long time ago.”

The board then approved the project 5 to 1, with Steve Kawaratani

dissenting.

So what’s missing here? What’s missing was any discussion by the

Design Review Board as to whether the proposed designs really conform

to the specific plan.

Yet, in written and oral testimony, the South Laguna Civic Assn.

stated that the massiveness of these houses is exaggerated by having

the tallest facade on the ocean side and by the walkout “California

basement.”

The directives in the adopted specific plan include provisions

that these basements are not allowed. Allowing them will give the

appearance from below that these are two-story instead of the

one-story houses that were promised.

The association also expressed concern about the impact that the

proposed residences above the Treasure Island Park will have on the

experience that the public has of the park and the coast. Therefore,

it is important that the size and bulk of the proposed residences is

evaluated from that perspective as well as from the homes above.

The board was urged to instruct the applicants to eliminate the

walkout basements, and to reduce the height of the structures on the

ocean-ward side. Didn’t happen.

* BILL RIHN is the president, South Laguna Civic Assn. and a

Laguna Beach resident.