ADDENDUM TO APPEAL: ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS AND POLICY REVIEW Regarding: Design Review 24-0658 / Coastal Development Permit 24-0657 Property: 31526 Valido Road, Laguna Beach, California
Submitted by: Sofia Chamberlain, 31551 Toto Loma Lane, Laguna Beach, CA Date: January 25, 2026
Purpose of This Addendum
This addendum is submitted in support of our pending appeal, filed on October 6, 2025, to provide a focused environmental and policy-based review of the proposed development at 31526 Valido Road. It identifies specific inconsistencies with the California Coastal Act, the City of Laguna Beach Local Coastal Program (LCP), Fire Code requirements, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), with particular attention to impacts on the Ceanothus Creek riparian corridor, hillside stability, fire safety, and wildlife connectivity.
The purpose of this addendum is not to restate the full appeal record, but to clarify discrete environmental concerns, document applicable policy requirements, and specify the procedural actions necessary to bring the project into compliance prior to approval.
I will be referencing the following codes and policies:
Policy / Code Requirement
Coastal Act §30231 Protect riparian buffers and natural stream processes Coastal Act §30240(a,b) Prevent degradation of ESHA and adjacent development LCP §25.07.006(b) Development within 100 ft of a stream is appealable LCP §25.15.004(A)(5-7) Minimize grading; protect hillside stability Fire Code §4911 Fuel-Modification compliance required
CEQA §15303 Exemption inapplicable in sensitive environments
1. Possible Riparian Habitat Proximity and Buffer Violation Request: The City should require a site redesign or biological assessment demonstrating compliance with the Coastal Act, including the establishment of a scientifically supported riparian buffer consistent with the 100-foot stream protection standard, prior to project approval.
Concerns: The City’s determination that a 65-foot setback provides adequate protection appears inconsistent with the requirements of the Coastal Act and Laguna Beach Municipal Codes.
Attachment 24
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The proposed 3,600 sq. ft. two-story residence and approximately 3,750 cubic yards of excavation are located within approximately 65 feet of Ceanothus Creek, a natural watercourse supporting amphibian, mammal, and bird species and providing habitat connectivity between canyon slopes and coastal ecosystems.
Laguna Beach Municipal Code designates development within 100 feet of a stream or wetland as appealable to the Coastal Commission. The Coastal Act requires maintenance of natural vegetation buffers to protect riparian habitats and minimize stream alteration, and requires adjacent development to be sited and designed to prevent significant degradation of environmentally sensitive habitat areas.
2. Excavation and Possible Hillside Instability
Request: The City should require a geotechnical and hydrological analysis evaluating slope stability, erosion potential, and sediment transport impacts to Ceanothus Creek, and require project redesign or grading reduction to conform with LCP hillside protection standards and Coastal Act.
Concerns: The project proposes approximately 3,750 cubic yards of excavation on a steep slope within the Residential/Hillside Protection Zone, which requires development to be sensitive to hillside terrain, minimize grading, follow natural topography, and avoid slopes exceeding 30 percent where feasible.
Ceanothus Canyon’s steep grades and erosive soils increase the risk of slope instability, erosion, and sediment transport into the adjacent riparian corridor. These risks conflict with Coastal Act, which requires development to assure site stability and avoid contributing to erosion or geologic instability.
3. Questionable CEQA Exemption
Request: The City should require a full environmental review, either an Initial Study, Mitigated Negative Declaration, or Environmental Impact Report, to evaluate potential impacts to Ceanothus Creek and associated habitats.
Concerns: The City applied CEQA Categorical Exemption (New Construction of Small Structures), which is intended for minor development without significant environmental impacts.
Replacing an existing 1,113 sq. ft. residence with a 3,600 sq. ft. two-story structure involving approximately 3,700 cubic yards of excavation within an Environmentally Sensitive Area does not appear to meet the intent of this exemption. LCP requires development to avoid adverse effects on environmentally sensitive areas.
4. Possible Fire Safety and Fuel-Modification Conflicts 651
Request: The City should require documented compliance with Fuel Modification Zone (FMZ) standards, including an analysis of how required vegetation clearance would be implemented without degrading environmentally sensitive habitat, prior to project approval.
Concerns: The site is located within both an Appealable Coastal Zone and a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Fire Codes require new development in Fuel Modification areas to comply with FMZ standards.
