RESOLUTION NO. 26.XXX
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF LAGUNA BEACH,
CALIFORNIA, AMENDING ITS LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM
AND SARAH THURSTON SPECIFIC PLAN TO STREAMLINE
THE DESIGN REVIEW AND OTHER PERMIT PROCESSES;
AND FINDING THE ACTION EXEMPT UNDER STATE CEQA
GUIDELINES SECTION 15301
WHEREAS, the City of Laguna Beach (“City”) staff has been evaluating various measures to improve efficiency within the Community Development Department to assist with backlog issues and to improve the processing of planning applications within the City; and
WHEREAS, as part of this process, the City held a community workshop on October 1, 2024 to gain feedback on potential solutions, including the development of a Design Review Efficiency Ordinance (“DR Efficiency Ordinance”); and WHEREAS, following such workshop, the City released to the public a cover letter summarizing the DR Efficiency Ordinance changes and the DR Efficiency Ordinance itself for purposes of gathering specific feedback to incorporate into the ordinance; and WHEREAS, thereafter, City staff evaluated other considerations, such as the DR Efficiency Ordinance’s vertical consistency with the City’s General Plan, and the public comments received, and recommended changes to the DR Efficiency Ordinance; and WHEREAS, on March 12, 2025, the City held a study session among the City Council, Planning Commission, and Design Review Board on the DR Efficiency Ordinance; and
WHEREAS, on April 8, 2025, the City Council considered the DR Efficiency Ordinance and directed staff to present the DR Efficiency Ordinance with additional changes read into the record to the Planning Commission; and Attachment 3
87 -2- Reso. #
WHEREAS, on July 22, 2025, the City Council considered the development of objective design standards and City staff thereafter made additional changes to the DR Efficiency Ordinance; and
WHEREAS, on November 18, 2025, the City Council considered an updated version of the DR Efficiency Ordinance and provided direction to staff; and WHEREAS, on November 18, 2025, the City Council considered an updated version of the DR Efficiency Ordinance and provided direction to staff; and WHEREAS, on March 18, 2026, the Planning Commission held a public hearing on an updated version of the DR Efficiency Ordinance and recommended that the City Council adopt the DR Efficiency Ordinance and consider other recommendations; WHEREAS, on May 12, 2026, the City Council considered an updated version of the DR Efficiency Ordinance and provided direction to staff; and WHEREAS, the City Council desires to amend the Sarah Thurston Specific Plan to remove outdated provisions from the Thurston Park specific plan text that conflicts with provisions in Laguna Beach Municipal Code Chapter 25.39, which were adopted by the City Council after the provisions from the Thurston Park specific plan text.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAGUNA BEACH DOES RESOLVE:
SECTION 1. The City Council hereby finds and determines that the recitals above are true and correct and are each incorporated by reference and adopted as findings by the City Council.
SECTION 2. The City Council hereby amends the Sarah Thurston Specific plan text, which is attached hereto as Exhibit A and incorporated herein by reference, to repeal 88 -3- Reso. #
Part VI (Neighborhood Development Standards). Accordingly, the amended version of the Sarah Thurston Specific plan text is attached hereto as Exhibit B and incorporated herein by reference.
SECTION 3. The City Council finds this action is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 because it consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. Here, the action meets the exemption because the City is amending its code to improve procedural efficiencies and to comply with state law. The City is not authorizing new uses that are not already established within the City through this ordinance. Furthermore, under State CEQA Guidelines Section 15265, CEQA does not apply to activities and approvals pursuant to the Coastal Act necessary for the preparation and adoption of a local coastal program because the Coastal Commission’s LCP review and approval procedures have been found to be functionally equivalent to the environmental review process. Therefore, the adoption of the Resolution amending the City’s local coastal program is statutorily exempt from CEQA. City staff is directed to cause to be filed within five calendar days a notice of exemption with the County and State Clearinghouse.
SECTION 4. This Resolution shall become effective upon the certification of this Local Coastal Program Amendment by the California Coastal Commission.
SECTION 5. Local Coastal Program Amendment. The City Council hereby requests the California Coastal Commission consider, approve, and certify this LCP 89 -4- Reso. #
Amendment to amend the Sarah Thurston Specific Plan as set forth in Exhibit A in accordance with LBMC Section 25.07.026(E). The City Council hereby acknowledges that, if the California Coastal Commission certifies the amendment without any suggested modifications, the amendment is effective immediately pursuant to 14 CCR Section 13544(b). If the California Coastal Commission conditionally certifies the amendment with suggested modifications, however, the amendment is effective upon the City’s acknowledgment of receipt of the California Coastal Commission’s action, the City’s acceptance and agreement to any such terms and modifications, and the City’s final action to satisfy the terms and modifications pursuant to 14 CCR Section 13522(c).
SECTION 6. The City Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this resolution and enter it into the book of original resolutions.
ADOPTED this 16th day of June, 2026.
Mark Orgill, Mayor
ATTEST:
Ann Marie McKay, City Clerk
I, Ann Marie McKay, City Clerk of the City of Laguna Beach, certify that the foregoing Resolution No. 26.XXX was duly adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of said City held on _____________, 2026, by the following vote:
AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS:
NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS:
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS:
City Clerk, City of Laguna Beach, California
90 -5- Reso. #
Exhibit A
(Existing Version of Sarah Thurston Specific plan text) See following pages
91 CITY OF LAGUNA BEACH
92 SARAH THURSTON PARK
SPECIFIC PLAN
City of Laguna Beach
Adopted March 15, 1983
93 CITY OF LAGIJNA BEACH
CITY COUNCIL
Neil Fitzpatrick, Mayor
Robert F. Gentry, Mayor Pro Tern
Sally R. Bellerue
Dan Kenney
Bobbie Minkin
KENNETH FRANK, City Manager
PLANNING COMMISSION
Steven Riggs, Chairman
J. Earl Waterbury, Chairman Pro Tern
Elisabeth M. Brown
Ross F. Conner
Mary Fegraus
94 SARAH THURSTON PARK SPECIFIC PLAN
I Introduction
Legislative Authority
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page No.
