Laguna Beach Administrative Community Development Director Meeting - July 1, 2026

July 1, 2026

Executive Summary

- Community Development Director Matt Schneider conducted an administrative meeting on July 1, 2026 to review a coastal development permit application for an attached 966-square-foot accessory dwelling unit (ADU) at 685 Oak Street. - The project involves an attached accessory dwelling unit on the upper level of an existing single-family residence in the Residential Low Density (R1) zone. - Two neighboring property owners from 1125 Temple Terrace (Paige and Cindy) expressed significant concerns about privacy impacts, loss of sunlight, and visual impacts from the proposed two-story ADU on their property. - A third neighbor from 1150 Temple Terrace (David Schroeder) questioned the project's status, noting that stakes for a project were placed over a year ago and then removed, expressing confusion about view impacts. - Community Development Director Matt Schneider approved the coastal development permit, finding no coastal resource impacts and determining that under state ADU law, local jurisdictions cannot consider private view or privacy issues when making decisions on ADU applications. - The applicant's representatives (Warren Hutcherson and Daniel Freeman) clarified that there are

Key Decisions

- Community Development Director Matt Schneider approved Coastal Development Permit 2025-2009 for 685 Oak Street for a 966-square-foot attached accessory dwelling unit on the upper level of an existing single-family residence. - The director determined that the project does not create a coastal resource impact or coastal access impact, allowing the required findings to be made for approval. - The director explained that under state ADU laws, local jurisdictions are specifically prohibited from considering private views or privacy issues when making decisions on ADU applications, limiting revie