The Coastal Act requires development in high fire-hazard areas to minimize risks to life and property. Approval of a new residence on a steep, vegetated canyon slope without demonstrated FMZ compliance raises unresolved safety and habitat-disturbance concerns.
5. Possible Cumulative Impacts on Wildlife Corridor
Request: The City should conduct a cumulative impact analysis evaluating excavation, construction activity, and runoff effects on the Ceanothus Creek wildlife corridor to ensure compliance with the Coastal Act.
Concerns: The City’s Environmentally Sensitive Areas Map identifies natural canyons and watercourses, including Ceanothus Creek, as critical wildlife corridors connecting hillside, riparian, and canyon-bottom ecosystems.
The project’s scale, excavation intensity, and expanded development footprint increase the risk of landslides, sediment-laden runoff, and pollutant discharge into Ceanothus Creek, particularly during storm events. These impacts may degrade water quality, riparian vegetation, and habitat conditions for amphibians and aquatic species, resulting in cumulative habitat degradation, which appears to be inconsistent with the Coastal Act.
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1 Steven, Heather CD
From: Rodrigues, Bill CD
Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2026 10:55 PM
To: Viera, Anthony CD; Steven, Heather CD; Schneider, Matthew CD Subject: Fw: Formal Objection to Appeal of Design Review Board Determination Regarding the Egan Homestead and Request for Procedural and Substantive Accountability Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged
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From: Matt Karam <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2026 10:47 PM
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]>; Gannon, Jessica <[email protected]>; Coveny, Mary Jo <[email protected]>; Bauta, Imer <[email protected]>; Weil, Louis <[email protected]>; Design Review Board <[email protected]>; Rodrigues, Bill CD <[email protected]>; Baldridge, Cheryl CC <[email protected]>; McKay, Ann Marie CC <[email protected]>; Beier, Samantha CD <[email protected]>; Dubin, Jorg <[email protected]>; Goldman, Steven <[email protected]>; Steven Kellenberg <[email protected]>; Sadler, Ken <[email protected]>; Whitin, Susan <[email protected]>; Frimond, Jeremy CM <[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]> Cc: City Council <[email protected]>
Subject: Formal Objection to Appeal of Design Review Board Determination Regarding the Egan Homestead and Request for Procedural and Substantive Accountability
[NOTICE: This message originated outside of City of Laguna Beach -- DO NOT CLICK on links or open attachments unless you are sure the content is safe.]
To the Honorable Members of the Laguna Beach City Council, I write as a resident of Laguna Beach and as an active agricultural land steward in California to formally express profound concern and growing distrust regarding the City Council’s recent actions, decisionmaking processes, and procedural handling of matters relating to historic preservation, land use governance, and public accountability—specifically the pending appeal concerning the demolition authorization of the Egan Homestead.
This communication is submitted in advance of the City Council hearing scheduled for February 24 regarding the appeal of the Design Review Board’s determination that the Egan Homestead property is 653
2 not historic and may therefore be demolished.
At issue is not merely the fate of a single structure. Rather, the matter implicates the City’s fidelity to lawful process, evidentiary standards, institutional competence, and the integrity of its stewardship over Laguna Beach’s historical and environmental heritage.
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I. Procedural Irregularities and Institutional Misallocation of Authority It is deeply concerning that the determination regarding the historic status of the Egan Homestead was placed primarily within the jurisdictional action of the Design Review Board rather than the City’s Heritage Committee or equivalent body specifically tasked with historic evaluation and preservation matters.
This procedural routing raises legitimate questions regarding:
- Proper administrative jurisdiction
- Subject-matter expertise
- Adherence to preservation review protocols
- Whether the most qualified evaluative body was intentionally or inadvertently bypassed Historic resource determinations are not aesthetic design matters. They are preservation determinations requiring specialized historical, cultural, and land-use analysis. Routing such a decision through a body not principally tasked with historical designation undermines public confidence in the neutrality and rigor of the review process.
---
II. Failure of Evidentiary Balance and Consultant Integrity The record indicates that:
- Two independent historical consultants concluded the property is eligible for listing on the California Register of Historical Resources and the National Register of Historic Places. - Their findings link the property directly to the implementation of the Homestead Act of 1862. - A competing historical report funded by the developer disputes those findings.