Location and Description of Study Area
Purpose of the Specific Plan
Objectives of the Specific Plan
Organization of the Specific Plan
Relationship of Specific Plan to Laguna
Beach General Plan
11 Description of Existing Neighborhood Conditions
Historic Perspective
Land Use and Zoning
Housing Conditions
Population and Housing Characteristics
Ownership Patterns
Parking and Circulation
Utilities
Neighborhood Issues and Development Policies
Land Use
New Development
Unit Replacement/New Construction
Parking and Circulation
Open Space and Conservation
Natural Hazards
Infrastructure and Public Utilities
95 Page No.
Introduction
Maintaining Rents and Mortgages at
Affordable Levels
Housing Problems Designed to Preserve
Affordable Housing Opportunities
Coastal Housing Requirements
Self- Blp Pro,gams
V Capital Improvement Costs and Financing
Capital Expenditures
Funding Alternatives
Construction Phasing
VI Neighborhood Development Standards
Intent and Purpose
Description and Application
Uses Permitted
Uses Permitted Subject to a Conditional
Use Permit
Property Development Standards
Flood Damage Prevention
Soils and Geology
Parking
Nonconforming Uses
Design Review
Appendix
Environmental Documentation
96 LIST OF TABLES
Table 1 - Dwelling Unit Mix
Table 2 - Exterior Building Canditians
Table 3 - Major Property Ownerships
Table 4 - Parcel Size Distribution
Table 5 - Parking Space Distribution
Table 6 - Household Rents And Values
Table 7 - Ca~ital Improvements Prosam
Page No.
6 97
LIST OF F'IC,VRES
Follming Page No.
Figure 1 - Location Map
Figure 2 - Specific Plan Boundary
Figure 3 - Land Use Plan Plap
Figure 4 - Milligan Drive Access ~rov~ts
Figure 5 - 100 - Year Floodplain
98 I INTRODUCTION
A. Legislative Authority
The Sarah Thurston Park Specific Plan has been prepared in accordance with Section 65450 of the California
Government Code, which authorizes local governments to
enact regulations for the systematic execution of the
general plan. This specific plan offers a unique
opportunity to combine zoning regulations, capital
improvement programs, detailed site development
standards, and other regulatory devices into one
document tailored to the particular needs of the
neighborhood.
B. Location and Descri~tion of Study Area
The Thurston Park neighborhood is located in the City
of Laguna Beach approximately one mile from the Pacific Ocean on the east side of Laguna Canyon Road, within
the City's Coastal Zone. Figure 1 shows the regional
location of the neighborhood and Figure 2 delineates
the physical boundaries of the Specific Plan area.
The Thurston Park Tract represents a unique residential neighborhood in Laguna Beach. The neighborhood's
unusual qualities are exemplified in the area's
physical and socio-economic characteristics.
- The neighborhood maintains a strong pedestrian
orientation. (Access to the majority of internal
lots is restricted to six foot wide pedestrian
walkways, rather than vehicular rights-of-way.)
The City's Zoning Code stipulates that a legal
building site must abut and have the right to the
use of a street improved to subdivision standards.
- The average lot in the neighborhood is approximately 3,900 square feet, whereas the minimum lot dimension and area standards as set forth in the
Zoning Code are 6,000 square feet. The majority of
parcels therefore are nonconforming.
- The neighborhood is subject to specific environmental hazards, including flood potential and liquifaction. The size of the lots and correspond ing high density , in combination with the age of the dwellings, has produced a Class IV Fire
Rating. In addition, the neighborhood's continued
99 8,
Figure 1
Sarah Tjursto. Park Specific Plan
-3ty of Lagu~~a Beach
100
SPECIFIC PLAN BOUNDARY -=
I I I I
101
reliance on individual septic tanks for sewage
disposal represents the potential for serious
public health and safety hazards in the event of
flooding.
- The neighborhood is presently composed of low and
moderate income residents, making the area a
source of lower cost housing opportunities in the
community. The neighborhood's inability to comply
with certain property development standards in the
City's Municipal Code has effectively prohibited
properties within the area from becoming legal
building sites. The resulting nonconforming
status of these properties has contributed to the
deterioration of the area's housing stock.
C. Pur~ose of the S~ecific Plan
The City of Laguna Beach has received a commitment from Orange County for $200,000 of Community Development
Block Grant (CDBG) funds, to be allocated to the
Thurston Park area. This money is earmarked for a new
neighborhood sewer and water system. Other capital
improvements are also envisioned for the neighborhood,
such as improvements to Milligan Drive and flood
control facilities, but these improvements are considered a secondary priority to sewers and water. For additional information on the Capital Improvement
Program, see Section V of this document.
The placement of new public improvements is expected to promote future growth and development in an area
characterized by nonconforming lots and deteriorating
houses. Prior to the actual design and construction of
these capital improvements, however, a development plan is necessary to establish the future goals and policies of the neighborhood and to identify development needs,
priorities and infrastructure design standards.
As a result, this Specific Plan covers planning not
only for capital improvements but also for preservation of neighborhood character and economic revitalization.
The initial draft of this plan was prepared by Beland/
Associates, Inc., in collaboration with City staff and
neighborhood residents. The current draft is a revision of the Beland plan, and incorporates a number of new
provisions.
102
D. Obiectives of S~ecific Plan
The Specific Plan is considered a prerequisite to the
investment of public funds in the neighborhood. The
plan is intended to set forth the foundation for the
orderly development of the neighborhood and provide the impetus for the physical revitalization of the area.
More specifically, the Specific Plan is designed to
accomplish the following objectives:
- Preservation of neighborhood character.
- Preservation of housing opportunities for the
neighborhood's lower income population.
- Development of an economic environment conducive
to private investment in neighborhood revitalization.
E. Organization of S~ecific Plan
The Specific Plan is divided into six sections,
arranged in the following manner:
I. Introduction.
11. Description of Existing Neighborhood Conditions.
111. Neighborhood Issues and Development Policies.
IV. Housing.
V. Capital Improvement Costs and Financing.
VI. Neighborhood Development Standards.
Section VI of the Specific Plan sets forth the specific development parameters for the neighborhood, and as
such serves as a substitute for conventional zoning
standards. This section of the document has been
incorporated into the City's Zoning Ordinance (Chapter
25.39 of the Municipal Code) as the official development regulations for Thurston Park. These standards are intended to be used in conjunction with development policies contained in Section I11 of the Specific Plan, and together represent the total matrix for development.
The final component of the Specific Plan which directly governs the density and distribution of new development is found on the Land Use Plan Map contained in Section
I11 of the document. This map establishes the location
and number of legal building sites in the neighborhood, in accordance with neighborhood goals and objectives.
