STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date:
December 9, 2025
CONSENT
20 SUBJECT: PARKING, TRAFFIC, AND CIRCULATION COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDATIONS
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Approve the Parking, Traffic, and Circulation Committee’s recommendation to establish 40 feet of parking restrictions on Sunset Ridge Drive by adopting the Resolution titled, “A
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAGUNA BEACH,
CALIFORNIA, ESTABLISHING PARKING RESTRICTIONS ON SUNSET RIDGE DRIVE
AND FINDING THE PROJECT EXEMPT FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT PURSUANT TO STATE CEQA GUIDELINES SECTIONS 15061(b)(3) AND 15304”;
2. Approve the Parking, Traffic, and Circulation Committee’s recommendation to establish two golf cart parking spaces on Ocean Way by adopting the Resolution titled, “A RESOLUTION OF THE
CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA, ESTABLISHING
TWO GOLF CART PARKING SPACES ON OCEAN WAY AND FINDING THE PROJECT
EXEMPT FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT PURSUANT TO STATE CEQA GUIDELINES SECTIONS 15061(b)(3) AND 15304”; and
3. Approve the Parking, Traffic, and Circulation Committee’s recommendation to establish 4 feet of parking restrictions on Fairview Drive by adopting the Resolution titled, “A RESOLUTION OF
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA, ESTABLISHING
PARKING RESTRICTIONS ON FAIRVIEW STREET AND FINDING THE PROJECT
EXEMPT FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT PURSUANT TO STATE CEQA GUIDELINES SECTIONS 15061(b)(3) AND 15304.
SUMMARY OF THE MATTER
This report provides recommendations from the Parking, Traffic, and Circulation (PTC) Committee for City Council consideration. At its public meetings on September 25 and October 23, 2025, the PTC Committee approved the recommendations listed below:
Establish Parking Restrictions on Sunset Ridge Drive. At its September 25, 2025, meeting, the PTC Committee voted 5-1 to establish twenty feet of parking restrictions on each side of Sunset Ridge Drive adjacent to 1700 and 1701 Sunset Ridge Drive. (Attachment 1).
Install Two Golf Cart Parking Spaces on Ocean Way. At its September 25, 2025, meeting, the PTC Committee voted 5-0 to install one golf cart parking space adjacent to 1941 Ocean Way and voted 3-2 to install one golf cart parking space adjacent to 1990 Ocean Way. (Attachment 2).
Establish Parking Restrictions on Fairview Street. At its October 23, 2025, meeting, the PTC Committee voted 6-1 to establish two feet of parking restrictions on each side of the driveway at 165 Fairview Street. (Attachment 3).
PARKING, TRAFFIC, AND CIRCULATION COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS December 9, 2025
LEGAL BACKGROUND
The California Vehicle Code (CVC) generally allows cities to establish their own process for regulating parking spaces on streets:
Local authorities may, by ordinance or resolution, prohibit or restrict the stopping, parking, or standing of vehicles, including, but not limited to, vehicles that are six feet or more in height (including any load thereon), within 100 feet of any intersection, on certain streets or highways, or portions thereof during all or certain hours of the day. (CVC Section 22507(a).)
The City Council adopted an ordinance that creates a process by which the City Manager, or his/her designee, subject to approval by the City Council, is authorized to determine “appropriate parking restrictions” “as may be required for the safe and efficient control of traffic within the city” based on traffic engineering principles, investigations, and standards as may be pertinent:
(a) The city manager or his/her designee shall have the authority and duty, subject to the approval of the city council, to determine the type, location and hours of operation of, and to install, erect, place, maintain, remove, relocate, or discontinue, all traffic control signals, signs, markings and devices within the city of Laguna Beach.
(b) The city manager or his/her designee also has authority to determine the nature and type of traffic restrictions, subject to the approval of the city council, as may be required for the safe and efficient control of traffic within the city, including but not limited to the following:
(1) Determine restricted turn areas, appropriate parking restrictions, and such additional control devices as may, in his/her judgment, be required.
(2) Make such determinations upon the basis of traffic engineering principles, investigations, standards and information as may be pertinent and in accordance with state law and the instructions set forth in the California Maintenance Manual and Planning Manual-Traffic, issued by the California Department of Transportation, and in accordance with such standards, limitations and rules as may be set forth in this chapter, or as may be determined by ordinance or resolution of the city council.
(LBMC Section 10.03.010.)
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
The Fiscal Year 2025-26 Budget contains sufficient funding, and no additional appropriations are required for the recommended action.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The approval of the PTC’s recommendations and adoption of the resolutions is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines sections 15060(c)(2) and 15061(b)(3). The activity is not subject to CEQA because it will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable physical change in the environment, and the activity is covered by the general rule that CEQA
PARKING, TRAFFIC, AND CIRCULATION COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS December 9, 2025
applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. Here, the proposed Project does not have the potential to present any negative impacts to the environment because the proposed Project does not involve any significant physical actions that could present harm to the environment.
Further, in accordance with the State CEQA Guidelines, the project is also categorically exempt pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15304 - Class 4, Minor Alterations to Land, which consists of minor alterations to the land, water and/vegetation that does not involve the removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees. Examples of Class 4 exempt projects include the creation of bicycle lanes, minor trenching, and earth filling. Here, the proposed Project includes parking restrictions, modifications to an existing commercial loading zone and the demarcation of one golf cart parking space and bicycle parking. All of the actions under the proposed Project are minor in nature and do not have the potential to cause a significant physical effect on the environment. Further, none of these actions involves the removal of any healthy, mature, scenic trees.
Further, none of the exceptions outlined in CEQA Guidelines section 15300.2 apply. The project site does not contain any environmentally sensitive areas. There will be no cumulative impact resulting from successive projects of the same type in the same place over time. There are no unusual circumstances resulting in a significant impact on the environment. There will be no damage to scenic resources, including trees, historic buildings, rock outcroppings, or similar resources, within a highway officially designated as a state scenic highway in that project is temporary. The project is not located on a hazardous waste site or any other site included on a list compiled pursuant to Government Code section 65962.5 according to Cortese List. The project will not result in significant adverse impacts to historical resources as defined by CEQA as the existing structures onsite are not on the California Register of Historical Resources.
Consequently, additional environmental analysis is not necessary to meet the requirements of the CEQA, and the project falls within the Class 4 exemption. Upon approval of these resolutions, staff will cause a Notice of Exemption to be filed with the County Clerk and State Clearinghouse within five working days.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution & Exhibit – Sunset Ridge Drive Parking Restrictions (Pgs. 4-8)
2. Resolution & Exhibit – Install Golf Cart Parking Spaces on Ocean Way (Pgs. 9-12)
3. Resolution & Exhibit – Fairview Street Parking Restrictions (Pgs. 13-16) Submitted By: Mark McAvoy Approved: .David A Kiff
Mark McAvoy, Director of Public
Works & Utilities
Dave Kiff, City Manager
Report Prepared By: Coordinated With:
Joshua McDonald, Associate Civil Engineer Thomas Perez, City Engineer