The City’s handling of these conflicting expert conclusions raises material concerns regarding evidentiary weighting, consultant independence, and funding transparency.
Equally troubling is the apparent absence of meaningful integration of analysis or position statements from long-established local historical institutions, including:
- Laguna Beach Historical Society
- Village Laguna
- South Laguna Civic Association
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3 These organizations possess accumulated institutional knowledge that cannot be replicated through isolated commissioned reports. Their expertise should not merely be acknowledged—it should be substantively incorporated into decision-making.
---
III. Agricultural and Land Stewardship Context: Evident Lack of Local Land Knowledge As an active grower and agricultural operator with working land in California, I find the apparent lack of land-based historical inquiry in this matter deeply troubling.
The Egan Homestead represents a functional agricultural settlement of its era. Any competent historical assessment of such a property requires basic agrarian inquiry, including:
- What crops were cultivated on the Egan farmland?
- What was the site’s water acquisition method?
- Was groundwater accessed or developed?
- What building materials were available and used in early 1900s homestead construction? - What logistical constraints shaped settlement patterns at that time? These are not peripheral questions. They are foundational to understanding whether a property embodies the historical realities of early homesteading life.
Failure to rigorously investigate these matters suggests not merely an incomplete historical review, but a fundamental absence of working knowledge regarding agricultural settlement history in Laguna Beach.
As a fellow agricultural producer—like the Egan family and their contemporaries—I find it extraordinary that such basic land-use and survival questions appear to have been insufficiently explored before authorizing demolition of what may be one of the last remaining homesteader structures in Orange County.
---
IV. Fiscal Stewardship and Public Trust Concerns
Equally troubling is the City’s handling of public funds in relation to:
- Historic evaluation processes
- Consultant compensation and selection
- Use or non-use of City historical bodies
- Transparency in evidentiary review
- Allocation of resources toward demolition approval processes Public funding associated with historic review must meet the highest standards of transparency, neutrality, and methodological rigor. The present situation does not reflect those standards. ---
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4 V. Governance Implications
The cumulative effect of these procedural choices, evidentiary inconsistencies, and apparent institutional bypasses has significantly eroded public confidence in the City Council’s capacity to function as an impartial and trustworthy local governing body in matters of historic preservation and land stewardship.
This is not a rhetorical concern. It is a governance concern.
When residents observe:
- Jurisdictional misalignment
- Uneven evidentiary consideration
- Limited transparency
- Apparent marginalization of established historical institutions - Insufficient land-based historical inquiry
they reasonably question whether decision-making is being conducted with the level of integrity, diligence, and neutrality required of municipal authority. ---
VI. Requested Actions
Accordingly, I respectfully request that the City Council:
1. Conduct a fully transparent and procedurally appropriate review of the Egan Homestead’s historical eligibility.
2. Formally incorporate analysis from recognized local historical organizations into the evidentiary record.
3. Provide public accounting of consultant selection, funding, and evaluative methodology.
4. Clarify why the Design Review Board, rather than appropriate historic review bodies, served as the primary decision authority.
5. Suspend any demolition authorization until a properly structured historic determination process is completed.
---
Conclusion
The Egan Homestead is not merely a structure. It represents a tangible link to early agricultural settlement, land survival, and the lived implementation of federal homesteading policy. Structures of this nature are finite and irreplaceable once removed.
Municipal authority carries with it a fiduciary duty to history, land, and public trust. The present handling of this matter calls that duty into serious question.
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5 I urge the Council to proceed with the highest degree of procedural integrity, evidentiary rigor, and historical responsibility at the February 24 hearing.
Land owner and resident of South Laguna, CA for 35 years now.
Respectfully submitted,
Matthew Karam
Resident, South Laguna, California
Agricultural Land Owner/Steward & Grower
[email protected]
949.887.7510
For privacy and personal safety reasons, I am intentionally not including my residential address in this correspondence. This decision is made due to concerns regarding confidentiality, potential retaliation (direct or indirect), and the possibility of discriminatory treatment in connection with current or future interactions involving the City Council, the Design Review Board, and affiliated committees of the City of Laguna Beach. I will provide contact information through appropriate secure channels if and when necessary.
