Laguna Beach Design Review Board - April 18, 2015

April 18, 2015

Executive Summary

- Joint meeting of City Council, Planning Commission, and Design Review Board held on April 18, 2015 to address procedural improvements and development review processes - Review of special projects inventory and prioritization discussed to better utilize city committees - New requirement established for Planning Commission and Design Review Board members to conduct mandatory site visits for properties with view equity issues or face recusal - Electronic packet systems and IT upgrades for Council Chambers and PowerPoint presentations explored - Pre-application site development meetings proposed for all new buildings and major remodels to improve review efficiency - Design Review Board granted flexibility to allow fourth hearings under special circumstances - Staff committed to reducing plan check turnaround time to two weeks and improving staff report comprehensiveness - Policy changes approved to allow revisions to approved landscape plans to accommodate drought-tolerant landscaping in response to California drought conditions

Key Decisions

- Planning Commission and Design Review Board members must complete site visits for properties with view equity issues or recuse themselves from those cases - Design Review Board authorized to allow fourth hearings under special circumstances - Approved policy allowing revisions to approved landscape plans to accommodate drought-tolerant landscaping