City Council

17.\nFIRST PUBLIC HEARING PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION\n34458 REGARDING A POTENTIAL CITY CHARTER\nRecommendations:\n1. Open the public hearing and receive a report regarding a possible City Charter;\nand\n2. Provide direction to staff regarding next steps, including on whether to schedule a\nsecond public hearing on the draft City Charter, in compliance with Government\nCode § 34458.\nF.\nPUBLIC HEARINGS FOR APPEALS. This section is specifically for appeals of\ndeterminations of the Planning Commission, the Design Review Board, or other Boards\nor Commissions.  Public Hearings (Appeals) are different from other public hearings in\ntwo ways:  (1) In some cases, the City Council can only consider whether a lower body\nabused its discretion in granting or denying a project application.  In other cases, the\nCouncil can conduct the hearing “ de novo ,” meaning that it can consider old and new\ninformation and make a determination unbound by the lower body’s decision.  The item’s\nstaff report will clearly state which review standard applies to each appeal item; and (2)\npublic comment generally occurs this way:  Staff presents a report about the appeal,\nCouncil members ask questions about the report.  Then the presiding officer opens the\npublic hearing, inviting the person who filed the appeal (the appellant) to speak first,\nfollowed by persons supporting the appellant’s position.  Then the presiding officer\ninvites persons disagreeing with appeal to speak.  When all speakers have spoken, the\npresiding officer invites the appellant up a second time to address any comment and to\nconclude their argument.  Following that, the presiding officer closes the public hearing,\nand the Council deliberates further and ultimately votes on a motion.  The City Council\nconducts all Public Hearings in accordance with the provisions of applicable Laguna\nBeach procedure and State law. The Mayor shall have discretion to establish the time\nallocated for persons who wish to speak, often allowing more time for the appellant\nand/or the applicant.\nA.\n30801 DRIFTWOOD DRIVE: APPEAL OF DESIGN REVIEW BOARD\nAPPROVAL OF DESIGN REVIEW 25-1883, COASTAL DEVELOPMENT\nPERMIT 25-1884, AND REVOCABLE ENCROACHMENT PERMIT 25-1885 FOR\nDEMOLITION OF THE EXISTING STRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION OF A\nNEW SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLING, NEW TWO-CAR GARAGE, VEHICULAR\nACCESS, SKYLIGHTS, GRADING, LANDSCAPING, AND WALKWAY WITHIN\nTHE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY IN THE R-1, RESIDENTIAL LOW-DENSITY\nZONE, AND CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION UNDER THE CALIFORNIA\nENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT GUIDELINES SECTION 15303 (CLASS 3)\nRecommendations:\n1. Continue to conduct the public hearing that was opened at the January 27, 2026\nCity Council meeting, including receiving an updated staff report and taking\npublic testimony and evidence relating to the consideration of Design Review 25\n1883, Coastal Development Permit 25-1884, and Revocable Encroachment Permit\n25-1885, and the California Environmental Quality Act exemption under Section\n15303 of the state CEQA Guidelines; and\n2. Adopt a Resolution titled, “A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE\nCITY OF LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA, DENYING THE APPEAL AND\nSUSTAINING THE DESIGN REVIEW BOARD’S APPROVAL OF DESIGN\nREVIEW 25-1883 FOR DEMOLITION OF THE EXISTING STRUCTURE AND\nCONSTRUCTION OF A NEW SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLING, NEW TWOCAR GARAGE, VEHICULAR ACCESS, SKYLIGHTS, GRADING, AND\nLANDSCAPING, COASTAL DEVELOPMENT PERMIT 25-1884 FOR NONEXEMPT DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE COASTAL ZONE, AND\nREVOCABLE ENCROACHMENT PERMIT 25-1885 FOR A WALKWAY\nWITHIN THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY AT 30801 DRIFTWOOD DRIVE\nLOCATED IN THE R-1, RESIDENTIAL LOW DENSITY ZONE, AND\nCATEGORICAL EXEMPTION UNDER THE CALIFORNIA\nENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT GUIDELINES SECTION 15303,”\nupholding the Design Review Board’s conditional approval of Design Review 251883, Coastal Development Permit 25-1884, and Revocable Encroachment Permit\n25-1885 and finding the project categorically exempt from the California\nEnvironmental Quality Act.\nB.\n511 BROOKS STREET: APPEAL OF APPROVAL OF HEDGE HEIGHT CLAIM\n25-1254 FOR HEDGE HEIGHT VIOLATIONS IN THE R-1, RESIDENTIAL\nLOW-DENSITY ZONE, AND CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION UNDER THE\nCALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT GUIDELINES SECTION\n15304 (CLASS 4)\nRecommendations:\n1. Continue to conduct the public hearing that was opened at the March 24, 2026\nCity Council meeting, including receiving an updated staff report and taking\npublic testimony and evidence relating to the consideration of Hedge Height\nClaim 25-1254, and the California Environmental Quality Act exemption under\nSection 15304 of the state CEQA Guidelines; and\n2. Adopt a Resolution titled, “A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE\nCITY OF LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA, DENYING THE APPEAL AND\nSUSTAINING THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT\nDESIGNEE’S APPROVAL OF HEDGE HEIGHT CLAIM 25-1254 FOR HEDGE\nHEIGHT VIOLATIONS ON THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 511 BROOKS\nSTREET IN THE R-1, RESIDENTIAL LOW DENSITY ZONE, AND\nCATEGORICAL EXEMPTION UNDER THE CALIFORNIA\nENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT GUIDELINES SECTION 15304,”\nupholding the Designee’s conditional approval of Hedge Height Claim 25-1254\nand finding the project categorically exempt from the California Environmental\nQuality Act.\nG.\nCOUNCIL MEMBER ITEM(S). The City Council shall consider matters submitted by\nmembers of the City Council in accordance with Resolution No. 24.011, as it may be\namended.\nH.