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1 Steven, Heather CD
Subject: FW: Preserving the Historic Eagan House and Laguna Beach’s Cultural Heritage From: Carey Strombotne <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 6, 2026 1:57 PM
To: City Council <[email protected]>
Subject: Preserving the Historic Eagan House and Laguna Beach’s Cultural Heritage [NOTICE: This message originated outside of City of Laguna Beach -- DO NOT CLICK on links or open attachments unless you are sure the content is safe.] Dear Mayor Orgill and City Council Members:
I am writing to urge you to reconsider the demolition of the Eagan House, one of Laguna Beach’s earliest homesteads and the oldest remaining original cottage in our community.
The Eagan House is not simply an old structure—it is a tangible link to the origins of Laguna Beach. As one of the first homesteads in the area, it represents the perseverance, craftsmanship, and way of life of the earliest settlers who shaped this town long before it became the vibrant coastal city we know today.
Once such places are lost, they can never be replaced.
Historic preservation is not about resisting progress; it is about honoring identity. Laguna Beach’s character, charm, and cultural richness are rooted in its history. Visitors and residents alike are drawn to this city because it has retained its sense of place. Preserving historic structures like the Eagan House safeguards that identity and ensures that future generations can experience the physical stories of those who came before them.
Across California, communities are increasingly recognizing that historic preservation provides economic, educational, and environmental benefits. Adaptive reuse of historic homes often proves more sustainable than demolition and redevelopment, while also offering opportunities for cultural tourism, community engagement, and historical education.
Demolishing the Eagan House would represent an irreversible loss—not only of a building, but of an irreplaceable chapter in Laguna Beach’s story. I respectfully ask the City Council to explore alternatives to demolition, including landmark designation, preservation incentives, or partnerships that would allow this historic ranch to be protected and thoughtfully integrated into the city’s future.
Laguna Beach has long been a steward of art, culture, and heritage. Preserving the Eagan House would affirm that commitment and demonstrate that our city values its past as much as its future.
Thank you for your time, consideration, and service to our community.
Respectfully,
658
2 Carey Strombotne
Laguna Beach, CA
659
Anthony Viera
Deputy Director of Community Development
City of Laguna Beach
January 8, 2026
Re: Appeal for 31526 Valido Road
Dear Anthony,
Thank you for the written response to our letter of December 24, 2025. However, we are disappointed in the course of action you have outlined regarding the historical research on the Egan Homestead property at 31526 Valido Road. We urge city staO to reconsider. The finding on the historic significance of the property should not be based on critiques of the reports, but upon the actual qualities and history of the property.
The city should seriously consider: How could a structure, begun in 1907 as part of establishing a homestead claim, now the oldest house in South Laguna, and the only local remaining house of a homesteader, not be a historical resource? If not a property like this, does anything qualify?
Every eOort should be made to address any possible deficiencies in the research/reports so that as much correct information as possible is presented to the Council and public for review.
This is why we urge you to contract with HRG to do additional research and amend their report accordingly. They are the most qualified and objective consultant to address the concerns that GPA pointed out. GPA’s work was limited and did not include any additional research. Their scope of work states:
“ The City is not seeking a new (and 3rd) independent assessment of the property, but, rather, a memo analysis based on the reports provided to the City…
1. A new assessment is not requested. The peer review will be concerned with the methodology, accuracy, and completeness of the report and will not re-evaluate the property.
2. Extensive property-specific or contextual research will not be conducted. GPA will review existing documentation available from the City and/or GPA’s past projects in the vicinity.
3. A site visit will not be conducted.”
This last item—no site visit by GPA—is an important example of why GPA’s report critique work should not be a determinant in decisions on this property. Chronicle’s main argument against finding the Egan property a historic resource is impairment of the setting. GPA 660
accepts this argument as being true without ever having visited the site and observing the setting for themselves! Thus they missed the importance 60% of the original 40 acre homestead preserved as part of Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park--just as William and Bertie Egan found it. The lot in question, with its house and outbuilding, directly adjoins that naturally vegetated Park property and this provides the setting that makes it possible for observers to see and imagine exactly the landscape the Egans encountered and lived with.
Without any additional research, the questions that GPA raised are not likely to be answered, and their further involvement, unless it includes analysis of additional research provided by the City’s consultant, is unlikely to produce the documentation they state as being necessary.
We also want to point out that the additional report from the SOIS qualified architectural historian, Francesca Smith, is important to include in the historical analysis. The information in that report addresses the context and rarity issues that GPA questioned.
