STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date:
January 27, 2026
CONSENT
12 SUBJECT: PLANNING DIVISION UPDATE AND WORKLOAD SUMMARY THROUGH JANUARY 5, 2026
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Receive and file the Planning Division Update and Workload Summary, which covers the period from August 2024 through January 5, 2026.
SUMMARY OF THE MATTER
In response to City Council direction from October 2024, this tenth Planning Division Workload Update reports continued improvement in processing efficiency. Average Zoning Plan Check (ZPC) queue time has decreased from 57 days in August 2024 to 19 days, with nearly all reviews completed within the 30- day goal despite a steady workload. Additionally, the average time from initial ZPC to Building Permit issuance has improved from 17 months in July 2025 to 12 months.
This item has no fiscal impact and is exempt from CEQA as it is not a project under CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b).
DISCUSSION
At the October 8, 2024, City Council meeting, the Council requested regular updates on the Planning Division Workload Summary to track progress in eliminating the planning application backlog, and achieving a 30-day turnaround time (or less). Staff provided updates during the City Council Meetings on November 12, 2024, January 14, 2025, February 25, 2025, April 22, 2025, May 20, 2025, June 24, 2025, July 22, 2025, September 23, 2025; and November 18, 2025- this is the tenth update.
Our current goal is:
• A 30-calendar day or less turnaround per Zoning Plan Check (ZPC) round. • At or below a 14-calendar day average turn-around time per building plan check round; and • A 45-calendar day maximum from the date of ZPC clearance to the project's first design review hearing.
Current Data Insights. As of January 5, 2026, our numbers look like this:
PLANNING DIVISION UPDATE AND WORKLOAD SUMMARY THROUGH JANUARY 5, 2026 January 27, 2026
The table above shows that ZPC turnaround time has consistently decreased from August 2024 to January 2026. The average number of days a project remains in a planner’s queue has dropped from 57 days in August 2024 to 19 days pending, even as the number of pending ZPC applications increased from 192 to 288. It is important to note that “days pending” reflects how long an application remained in a planner’s queue awaiting review, not the total time required to complete and return the project to the applicant. ZPC reviews are being returned within 30 days or less in nearly all cases, with only rare exceptions. These exceptions, typically due to unforeseen circumstances such as planner absences or workload shifts, account for approximately one or two projects exceeding the 30-day timeframe each month.
Zoning Plan Check Workload. As shown in the chart below, ZPC workload has increased in the most recent two months from 265 applications to 288 applications. The average number of total ZPC applications over the past 12 months is 276. Staff has not seen any discernible trends with the overall workload remaining relatively steady.
PLANNING DIVISION UPDATE AND WORKLOAD SUMMARY THROUGH JANUARY 5, 2026 January 27, 2026
ZPC Application to Building Permit Issuance. In early 2025, staff began tracking the average time from initial ZPC to Building Permit issuance as a new performance metric to better evaluate overall project timelines. The data is displayed the chart below.
PLANNING DIVISION UPDATE AND WORKLOAD SUMMARY THROUGH JANUARY 5, 2026 January 27, 2026
The initial baseline analysis, based on July 2025 data, showed that projects requiring entitlements took an average of 17 months (524 days) from ZPC to building permit issuance. As staff continue to monitor this metric, more recent data from November and December 2025 indicates continued improvement, with the average duration decreasing from 15 months (457 days) to 12 months (372 days) respectively. It is important to note that this data point is derived by reviewing all building permits that required discretionary zoning permits issued in a given month and correlating that information back to the date the initial zoning plan check application was submitted. Staff believes this is a fairly solid metric, as it captures a project from original submittal to the planning division through building permit issuance from the building division.
It is important to recognize that this metric is not inclusive of all projects currently under review. As noted in previous updates, there are still projects moving through the review pipeline that were initiated prior to the City’s implementation of online digital submittals, which makes data collection and analysis significantly more time-consuming. The current approach was implemented to address this data gap. As the City moves farther from the January 15, 2025 launch date for online digital submittals, staff is confident that Energov reporting will allow for expanded data collection and more comprehensive analysis.
Staff analysis of this data yields several important takeaways. Most notably, data from November and December show that projects in Laguna Beach requiring entitlements can now receive both entitlement approval and a building permit within 12 months. This is an encouraging result for staff and represents a significant improvement for our customers. The Community Development Department has adopted a mindset of continuous improvement and continues to monitor performance and implement adjustments to become more efficient and customer-service focused. Many legacy projects, particularly PLANNING DIVISION UPDATE AND WORKLOAD SUMMARY THROUGH JANUARY 5, 2026 January 27, 2026
those initiated prior to recent process improvements, are still moving through the review process and will experience total processing times far greater than 12 months. However, recent experience and current data indicate that newer applications can expect a much more manageable review timeline. This progress is bringing Laguna Beach’s processing time more in line with other nearby coastal cities.
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
The recommended action has no financial impact to the budget.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND PRIORITIES
This report supports the City Council’s goal of improving efficiency and transparency in development review processes. In response to Council direction from the October 8, 2024 City Council Meeting, staff has provided regular updates on Planning Division workload metrics to monitor progress toward eliminating the planning application backlog and maintaining a 30-day (or less) turnaround time. In addition, the City Council requested bimonthly updates on the timeline from the ZPC start date to Building Permit issuance date to monitor overall processing time for projects with entitlements. The data presented demonstrates measurable improvements in operational efficiency for development review.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The recommended action has no environmental impact.
ATTACHMENTS
None
Submitted By: Matthew Schneider Approved: .David A Kiff Matthew Schneider, Director of
Community Development
Dave Kiff, City Manager
Report Prepared By: Coordinated With:
Erin Fabian, Administrative Analyst