103
F. Relationship of Specific Plan to Laguna Beach General Plan
The Sarah Thurston Park Specific Plan is not technically a part of the City's General Plan, but rather serves to implement the various policies and programs
of the General Plan. In this context, since the
Specific Plan includes specific zoning measures and
development policies, these regulations must be
consistent with the City's General Plan. Section 65451
of the Government Code states: "A specific plan must
include all detailed regulations, conditions, programs
and proposed legislation which shall be necessary for
the systematic implementation of each element of the
general plan." Efforts have been made to insure that
this Specific Plan is compatible with the goals and
policies of the City's General Plan.
104
I1 DESCRIPTION OF EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD CONDITIONS
A. Historic Pers~ective
The unique character, and the problems, now present in
Thurston Park can be traced to the manner in which the
area was originally subdivided. The Thurston Park
neighborhood was originally a campsite subdivision; no
structures were envisioned. As such, lots were kept
small. Because there was no need for interior streets,
the campsites were connected by a series of six-foot
paths or lanes.
Problems with this concept arose when the lots were
devoted to a use which was not intended - i.e.,
residential buildings on foundations. In the 1930's
and 40's when this transition was taking place, most
of the units constructed were intended as summer homes
and vacation houses, not for occupancy on a continuing
basis. For this purpose, the septic tanklleaching field system of sewage disposal which was developed was
adequate, since the houses were vacant much of the
time, particularly during the rainy season when the
septic tank system was least effective.
The transition of Thurston Park from campsite to summer houses to permanent residences resulted from an
increase in the urbanization of the Laguna Beach area.
However, many of the problems existing in Thurston Park today are traceable to the fact that permanent year
round houses have been placed on campsite lots with a
septic system designed for vacation use only. The
positive aspect of this development history -- the
pedestrian orientation and rural setting -- probably
would not have occurred if Thurston Park had been
originally planned for permanent residential use.
Land Use and Zoning
Thurston Park is easily divided into two distinct
sections. Thurston Trailer Park is located south of
Woodland Drive facing the Laguna Canyon frontage road.
The 27-space park is owned and operated by the Boys'
Club of Laguna Beach. At present the site is zoned for
industrial (M-1A) use. (There are also two single
family residences fronting on Woodland Drive, which are also included in the M-1A Zone.)
Trailers within the park are a mix of older "travel
trailers," which are easily movable from the site, and
newer mobile homes (both single-wide and double-wide) , which cannot be relocated without considerable preparation. All spaces within the trailer park are occupied. 105
Vacancies which do arise are readily filled. Residents
own their own living units, but rent the space from the Boys ' Club. Departing residents generally sell their
unit on the premises, with the same unit remaining in
the space.
The remainder of Thurston Park is a mixture of singlefamily and small multi-family residential units (four units or less), interspersed with many undeveloped
lots. This portion of Thurston Park is zoned R-1,
single-family residential.
Table 1 compiles the number of dwelling units in
Thurston Park, by size and type of unit. The development pattern is established by the six-foot lanes which provide pedestrian circulation to interior
parcels. The lanes connect a series of small lots
(1,750 to 1,800 square feet -- 35 or 36 feet by 50
feet, or irregular dimensions of comparable size). Many lots have been combined to form larger building sites.
Table 1
THURSTON PARK DlJELLING UNIT MIX
Single-Family Residential
Single-Family Residential
with apartments
Duplex
Multi-Fanily Residential
Sub-Total
Mobile Homes
No. of No.. of
Structures Units
TOTAL
106
Thurston Park is surrounded by a variety of land uses.
To the east and west lie steeply sloping open space. To the south are the Boys Club facilities and the Sawdust
Festival complex. To the north are residential uses in
the Canyon Acres area and a parking lot currently used
for auto storage and the Art-A-Fair Festival during the summer months.
C. Housing Conditions
Most of the units within Thurston Trailer Park appear
to be well-maintained, including the older units.
According to the Park manager, there has been some
trend toward turnover of older units in favor of newer, larger mobile homes. However, the average age of
mobile home units in Thurston Park is considerably
greater than in other portions of Orange County.
Single-family units in the remainder of Thurston Park
are generally not as sound structurally as most of the
mobile units. Many display evidence of deferred
maintenance and weather damage.
The condition of these units is traceable to the fact
that very few lots within Thurston Park constitute
legal building sites according to current City of
Laguna Beach standards. The R-1 Zone calls for a
minimum lot size of 6,000 square feet, access to a
street improved to current subdivision standards, and
on-site parking for two vehicles. In addition, the
City permits new development only on parcels which have access to a sewer connection. As a result, there have
been very few building permits issued in Thurston Park, either for new construction or for repair and improvement of existing units.
A survey of building conditions in Thurston Park was
conducted by the City of Laguna Beach in 1975. It
found that major repairs to house exteriors were
required in 44% of all structures, and that major yard
work was required for 45% of lots. Table 2 summarizes
survey findings. Since the date of this survey, some
structures have been lost to deterioration or accidental damage. However, overall building conditions within the neighborhood have not substantially improved.
D. Population and Housing Characteristics
According to the 1980 U.S. Census, Thurston Park,
including the trailer park, consists of a total
population of approximately 150, with an average
household size of 2.2 persons. Age of neighborhood
residents (exclusive of the trailer park) is relatively 107
Table 2
EXTERIOR BUILDING CONDITIONS IN THURSTON PARK
Building No. Units Minor Ma j or
Conditions Evaluated Good Repairs Repairs Replace Undetermined Walls 37 202 42% 38% - -
Foundat ions 35 77% 11% 6% 3% 3%
Steps
Roof
Chimney 9 66% 11% 21% - -
Window Frames 34 24% 32% 44% - -
Outside Walls/
Fences 33 15% 58% 24% 3% -
General Sumnary
House Exterior
Yard 9% 45% 46% - -
Source: City of Laguna Beach Housing Survey, October 1975 108
evenly distributed, although approximately 31% of
residents are between 25 and 34 years of age. Approximately 6% of the residents are over 65 years of age and 12% under five years of age.
Housing units in Thurston Park are generally occupied
on a permanent basis, with only 4% of the respondents
reporting use of a housing unit on a temporary basis.
Approximately 20% of the units are renter-occupied and
the medium value of all housing units approaches
$65,000. The medium rent value equals $215.00 per
month, with 80 percent of these units renting for
between $200 and $400 monthly.
E. Ownership Patterns
Ownership patterns in Thurston Park are varied. The
Boys' Club of Laguna Beach is the largest single
property owner (1.14 acres; Thurston Trailer Park).