HRG should address this information and add any more that they may develop in their amended report.
Below is a summary of the experience of Francesca Smith in evaluating homesteads:
• Fallon Range Training Complex Modernization Draft EIS. Van Vorhis Airfield, Nevada.
United States Department of Defense, United States Navy. 2018. Evaluated more than 20 abandoned homestead properties, among numerous other properties, for National Register eligibility. Of those, Loraine Spencer Homestead, Devore Homestead, Ellis Homestead and H Homestead (Derrick Complex) were each determined eligible for the National Register with Nevada State Historic Preservation OOicer (SHPO) concurrence.
• Interstate 15 South Corridor Improvements Project. Las Vegas, Nevada. Federal Highway Administration. 2007. Evaluated 753 properties for National Register eligibility, including two homestead properties. None was determined eligible. Nevada SHPO concurred.
We also want to point out additional research by Lee Hanson that resulted in a series of articles printed in Stu News and the Laguna Beach Independent. Her research produced material from the National Archives such as the actual homestead application and evaluation documents by William Egan and James Shrewsbury. Early prominent community leaders John N. (Nick) Isch (Laguna’s postmaster) and Joseph S. (Joe) Thurston (whose father filed the homestead claim for Aliso Canyon land) signed testimonial documents verifying Egan and Shrewsbury’s occupation and improvements on the homestead property. We are attaching those Homestead Case Files for Egan and Shrewsbury.
These provide additional information that will be helpful to HRG. 661
In addition we have an 1885 topography map created by the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey on which the homestead boundaries have been overlaid. Structures documented on that survey are highlighted in red. None of those structures exist today. This is part of the documentation that establishes the context of the Egan homestead. The post-1885 buildings are documented on a 1948 USGS map that shows the Egan house. For example, the Thurston buildings in Aliso Canyon that show on the 1885 map are not on the 1948 map. The Rogers ranch house on the Damron homestead has been replaced by City Hall, and the Harvey Hemenway house in Laguna Canyon and the Robert Anderson house on the Shrewsbury homestead show on the 1948 map but have since been destroyed. The maps provide documentation showing where homestead structures were, and through analyzing these maps it can seen that they are no longer extant.
We only have this detail because of the research we have done for the SLCA history of South Laguna book. Certainly HRG in their initial report could not have been expected to do this level of research, and it took many months for us to document. Now that this information is available, HRG should include it in their report.
Apparently the city is allowing the applicant/developer to submit additional reports. As appellants we are representing the public interest in preserving evidence of the heritage of our city. We have had to pay a large fee to try to see that the policies of the General Plan regarding historic preservation are implemented. We ask that the city staO do all it can to see that all of the historic information is gathered and completely and fairly presented for council and public review, and that staO be in regular communication with us as well as with the applicant/developer. We also request that any new report be forwarded to us as soon as submitted to the city.
Ann Christoph
cc: Dave KiO, city manager, Matthew Schneider, Community Development Director Lee Hanson chapters published in Stu News:
1. Homestead Challenge (published Nov 7)
https://stunewslaguna.com/the-house-on-valido-road-110725/
2. Homestead Honeymoon (published Nov 14)
https://stunewslaguna.com/the-house-on-valido-road-111425/
3. Dwelling, House, Home (published Nov 21)
https://stunewslaguna.com/the-house-on-valido-road-112125/
4. Farm on Fire (published Nov 28)
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https://stunewslaguna.com/the-house-on-valido-road-112825/
5. See How It Grew (published Dec 5)
https://stunewslaguna.com/the-house-on-valido-road-120525/
6. Hearth and Home (published Dec 12)
https://stunewslaguna.com/the-house-on-valido-road-121225/
7. Egan Family Traditions (published Dec 19)
https://stunewslaguna.com/the-house-on-valido-road-121925/
8. Resilience (published Jan 2) - the last article in the series https://stunewslaguna.com/the-house-on-valido-road-resilience-010226/ 663
664
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1 Egan House Celebrates 119 years: Will It See Another? By Lee C. Hanson, Ph.D.
With historic descrip-ons from Esther Egan, daughter of the Egan Homesteaders In 1902, my father, Will Egan, and his uncle, James Shrewsbury were on a camping trip to Laguna Beach and found that some of the South Laguna property was open to homesteaders.
