Laguna Beach City Council Public Hearing - July 23, 2024

July 23, 2024

Executive Summary

- The City Council adopted a resolution to repeal Ordinance No. 1675 relating to building height, mass, bulk, and parking in commercial districts in lieu of placing a referendum measure on the ballot. - The Council considered ballot measures to increase the Transient Occupancy Tax from 12% to 13% effective July 1, 2026, and to create a new Group 4 business license tax category for bars and restaurants with annual CPI adjustments. - The Council approved partial appeals for two residential design review projects at 1526 Morningside Drive and 950 Baja Street, remanding both cases back to the Design Review Board for new public hearings. - The City authorized acceptance of a $100,000 match-free grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a tree canopy analysis and Urban Forestry Master Plan. - The Council approved increasing the Promenade Resident Focus Group from 7 to 12 members to support evaluation of the future design of the Promenade on Forest project. - Multiple parking restriction resolutions were adopted for Tahiti Avenue, Fifth Avenue, Glenneyre Street, and citywide golf cart parking spaces (three-hour limit). - The Council approved a contract amendment with IDS Group, In

Key Decisions

- Adopted an ordinance repealing Ordinance No. 1675 pertaining to mass, scaling, height, and parking within commercial districts in lieu of holding a referendum election. - Adopted a resolution calling for placement of a Transient Occupancy Tax ballot measure on the November 5, 2024 General Municipal Election ballot to increase the rate from 12% to 13%. - Adopted a resolution calling for placement of a Business License Tax ballot measure on the November 5, 2024 General Municipal Election ballot creating Group 4 category for bars and restaurants with CPI adjustments. - Approved partial appeals