MINUTES
LAGUNA BEACH JOINT CITY COUNCIL/PLANNING COMMISSION/DESIGN REVIEW BOARD
STUDY SESSION
May 26, 2026
A Joint Study Session of the City Council, Planning Commission, and Design Review Board of the City of Laguna Beach was called to order on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 3:00 p.m., in the City Hall, 505 Forest Avenue, Laguna Beach, California, Mayor Orgili presiding.
ROLL CALL
PRESENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: Kempf, Rounaghi, Whalen, Jones, Orgill COMMISSIONERS: Dubin, Whitin, Kellenberg
BOARD MEMBERS: Coveny, Gibbs, Neev, Bauta
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None
COMMISSIONERS: Sadler, Goldman
BOARD MEMBERS: Weil
STUDY SESSION
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1. JOINT STUDY SESSION - OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS FOR SINGLE- AND TWO-FAMILY
RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS
Presentation and Discussion: Staff and City consultant JKA provided a presentation regarding the first public review draft of the proposed "phase two" single- and two-family residential objective design standards (ODS).
Public Testimony:
Joy Berry urged the City to consider integrating square-footage thresholds and tiered floor- area-ratio (FAR) limits, citing the City of Coronado as an example of a community that has codified FAR-based setback formulas that are objective and State-law compliant.
Matt Lawson referenced the Design Review Task Force's recommendations to increase the objectivity of design standards as a means of reducing contentiousness in the process, and noted those findings remain relevant today. He also noted that the Rancho Palos Verdes view protection ordinance was studied as a potential model for objective view equity standards and suggested it may be worth revisiting.
Ann Christoph expressed concern that the form groups do not fully capture Laguna Beach's characteristic architectural forms, and recommended eliminating Form Group D (Minimal Traditional/Contemporary/Ranch), citing concern that its broad parameters could result in featureless boxy buildings.
Merrill Anderson expressed overall support for the direction of the document and suggested "pressure testing" the standards with one or two example projects, which could also serve as a training exercise for staff, developers, and builders.
Laguna Beach Joint CC/PC/DRB Study Session Minutes May 26, 2026 Direction to Staff:
• Clarify and elevate the prominence of the 15-foot height limit and its method of measurement in the document body (not only in a footnote). • Expand and clarify the site planning section to address setbacks, including a cross- reference to applicable zoning code standards.
• Revise the Community Development Director authority provision to make clear that the authority is limited to interpretation, not substantive modification, of the standards. • Evaluate whether Form Group D should be retained, reconceptualized, or subdivided, and consider whether additional form groups reflecting historic Laguna Beach styles (e.g., board-and-batten cottage) should be added. Additional research into local architectural traditions, including engagement with local sources, is encouraged. • Address material specifications more precisely (metal"). • Evaluate whether rooftop mechanical equipment should be explicitly prohibited for residential projects under the ministerial pathway.
• Evaluate whether and how landscaping and exterior lighting standards should be incorporated or cross-referenced.
• Explore forensic review: consider engaging a local architect to review the document from the perspective of identifying potential gaps or provisions that could be exploited. • Evaluate whether the ODS should be extended to apply to ADUs and/or major remodels. • Explore objective privacy standards (e.g., window placement and orientation requirements relative to neighboring primary rooms) and, as a later project ("phase three" ODS), explore technological solutions for view impact analysis (e.g., 3D modeling).
ADJOURNMENT
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There being no further business, Mayor Orgill at 4:25 p.m., Tuesday, May 26, 2026, adjourned to the Regular City Council Meeting at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at City Hall, 505 Forest Avenue, Laguna Beach California.
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Approved: June 9, 2026
culi
Ann Marie McKay, City Clerk
Note: All components of minutes shall be for the primary purpose of memorializing decisions made by the legislative body. Any minute component that does not serve this primary purpose will be minimized or eliminated; this includes comments made by individual body members and members of the public. Discussions that occurred during the meeting can be viewed in archived video recordings on the city's website. Public submittals on items received prior to adjournment of the meeting are retained in the administrative record and can be viewed in the city clerk's repository. -2-