This drama*c opening line, wri4en by Esther Egan (youngest daughter of Will and Ber*e Egan) vividly describes the struggles of her parents, as they carved their homestead out of the hills and canyons of South Laguna, building their family home known as the “house on the hill.”
In 1906, Will Egan filed his homestead applica*on for 40 acres of land in South Laguna.
Although filing for land was prac*cally free, there were other costs involved; homesteaders needed to clear the land, plow the soil, add amendments, level the field, create rows to plant, and maintain the crops throughout several months. During that *me, shelter and food for people and animals needed to be provided. All of these steps required hard labor as well as
enough money to survive the first
year with no income in sight.
From Esther’s family story we learn
that The property was covered
with deep underbrush which had
to be cleared with teams of horses
and terribly hard work.
Our father and Uncle Jim Built the
first dwelling, a room 10’ x 16’
(which later became the kitchen in
the Egan home). It is sNll there Underbrush covers the South Laguna hills and flatlands above West Street .
In January 1907, aUer Will Egan had cleared the brush from the property and prepared the fields, he built a one-room “dwelling”—the start of the two-bedroom Egan home that, 119 years later, s*ll stands on Valido Road.
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2 Will Egan preparing the fields on his 40-acre homestead During the time before the homestead’s final proof in 1910, Will Egan married Alberta McCoy in their hometown of Spadra, CA. Will considered the one-room homestead “dwelling” (built to satisfy requirements of the Homestead Act) no longer adequate for a new bride. He added to the cabin that he and his uncle had been using—enlarging it and adding a fireplace—that our father had so lovingly built for his bride in 1909.
In 1910, Will Egan obtained his
homestead patent and made the
forty-acres his own.
In the same year, the Egans’ first
daughter, Frances, was born. A
second daughter, Esther, arrived
nineteen months later. Additions to
the family also meant additions to
their housing.
The Egan homestead house, addition made ca. 1909-1910
Original “dwelling” at the far left.
Because medical services were severely limited in Laguna, Francis and Esther were born on our ranch in Spadra (near Pomona) but had our first Christmas in our home in South Laguna.
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3 The Egan house was built on the long slope of a hill overlooking bean fields that stretched “all the way to the ocean” and south toward the Shrewsbury homestead.
The Egan house is the small, white rectangle near the right edge of the photo.
The field laborers lived in the buildings scattered in the grove of trees located at what is now Catalina Avenue. My father William used ‘dry farming,’ and raised melons, string beans, and lima beans. Straight rows of beanfields can be seen in the foreground. The dirt road at the left of the photograph is the Coast Highway—the way to move produce from South Laguna to market.
The Egan house was located not only on a hill
but also on the edge of a small canyon. The
rampant foliage in the foreground hides the
slope that drops down to a small creek
running near the edge of the property. When
the Egan family lived in their house,
Will Egan discovered the source of the fresh
water and (according to his daughter Esther),
aSer hard work, piped it down into our
home.” Even though much of the water has
been diverted over the years, the creek
maintains a small but steady stream of water
throughout the summer months.
Recent photograph of the Egan House taken from
the Toovet Hiking Trail. The adjacent buildings
were digitally removed from the photo so that the
homestead could be seen as it looked in 1928.
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4 The loca*on of the Egan house can be be4er seen in this aerial photograph that shows more of the Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park—4,500 acres of coastal canyons, grassland, and woodlands. The Wilderness Park is part of a larger complex: the South Coast Wilderness, an important regional wildlife preserve.
Esther’s notecards men*on the wildlife near their home: it was very scary going from our house to Grandmother’s, especially near dusk when we could hear mountain lions roar or coyotes barking back in the hills. We would sing Jesus Loves Me, all the way.
Esther (leI) and Frances (right) playing in the beanfields in front of their home.
Egan home circled in Bing Maps aerial view
669
5 James Shrewsbury (leI) and William Egan (right) worked their homesteads together ca. 1915.
Life on a homestead is demanding. Esther’s notes reveal the many challenges the Egans met and overcame:
Hard winds would someNmes make it impossible for Mother to use the big cook stove. Bad storms—hail—could wipe out crops in one day.
It took years before we had electricity to our houses because we had to pay for all the poles and wiring.