Other than "remnant" parcels (near the flood control
channel and Laguna Canyon Road) the smallest parcels in Thurston Park are parking space parcels (see Section
F), which are often in separate ownership from the main parcels which surround them.
Table 3 identifies the largest property owners in
Thurston Park (those owning 1/4 acre or more).
F. Parking and Circulation
Parking: When Thurston Park was first subdivided,
a total of 79 parking space lots were created in
addition to the campsite lots on which many homes
are now located. These parking space lots are
differentiated from regular lots in Thurston Park
by a suffix - the letter "G" after the lot number
(lG, 2G, etc.). The original concept was that
owners of interior lots would be able to purchase
a parking space lot (most of which are 10 feet by
20 feet). As with the six foot walks, the septic
tank systems and the small lot sizes, there was
nothing wrong with the parking space concept so
long as the area was functioning as a campsite
rather than as a single-family residential
neighborhood.
Circulation: Woodland Drive, Milligan Drive and
Laguna Canyon Frontage Road are the only means of
vehicular access to Thurston Park. Woodland Drive
and the Laguna Canyon Frontage Road are dedicated
public streets. The unimproved section of
Woodland Drive is owned in fee by the City and
appears on the Sarah Thurston Park Tract Map as a
proposed vehicular right-of-way. Milligan Drive
109
Table 3
MAJOR PROPERTY OLVERSEIPS
Approx. Number of
Otm e r Acres Sq. Ft. Parcels
Boys's Club of
Laguna Beach 1.14 49,700 1
City of Laguna Beach .55 25,250 11
Edwards .45 19,500 1.
Lewandowski .40 17,150 4
Klein .38 16,500 10
Gallagher .27 11,600 1
Source: Orange County Assessor's Office, 1982 Tax
Roll
These are large ownerships only by Thurston Park standards.
They would not constitute major holdings in more conventional land division circumstances. Table 4 shows the distribution of property size within Thurston Park. Without considering the Boys' Club and the parking space lots, the average parcel size within Thurston Park is approximately 3,900 square feet. This average, however, is affected by the existence of a few larger ownerships (as described in Table 3). The median parcel size is considerably lower, approximately 2,700 square feet. It should be noted that the assessors parcels do not always correspond with the division of parcels as shown on the original Sarah Thurston Park Subdivision Map. Cansequently, the total number of assessors parcels is significantly less than the number of lots originally subdivided.
Table 4
PARCEL SIZE DISTRIBUTION WITHIN THURSTON PARK*
Less than 300 Square Feet 23
300 - 999 6
1,000 - 1,999 16
2,000 - 2,999 10
3,000 - 3,999 7
4,000 - 4,999 6
5,000 - 5,999 3
6,000 - 6,999 4
7,000 - 9,999 3
10,000 + - 4
Total 82
* Includes all Assessor's Parcels (1982 Naps),
inclusive of parking space lots or "G" lots.
110
is a private street, as are the remaining streets
and driveways within the community. (Refer to
Figure 2 for complete circulation system.)
The Laguna Canyon Frontage Road is functional only
for ingress into the community, since it is
restricted to one-way traffic northbound. Because
of this limitation, it is used primarily by
residents of Thurston Trailer Park, and only
marginally by residents of the single-family
portion of the neighborhood to access Laguna
Canyon Road.
Woodland Drive has been improved to a width of 40
feet from Laguna Canyon Road to the Woodland Drive
extension. This extension is a 20-foot-by-120 foot
"thumb" extending from Woodland Drive eastward; it
is a private street. Beyond the extension,
Woodland Drive narrows to 30 feet and gradually
transitions to a driveway just beyond 2531255
lJoodland Drive. Although a dedicated public
street for its entire length, the portion past
this point has never been improved.
Milligan Drive is a 20-foot wide private street
serving the northern portion of the community,
providing direct street access to seven parcels
and 19 residential parking spaces. The private
street extends a distance of approximately 400
feet from its intersection with Laguna Canyon
Road.
There are four unofficial private streets or
accessways within Thurston Park (refer to Figure
3). One such accessway crosses the eucalyptus
grove and is used by local residents to gain
access to interior parcels in the Fairywood Walk
area. Another accessway is located between 1223
and 1233 Laguna Canyon Road, providing access to a
private garage on the east side of Fairywood Walk.
Unlike the first roadway across the grove,
however, this driveway is believed to be used by
the garage owner only. A third private street
parallels the northern portion of Victory Walk. It
is located on privately-owned undeveloped property, but is used by residents in the Roosevelt Lane and Victory Walk portions of the community. The
last accessway is located off Woodland Drive
behind Thurston Trailer Park, and is used exclusively by residents of a "landlocked" parcel at the end of the driveway.
111
G. Utilities
1. Sewage Disposal: Existing sewer service within
Thurston Park is provided to those properties
fronting on Woodland Drive and Laguna Canyon Road
only. The remainder of Thurston Park is served by
septic tanklleaching field systems. Judging from
the new County assessment roll, there would appear
to be a number of properties which are being
levied for sewer service which are not currently
receiving it. Properties which may be taxed for
sewer service are those with sewer service
"available," i.e., within 200 feet of the property
line. However, Section 17.25.050 of the Laguna
Beach Municipal Code provides for the exemption of
undevelopable property and property to which sewer
service is not available:
"The owner of any parcel of unimproved real
property which is not developable by reason
of lack of road access, difficulty of the
terrain, unstable soil conditions, insufficient lot size, unusual shape or other substantial cause, or the owner of any property whether improved or not to which sewer
service is not available, may file a verified
application for exemption from the sewer
service charge with the city manager, setting
forth the reasons for the requested exemption. The city manager shall refer such application to the director of planning and
development for investigation. If the
director of planning and development determines that the parcel of real property is in fact not developable, or that sewer service
is not available to the property, and that
there are good grounds for granting the
requested exemption, the city manager shall
grant the exemption and the owner shall be
relieved of liability to pay the sewer
service charge on the parcel of property
described in the application for exemption."
2. Water: Thurston Park is served by the Laguna
Beach County Water District (LBCWD). Existing
2-inch cast iron pipe (CIP) lines within the
single-family residential area are approximately
40 years old and in need of replacement. These
lines are located beneath the pedestrian walkways
in the neighborhood -- Fairywood Walk, Roosevelt
Lane and Victory Walk. There is also a 2-inch
line beneath the right-of-way extension of
Woodland Drive past the end of Victory Walk and
112
another 2-inch line in the stub extension of the
improved portion of Woodland Drive (connecting to
Victory Walk). Four-inch CIP lines (of the same
age as the 2-inch lines) are located in Woodland
Drive and Milligan Drive for most of their length.
