CITY FOCUS: Building a community

Laguna Beach sculptor Louis Longi has a dream. He wants artists to be able to live and work in Laguna.

Longi debuted his plans for a live/work development in Laguna Canyon at a reception Saturday night.

Mayor Jane Egly, Laguna College of Art & Design President Dennis Power and several arts commissioners were among a throng of curious artists and would-be neighbors who viewed a scale model and several renderings at the party in Longi’s current studio in the canyon.

Longi conducted “tours” of his dream project throughout the evening.

“I have been living, breathing and eating this for about a year,” the sculptor said.

He was first inspired when he landed a large public art project for the city, now in place at the ACT V lot.

Longi found there was no facility to complete the large sculpture in Laguna, he said, and had to work with an Anaheim company. So he decided to create his own.

The planned location is a 1-acre lot between an animal hospital and a koi pond retailer, where a rug salesman often shows his wares on weekends.

There is a small residential structure on the property, which would be torn down to accommodate the new buildings.

The property has setbacks on both the road side and along the creek at the back of the property, so Longi and architect Bill Howard have developed a long, low design that blends in with the surrounding terrain and buildings.

“We have a sensibility about what’s important to the residents and the city,” Howard said.

The property would be composed of four buildings connected with walkways, which would contain Longi’s own residence plus about 10 live/work rentals of 1,000 or more square feet each, plus a central area for the artists to use as a shared workshop.

There would be room for semi trucks and forklifts to maneuver, as befits Longi’s sculptural work.

“The whole idea is to live and work in one facility,” Longi said. “Bill is going to design everything by artists and for artists from day one.”

Howard said the nearby art college has already indicated interest in renting one of the buildings.

Longi’s own residence would be on one side of the complex, with underground parking below that would double the total spaces available for special events.

Sculptures and other art in front of the buildings would be visible from Laguna Canyon.

Also visible would be a series of solar panels along the entire roof — about 400 square feet per live/work unit, Longi said.

He plans to harvest enough electricity to sell some back to the grid. Cross-ventilation and skylights will also make them energy-efficient.

The underside of the building is being treated with an equal amount of care: Two concrete slabs will be linked by concrete pilasters, which would make the buildings earthquake-safe in up to a 7.5 tremor and serve as a catch-basin for water in times of flooding.

“They would be like little boats,” Longi said of the units.

“I think it’s really impressive,” artist Olivia Batchelder said of the project; she lives near Longi’s current studio. “It’s like a little community of artists, and makes this area more infused with what Laguna’s known for.”

“It was impressive and inspiring,” Arts Commissioner Suzi Chauvel said of the project at Monday’s Arts Commission meeting. “It was very exciting to see that there’s a lot of real support there.”

In Longi’s ideal scenario, the project would get through the city permitting process in two or three months, with construction to last about a year.

The property is currently zoned as light industrial/commercial; a residential Conditional Use Permit would be required.

“They’ve all been very positive,” Longi said of the city officials who have seen the plans. “The whole idea is to make sure this is an asset for the city.”