All of our water had to be caught and stored in cisterns with pumps… Later our father discovered a spring back up our canyon and aSer hard work, piped it down into our home.
The road into Laguna was a dirt wagon track and the windingest one you ever saw.
It went up each canyon and there were many steep hills to climb, especially at Aliso.
The bridge washed out about every year and then our father would swim across the creek and Mr. Isch (a dear friend from Laguna who owned the first store) would bring the groceries out; our father would have to ferry them across in a knapsack on his back.
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6 The most trauma*c event in the Egans’ lives was undoubtedly the massive wildfire in 1916 that destroyed their crops, beehives, and the surrounding hills. Here are some excerpts that tell the story, taken from Esther’s note cards:
The fire got away and spread over what is now Coast Royal and South Laguna. Only about four houses were there then, no fire department. We just had a cistern for water with a pump. Our dad had beehives up on a hill, and the fire burned the hives and bees, causing honey to run out and down the hill.
Our house roof was in danger of catching fire so our dad went up a ladder and Mother pumped water and handed buckets of water up to him… Frances and I were told to stay inside and pray that God would keep us safe and not let the house burn.
We also kept wet cloths over our mouths.
Small animals came out of the hills down to the house, hoping to find shelter. Many of them with fur on fire. It was a terrible Nme. Our house was surrounded by singed animals, even a deer which broke our hearts. To look out at all of the hills blackened was heartbreaking.
Finally, when the house was safe, our dad set backfires and turned the fire from us, but everywhere you looked it was all black, no vegetaNon leS…It took years for the growth to come back on the hills and all the lovely wildflowers and ferns to reappear.”
It took years for the growth to come back on the hills and all the lovely wildflowers and ferns to reappear.
By 1930, fourteen years aUer the 1916 wildfire wiped out their crops and the beehives, the Egans had recovered very well. The Federal Census lists the “home value” as $80,000 (equivalent to $1.5 million today).
Will Egan's unexpected death near the end of 1930 leU his wife Ber*e solely responsible for the 40-acre homestead they had worked so hard to secure. Realizing the land would eventually be developed, she made a bold decision—she took steps to secure an available water supply for the community. The exis*ng West Street water reservoir was already on property donated by the Egans; Ber*e provided land for a second reservoir above Ceanothus Drive.
Most importantly, Ber*e Egan refused to sell any of her land for subdivision without ironclad assurances that developers would provide water infrastructure to the new 671
7 homeowners—a decision that had a las*ng and posi*ve impact on the South Laguna community.
Twelve years aUer the wildfire, the
Egans constructed an addi*on on
the north side of their home, This
added a second bedroom and
filled the void between the two
exis*ng structures.
The co4age was further unified
with updated windows, new
board-and-ba4en siding, and a
new roof structure with exposed
raUer tails.
The Egan house as it was in 1928
The u*lity pole shows that the family finally had been able to afford electricity. Esther Egan, younger daughter of the family, said It took years before we had electricity to our houses because we had to pay for all the poles and wiring.
Today, the Egan house is looking
old and be4ered. Age, plus lack of
maintenance over recent years,
has taken its toll.
Ber*e’s lush garden is also in poor
shape. Her daughter Esther
reported, Mother kept the
garden; she must have flowers.
Some of Ber*e’s garden s*ll
exists—the hearty Martha
Washington geraniums (her
favorites) can be seen on the
property today, along with a rose
bush here and there.
The Egan house as it looks today
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8 Last September, Laguna Beach’s Design Review Board approved a request to demolish the Egan house. Several residents read the plans a4ached to the agenda and were concerned about poten*al damage to adjacent proper*es as well as to the environment.
To meet local building height
requirements, the house plans
indicate that the structure would
be set at a lower grade, allowing
for two full stories while
maintaining a roofline no higher
than a single-story home.
This would mean removing
hundreds of cubic yards of dirt to
build the house at a lower level.
The grading around the lowered
house is likely to require even
more dirt removal so that the yard Lines and flags show the outline of the house planned and the driveway will be level with to replace the historic home once it’s torn down. that of the rest of the property.
Many neighboring homeowners ques*on how lowering the level of the property would affect slope stability and the environment of the adjacent canyon and wilderness park.
An appeal has been scheduled for February 2026, when the future of the house will be determined.