Eight-inch asbestos cement pipe (ACP) lines are
located in the entry portions of Woodland Drive
and Milligan Drive. These have recently been
replaced and do not require upgrading. Fire
hydrants are located at regular intervals along
Woodland Drive and Milligan Drive.
3. Natural Gas: The Southern California Gas Company
provides natural gas service to Thurston Park.
Gas lines, like water mains, are located in the
pedestrian lanes. Most mains were installed in
1965 and remain in generally good condition.
4. Electrical Service: The Southern California Gas
Company provides electrical service to Thurston
Park.
5. Cable Television: Cable T.V. is available to
residents in Thurston Park, with service provided
by Storer Cable T.V.
113
I11 NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES AND DEVELOPMENT POLICIES
This section of the Specific Plan establishes the policy framework for the future growth and development of the
neighborhood. These policies serve as guidelines for
consistent decision making and function as an indicator of neighborhood preferences and development priorities. The actual implementation of these policies is achieved through specific development standards described in Section VI of this Plan.
A. Land Use
Issue:
Thurston Park has developed into a cohesive neighborhood composed of both single-family and multiple-family units. The majority of these units and associated
parcels, however, are nonconforming in status, due to
insufficient lot size, absence of vehicular access and
continued reliance on individual septic tanks for
sewage disposal. This situation has inhibited the
maintenance and renovation of many structures, thus
affecting the quality and continued viability of the
neighborhood's housing stock. Since the Specific Plan
is intended to resurrect development opportunities, the Plan must also seek to preserve the inherent residential character of the neighborhood.
Policy:
1. Land Uses within Thurston Park shall be principally residential in character. Home occupations and other ongoing neighborhood activities must
clearly be incidental to residential use of the
area. ( For specific provisions regarding home
occupation uses, refer to Section VI of the
Specific Plan,)
2. Single family units and related housing types as
described in Section C.3 of Section VI of this
Plan, shall be the only housing type permitted in
Thurston Park. Mobile homes or multiple family
units shall be the principal use within Thurston
Trailer Park.
3. The Eucalyptus Grove, currently owned by the City
of Laguna Beach, shall be considered for a mixture
of alternative uses, limited to the following
prospective activities or combinations thereof:
recreation area, without intensive playground
114
equipment; housing for low and moderate income
families and/or senior citizens; resident parking
facility and/or festival parking during the summer
season. If the Eucalyptus Grove is used for
purposes other than passive recreation, the City
should consider similar recreational opportunities
elsewhere in the neighborhood.
B. New Development
Issue:
The Thurston Park Specific Plan area presently contains 71 dwelling units - 27 mobile homes (located within the Boys' Club Trailer Park) and 44 units with fixed
foundations, most of which are single family residences. In an effort to preserve the existing rural character of the neighborhood and prevent "overbuilding" of the area (which would compound problems of parking and circulation, sewage disposal, environmental hazards and neighborhood identity), the Specific Plan
sets forth the exact number and location of legitimate
building sites (Figure 3). This procedure is created
in lieu of a definition of minimum lot size and
development criteria, and is intended to prevent
further fragmentation and resubdivision of lots within
Thurston Park. The criteria for establishment of legal
single family building sites is summarized below::
Policy:
1. Lots with existing units whose owner does not own
vacant property adjacent to the existing unit
shall be considered legal building sites.
2. Vacant lots which are contiguous to existing
developed parcels and which share common ownership
shall be absorbed to create a legal building site,
as defined on the Land Use Plan Map.
3. If there are lots which can demonstrate "grandfather" status in addition to those legal building sites shown on the Thurston Park Land Use Map
(Figure 3), these lots shall be mndidered legal
115
NEW BUILDING SITE BOUNDISTRIBUTION OF PARKING
SPACE OWNERSHIP MAY.
I982 - LETTERED SPACES
COINCIDE WITH LETTERED * CATEGORY 4 SITES
116
building sites without amending the Specific Plan,
and shall be subject to the development standards
contained in Section VI of the Specific Plan. The
Specific Plan Map shall be revised administratively to show the additional legal building site.
4. Vacant parcels in the hillside areas (Category 4
Sites) shall not be considered legal building
sites until specific studies have been performed
and accepted by the City, which verifies the
development feasibility of the property. This
determination shall be made in accordance with the
standards and criteria contained in Section VI of
the Specific Plan.
Unit ReplacementINew Construction ,
Issue:
The majority of existing properties in Thurston Park
maintain nonconforming status due to insufficient lot
area and the absence of direct vehicular access. The
inflexibility of current zoning standards has inhibited the routine maintenance, repair and expansion of
residential units. Moreover, this situation prohibits
a landowner from removing an older structure in
marginal condition and replacing that structure with a
new building.
In addition to the rehabilitation of existing dwelling
units, the Specific Plan allows for the construction of new single family homes on existing subdivided vacant
lots. Four of these sites, however, are "Category 4"
building sites, requiring site-specific studies to
determine their development suitability.
Policy:
1. The right to a legal building site (other than the
Trailer Park) is the right to construct a single
family unit in conformance with the development
standards contained in Section VI of this Plan.
Existing duplexes, apartments and multiple family
units on single family legal building sites shall
be permitted to remain as existing nonconforming
uses. Permits shall be granted for activities
cons is tent with normal maintenance and preservation of these structures. Nonconforming structures shall not be added to or enlarged so as to increase the total area of such building, unless
the existing dwelling units are made available to
low- and moderate-income households, in which case
enlargement of the structure is permissible (not
to exceed 50% of the existing floor area).
117
These nonconforming structures may be rebuilt "in
kind" if destroyed by a natural calamity, but in
no circumstance may be reconstructed if demolished
intentionally for purposes of new construction,
unless the existing dwelling units are made
available to low- and moderate-income households,
under an agreement approved by the City of Laguna
Beach. Reconstruct ion of all other nonconforming
structures shall be con£ ined to a single family
unit built in conformance with this Plan. This
measure is intended to protect the single family
character of Thurston Park and preserve the
smaller scale of development in the
neighborhood, while maintaining housing oppor tuni -
ties for low- and moderate-income families.
3. Transition of Thurston Trailer Park from mobile
home use to fixed foundation multiple family use
shall be consistent with the Specific Plan.
