Laguna Beach City Council Regular Meeting - February 5, 2019

February 5, 2019

Executive Summary

- The City Council and Design Review Board held a joint meeting on February 5, 2019, to discuss improvements to the design review process, with each DRB member providing five-minute reports on their observations and recommendations. - Design Review Board members identified long processing timelines prior to DRB hearings (rather than the DRB process itself) as the primary source of applicant frustration, recommending parallel plan submissions to multiple departments instead of sequential reviews to reduce delays. - Board members recommended enhanced applicant education, clearer disclosure of Coastal Commission versus City coastal development standards, early staking to resolve neighbor conflicts before formal review, and better communication of neighborhood compatibility standards. - The City Council conducted interviews and appointments for eight committees: Recreation Committee (5 appointments), Heritage Committee (3 appointments), View Restoration Committee (3 appointments), Orange County Mosquito & Vector Control District (1 appointment), Environmental Sustainability Committee (5 appointments), Parking, Traffic & Circulation Committee (4 appointments), Measure LL Audit Oversight

Key Decisions

- The City Council accepted five-minute reports from Design Review Board members on process improvement recommendations. - The City Council proceeded with interviews and appointments for eight city committees and boards following the joint session with the Design Review Board. - City Manager John committed to presenting staff recommendations on design review process improvements at the strategic planning session and to City Council on March 5, 2019.