The Egan house has had a long life. It has
withstood the elements for over a century,
capturing within its walls the laughter and
tears of a resilient family—the Egans who
homesteaded the property, built the house,
and cul*vated the land. It is a home that
stands as a reminder to another *me—one
that teaches family bonds, resilience, and
the harsh reali*es of homestead life.
Will Egan and daughter Frances (standing)
BerTe and daughter Esther (seated)
673
9 The story of the historic Egan house has a beginning, a middle, but so far, no end.
Perhaps there will be an ending when ques*ons are answered: What will become of the Egan House in the 21st Century? Will it weather the coming storms of urbaniza-on? These ques*ons and the future of the Egan house will be answered in the coming months. The final answer is in the hands of the City of Laguna Beach and its residents. ____________________________________________________________________________________ GUEST OPINION:
Should the Egan Homestead be protected from demoliNon as the last remaining homestead dwelling in Orange County?
A vote of YES means you would like to save the historic Egan homestead house! A vote of NO means you would like to see the Egan house demolished.
Vote now!
h,ps://www.lagunabeachindy.com/poll/should-the-egan-homestead-be-protected-fromdemoliDon-as-the-last-remaining-homestead-dwelling-in/poll_500c4318-37e9-47d1-a8d1- c908ba343f73.html
Researcher/author Dr. Lee Hanson taught in the Art Department at San José State University for several years before moving to southern California where she reTred while serving as Associate Director of Arts EducaTon, Art Department, School of Arts and Architecture, UCLA. 674
10 Extra photos:
House on the Hill-- Egan homestead house, oil painTng by Lagun arTst Lee Hayes Wedding giI presented to Esther Egan by her mother
675
11 Cer*fied Copy of William F. Egan’s Homestead Patent, issued 01/17/1910 676
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1 Steven, Heather CD
From: Ann Christoph <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 2, 2026 1:04 PM
To: Schneider, Matthew CD; Viera, Anthony CD; Steven, Heather CD Cc: Kiff, Dave CM; McKay, Ann Marie CC
Subject: Fwd: The House on Valido Road 31526 Valido Road Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged
[NOTICE: This message originated outside of City of Laguna Beach -- DO NOT CLICK on links or open attachments unless you are sure the content is safe.] I think you will enjoy this series of articles written by Lee Hanson. Please consider this additional information, add it to the staff report, and pass it on to HRG to incorporate into their addendum.
Ann Christoph
Begin forwarded message:
From: Lee Hanson <[email protected]>
Subject: The House on Valido Road
Date: January 2, 2026 at 10:09:49 AM PST
To: Deborrah Allen <[email protected]>
The House on Valido Road
The Story of the Egan Homestead and the Family that Built it 728
2 A few yards from the start of the Valido Trail in South Laguna, there is a little house—old and weathered—sitting at the top of a driveway that used to be the starting part of the Valido Road.
This historic house has withstood the elements for nearly 120 years, capturing within its walls the spirit of the Egans who homesteaded the property, built the house, and cultivated the land.
The remarkable story of this pioneer family and their historic home is being told in an eight-part series published by Stu News called “The House on Valido Road.” Here are the links that will take you directly to each of the articles in the series:
1. Homestead Challenge (published Nov 7)
https://stunewslaguna.com/the-house-on-valido-road-110725/
2. Homestead Honeymoon (published Nov 14)
https://stunewslaguna.com/the-house-on-valido-road-111425/
3. Dwelling, House, Home (published Nov 21)
https://stunewslaguna.com/the-house-on-valido-road-112125/
4. Farm on Fire (published Nov 28)
https://stunewslaguna.com/the-house-on-valido-road-112825/
5. See How It Grew (published Dec 5)
https://stunewslaguna.com/the-house-on-valido-road-120525/
6. Hearth and Home (published Dec 12)
https://stunewslaguna.com/the-house-on-valido-road-121225/
7. Egan Family Traditions (published Dec 19)
https://stunewslaguna.com/the-house-on-valido-road-121925/
8. Resilience (published Jan 2) - the last article in the series https://stunewslaguna.com/the-house-on-valido-road-resilience-010226/ 729
3 Stop the bulldozers! Last September, the Design Review Board of Laguna Beach approved the demolition of the Egan homestead house on Valido Road. An appeal will be heard by the City Council in February. Join with Village Laguna and the South Laguna Civic Association in preserving this historic homestead! 730