Density of new multiple family construct ion shall
not exceed a total of 27 units. The size of
individual units and scale of the total building
envelope shall be reviewed and approved by the
City's Design Review Board, consistent with the
parameters of the R-3 zoning regulations, and
shall reflect the architectural character of the
neighborhood.
Parking and Circulation
Issue (Woodland Drive):
Thurston Park depends on continued use of Woodland
Drive and Milligan Drive for vehicular ingress and
egress to the neighborhood. Although a portion of
Woodland Drive is a dedicated public street and
improved to current subdivision standards, a major
section of the roadway remains unimproved, due to
topographic constraints. Improvement of the road would
be particularly difficult and undesirable given the
steep hillside terrain and the need to cut into and
excavate the toe of the hillside to create a level
roadway. Furthermore, preliminary geotechnical studies
report potentially unstable geologic conditions in the
immediate proximity of this hillside that may serve to
aggravate roadway improvements.
Policy:
1. The existing 40-foot right-of-way in the lower
(improved) portion of Woodland Drive shall be
maintained. On-street parking shall be permitted
on the south side of the street only.
118
2. The existing 30-foot right-of-way extending on
the upper portion of Woodland Drive to a point
near the last house on the upslope side of the
street (275 Woodland Drive) should be improved to
a minimum of 12 feet in width.
3. The unimproved portion of Woodland Drive situated
beyond 275 Woodland Drive shall be retained in
ownership by the City, but shall not be improved
as a vehicular right-of-way. Rather, this unimproved roadway shall be reserved for limited pedestrian access and as a natural buffer between
the neighborhood and adjacent hillside lands. It
may be appropriate to promote walking and hiking
trails in this area.
Issue (Milligan Drive):
Milligan Drive is a 20-foot-wide private street serving the northern portion of the neighborhood, providing
street access to potentially nine parcels and 23
resident parking spaces. The narrowness of the street
and absence of a suitable turnaround inhibits the
internal circulation of neighborhood vehicles and
impairs emergency fire access. In addition, the
intersection of Milligan Drive with Laguna Canyon Road
represents a dangerous condition, due to the oblique
angle of the intersection and consequent obstruction of sight distance and visibility.
Policy:
The improvement of Milligan Drive shall consist of the
following design concept (refer to Figure 4). Specific
features include the following provisions:
1. The existing bridge structure crossing the flood
control channel should be upgraded and expanded to
a width of 24 feet.
2. Establish a new street plan line for Milligan
Drive, pursuant to Chapter 11.24 of the Municipal
Code. This new street line will establish a total
right-of-way width of 32 feet, with 12 additional
feet acquired from the northerly side of the
existing right-of-way. The eventual expansion and
improvement of Milligan Drive to 32 feet is
intended to enhance traffic circulation and
provide for on-street parking opportunities on the
northerly side of the street. -
119
LACUNA CANYON ROAD
MILLIGAN DRIVE ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS
IMPROVE STREET INTERSECTION
@ CONSTRUCT 32 FT. STREET
@ CONSTRUCT BRIDGE
@ CONSTRUCT CUL DE SAC
EXISTING PROP. UNE
I2 Ff. DEDICATION
REQUIRED
SECTION A-A MlLLlGAN DRIVE
Figure 4
Sarah Thurston Park Specific Plan
City of laguna Beach
i 120
3. The City will take action to declare Milligan
Drive a public street, thereby establishing
dedication requirements described above and
eventual widening of the road to 32 feet.
As an immediate (interim) solution to the sight
distance problem at the intersection of Milligan
Drive and Laguna Canyon Road, the following
improvements shall be made, when financially.
feasible, by the City of Laguna Beach.
a. Remove 15 feet of curb and gutter northerly
of the intersection along Laguna Canyon Road
and construct asphalt ic-concrete r ight-turn
pocket (northbound). This measure wi 11 also
require removal of one on-street parking
space northerly of the intersect ion.
b. Remove two on-street parking spaces southerly
of the intersection to existing no-parking
zone at the fire hydrant. This measure will
enlarge the sight distance which is presently impaired by parked vehicles and enhance the movement of traffic from Laguna Canyon Road
to Milligan Drive.
Issue (Pedestrian Circulation):
The existing pedestrian orientation of Thurston Park
provides a special environment and meaningful function
in the neighborhood. The absence of direct street
access to many parcels creates a reliance on these
walkways for internal neighborhood circulation. More
importantly , the maintenance of these pedestrian walks is essential to the rural atmosphere and functional
integrity of Thurston Park. These walkways are not
public walkways; each landowner maintains ownership
interest to the centerline of the walkway adjacent to
their lot.
Policy:
1. All existing walkways as shown in the Thurston
Park Specific Plan shall be retained for that
purpose. These walks are: Fairywood Walk,
Roosevelt Walk, Victory Walk and the unnamed walks
referred to as Lot L, Lot M, Lot 0 and Lot P. All
walkways shall measure six feet in width in
compliance with existing easement specifications.
121
2. Any surface treatment to the walkways such as
wooden boardwalks, soil cement or decomposed
granite, shall provide for access and periodic
maintenance of underground utilities. Hard
surface treatments such as asphalt or concrete are
also permissible, but the application of these
should consider the aesthetic effects to the
neighborhood.
3. Each resident shall be responsible for maintaining
the condition and safety of the walk or walks
which the unit abuts.
4. Motorized vehicles shall be prohibited from the
walks.
5. In areas where the walk has deteriorated, restoration of the walk shall be a requirement accompanying issuance of a building permit.
6. Explore the feasibility of establishing a pedestrian walkway between Milligan Drive and Canyon Acres Drive.
Issue (Private Driveways and Streets):
Thurston Park supports several private driveways and
streets (other than Milligan Drive), which provide
important parking and circulation functions in the
neighborhood. These are described in detail on Page
11. The continued use of these facilities will serve to relieve the existing parking and circulation problems
in the neighborhood. Expansion, intensification, or
the continued use of these facilities, however, should
be approached with caution, since most of these
facilities are situated on private lands and do not
possess dedicated rights-of -way or easements for such
purposes. Moreover, the physical improvement of these
facilities could affect the rural atmosphere of the
neighborhood.
122
Policy:
1. Woodland Drive extension shall be retained as a
private street at its current width of 20 feet.
2. Upon development of Lots 76 and 77 as one legal
building site (in accordance with the Specific
Plan), the private driveway between Lots 82 and 96
and Lots 83 and 95 shall terminate on the west
side of Fairywood Walk, and shall not be used by
the new building site as an accessway to Laguna
Canyon Road.
Issue (Parking) :
The pedestrian orientation of Thurston Park and lack of direct street frontage of many parcels has resulted in
a demand for parking opportunities that significantly
outweighs the available supply. This imbalance has
created an inefficient parking arrangement with
residents, visitors and festival goers competing for
limited parking opportunities. This frequently results
in parking in unauthorized locat ions, causing parking
enforcement problems and potentially hindering the
movement of emergency vehicles.
The majority of parking opportunities are provided by
private parking spaces or "G" lots. Since these
parking spaces are legally subdivided lots, it is
theoretically possible (but unlikely) for owners to
sell these lots to persons outside the neighborhood.
Additional resident parking is available on the south
side of Woodland Drive, adjacent to the trailer park.
In order to supplement existing resident parking
opportunities, especially for those landowners who
possess no on-site or off-site designated parking
spaces, the City should explore the feasibility of
using the Orange County Flood Control District property (Lots 97 and 98) for resident parking purposes.
At the present time, the majority of parking space lots in Thurston Park are situated adjacent to a residential building site under the same ownership. These building
sites therefore either possess or have access to
off-street parking opportunities. Specifically, 60 of
the 79 parking space lots are currently retained by
persons who own the adjacent main lot. Only 19 spaces
are retained by landowners whose parcels are "landlocked" or which have no direct street access. (Refer to Figure 3.)
123
Of these 19 off-site parking spaces, eight parcels have access to one such parking space and four properties
each have two such parking spaces. The remaining three
parking spaces are owned by an individual who has no
other property interest in the neighborhood.
Eleven parcels in the neighborhood presently have no
parking either on- or off-site; four of these lots
support residential units, with the remaining seven
lots presently vacant.
Table 5
PARKING SPACE DISTRIBUTION -
Parcels with Street Frontage
7 parcels No Parking Space or "G" Lots
1 parcel 1 "G" Lot
14 parcels 2 or more "G" Lots
1 parcel No "G" lots, but under .kommon
ownership and contiguous to a
lot with "G" Lots
Parcels without Street Frontage
11 parcels
8 parcels
4 parcels
4 parcels
No Parking Spaces or "G" Lots
1 "G" Lot
2 or more "G" Lots
NO "G" Lots, but under common
ownership and contiguous to alot with "G" Lots.
As noted in the above table, an inadequate supply of
parking space lots exists in the neighborhood to
satisfy the demand for parking. This parking, .however, is supplemented by on-street parking opportunities on
Woodland Drive and should be available on Milligan
Drive following widening and improvement of the street
in accordance with this Plan. An additional source of
resident parking may be available on vacant property
owned by the Orange County Flood Control District (Lots 97 and 98) located at the corner of Woodland Drive and
Laguna Canyon Road. Collectively, these parking
opportunities are expected Po offset the deficiency of
parking space lots which are not available to some
property owners.
124
Policy:
Parcels of land which maintain direct vehicular
access from a private or public street shall
provide two parking spaces for each building site
or dwelling unit. Existing improved parcels which
maintain direct vehicular access but possess only
one or less parking space shall become legal
nonconforming uses until two parking spaces are
provided for each dwelling unit. In the case of
redevelopment or demolition of an existing
structure, such parcels shall be upgraded to
provide two parking spaces per unit.
2. Parcels of land which lack direct street access
but which possess two off-site parking spaces
shall retain those spaces for parking purposes in
conjunct ion with the parcel they presently serve.
3. Parcels of land which lack direct street access
but which possess one off-site parking space shall
retain that space for parking purposes in conjunction with the parcel they presently serve.
4. Improved parcels of land which possess no street
access and no parking spaces either on-site or
off-site, shall become legal nonconforming and
shall comply with the development standards
associated with nonconforming structures, as set
forth in this Plan. In the case of redevelopment
or demolition of an existing structure, such
parcels shall provide at least one parking space
per unit.
5. Existing vacant parcels without street access
which possess no parking spaces either on-site or
off-site shall not qualify for a building permit
unless at least one parking space per unit is
provided.
6. The right to a parking space shall be sold separately from a legal building site, although parking s'paces may be exchanged among landowners in the
neighborhood. In no circumstances shall this
preempt the minimum parking requirements stated in
this Plan.
7. Use of parking spaces shall be restricted to
Thurston Park property owners or their tenants.
Rights to a parking space shall not be leased
except to tenants of the legal building site with
which the parking space is associated. Rental of
a parking space on a short term basis (by the
hour, day or week) is prohibited.
125
8. Required parking spaces shall be properly maintained for parking purposes, and may be covered or enclosed, subject to approval by the Design
Review Board.
9. Existing on-street parking opportunities on
Woodland Drive should be retained. Similar
parking should be provided on Milligan Drive,
following the full improvement of the street.
10. The City should actively explore the feasibility
of using the vacant parcel owned by the County
Flood Control District for neighborhood parking.
If successful, this parking should be first
allocated and reserved to those landowners who
possess no on-site or off -site parking oppor tunities.
E. Open Space and Conservation
Issue:
Thurston Park possesses several unique features which
collectively serve to inhibit the neighborhood's
ability to provide community open space. This condition is attributed to the abundance of relatively small building parcels and associated parking space lots,
fragmentation and diversity of lot'ownerships, absence
of an internal street system or other major public
right-of-way which provides density relief, and size,
scale and density of existing development.
Policy:
1. All building construction shall observe the open
space, yard and setback standards contained in
Section VI of the Specific Plan.
2. All existing and proposed public utility easements
and pedestrian walkways shall remain unobstructed
and free of all structures, except for yard
fencing, which shall require the issuance of a
revocable encroachment permit by the City.
3. Preservation of eucalyptus trees in the neighborhood shall be a major consideration in siting of new units or expansion of existing units, with
a view toward public safety.
4. Owners of existing and proposed building sites on
which eucalyptus trees are located are encouraged
to properly care for these trees. Tree topping or
pruning shall be a standard condition for issuance
of a building permit, if site conditions warrant
such actions.
126
F. Natural Hazards
Issue (Fire protection) :
The Laguna Beach General Plan identifies Thurston Park
as an area of extreme fire hazard This designation is
attributed to several factors. First, the neighborhood
is situated adjacent to a large expanse of vacant
hillside land which supports heavy brush and vegetation, and thus is highly susceptible to fast-spreading wildland fires. Second, the neighborhood itself is
extremely vulnerable to structure fires, due to the
density of development, concentrat ion of older wooden
structures, accumulation of natural materials and
debris in yard areas, and heavy fuel loading resulting
from the many eucalyptus trees which occupy the
neighborhood.
In addition, the limited access to interior parcels,
plus the narrowness and lack of turnaround space for
fire vebicles on Woodland and Milligan Drives, makes
even small fires difficult to combat. Access problems
are compounded by the fact that fire vehicles would
block emergency evacuation routes needed by residents
to leave the fire area. Last, substandard wiring
(including rewiring and extension of wiring by nonprofessionals) and use of space heaters or gas stoves for heating, increases the danger of home fires.
Policy:
1. New development shall comply with building
standards established for Fire Zone IV by the City
of Laguna Beach.
2. Yards shall be kept clear of weeds, garbage,
brush and other debris.
3. All new construction and structural alterations
shall be conditioned upon the installation of a
fire extinguisher for interiorlexterior residential use. Verification of the extinguisher shall be made by a City Building Inspector at the time
of final building inspection.
4. Subsequent to completion of improvements of the
water system, as specified in this Plan, property
owners should be encouraged to procure fire
insurance.
127
Issue (Flood Protection):
Laguna Canyon forms a natural watercourse through the
San Joaquin Hills. The concrete channel which forms
the western edge of Thurston Park is the major flood
control facility in the City of Laguna Beach. This
channel was designed for a "lo-Year Flood," however the "100-Year Flood" is the designated boundary of the
floodplain within the City. That portion of Thurston
Park which lies within the 100-year floodplain is shown in Figure 5.
The terms "lo-year flood" and "100-year flood" do not
imply that inundation of a given magnitude is expected
only once every ten years or once every 100 years. It
would be more accurate to state that a 100-year flood
has a 1% chance of occurring within a one-year period,
and a 10-year flood hasa 10% chance of occurring within a one-year period. However, there could be two or more
occurrences of a flood of that magnitude in two
consecutive years -- or even in the same year --
notwithstanding the date of the last occurrence.
Floods causing significant structural damage in
Thurston Park have occurred as recently as 1978.
His tor ical photographs of portions of the neighborhood also show sizeable damage in 1937 and 1941, long before the drainage course was improved and id with
concrete. Flooding in Thurston Park occurs not only
when storm waters exceed the capacity of the flood
control channel, but also when the channel right-of-way becomes obstructed by debris. Obstructions include both dry vegetation and other materials which accumulate in
the channel during the dry season, and the water-borne
debris carried downstream by storm runoff.
The southern portion of Woodland Drive has historically experienced flood problems with storm runoff waters
ponding or collecting for extended periods of time due
to the absence of an adequate storm drain system.
Solutions have been developed to ameliorate this
problem in the City's new Master Plan of Drainage,
which proposes a catch basin and associated 24-inch
underground storm drain pipe extending the full length
of the street and connecting into the Laguna Canyon
Flood Control Channel. Other alternatives should also
be considered to alleviate this condition, including
but not limited to reestablishing the natural watercourse in the vicinity of the BoyslClub ptoperty.
Policy:
1. All new development within the 100-year flood
plain shall comply with Chapter 25.38 of the
City's Municipal Code entitled, "Flood Damage
Prevention and Prohibitions. It
128
b - .\
100-YEAR FLOOD PLAIN
I ,
I
,
I
-------_____ _ ___ : --- 7, .......,.. 8 ,* Figure 5
[ Sarah Thurston Park Specific Plan
x. . . . ..
129
Legal building sites lying partially within the
100-year floodplain shall, where feasible,
concentrate development in that portion of the
site outside the flood boundary. Design review
shall include consideration of adjustment of
setback standards and other performance standards
to permit 100% of allowable site coverage to be
outside the 100-year flood.
3. The City will promote awareness of the availability of flood insurance to residents and property owners within the 100-year floodplain.
4. The City shall investigate the cost and pursue the
feasibility of clearing and improving the Milligan
Drive flood control inlet where it intersects with
the Laguna Canyon Flood Control Channel.
G. Infrastructure and Public Utilities
Issue (Sewer and Water Service)
The installation of new water and sewer facilities
remains the highest priority in Thurston Park. The
Specific Plan represents an important tool for planning capital improvements, since it establishes the ultimate location and density of residential development and
corresponding infrastructure requirements.
The majority of lots within Thurston Park (including
the mobile home park) are served by septic tank/leaching field sewage disposal systems. These septic tanks occasionally provide inadequate service during the
rainy season, when the water table rises and interferes with the percolation efficiency of the leach field
systems. This condition not only affects the performance of the septic tanks and related in-house plumbing, but also adversely impacts groundwater quality and in some cases the domestic water supply, with neighborhood residents exposed to potentially harmful health conditions.
Water service in Thurston Park is provided by the
Laguna Beach County Water District. The majority of
the water lines are cast iron and are located beneath
the pedestrian walkways in the neighborhood. They are
approximately 40 years old. The age and cast iron
construction of these lines renders them par titularly
susceptible to corrosion, cracking and malfunction.
130
This condition may also create a serious public health
hazard, due to the neighborhood's reliance on septic
tanks/leach fields, which may infiltrate into the
domestic water supply during periods of excessive rain.
Several unique problems exist in Thurston Park which
will influence the locat ion and juxtaposition of new
water and sewer lines in the neighborhood. First, the
existing six-foot walkways which traverse the neighborhood and carry the water lines and gas mains, are insufficient in width to also accommodate new sewer
lines. Second, the opportunity to expand these public
rights-of-way or acquire new utility easements is
limited, due to existing development in the neighborhood, which may obstruct or constrain the future alignment of public utility easements.
In addition, State Health Department standards require
that the location of water and sewer mains observe
certain design criteria:
a. Minimum horizontal separation of lines of four
feet, edge to edge. This amounts to five feet,
center to center.
b. Location of sewer main at least one foot below the
water line.
c. Use of extra strength pipe if tire sewer is less
than ten feet from the water line; concrete
encasement is not required.
Using this criteria, the City recently hired an
engineering firm-to design a sanitary sewer system for
the neighborhood. The cost for this design and the
subsequent construction of the facility will be
accomplished with Federal Housing. and Community
Development Block Grant Funds. Construction of the new
sewer system is anticipated to commence in early 1984.
The City is also currently pursuing HCD funds for the
design and construction of a new water system in the
neighborhood.
Policy:
1. All legal building sites shall be sewered and all
existing dwelling units shall connect to the sewer
within one year of its completion.
2. With each sewer connection, the existing septic
tank shall be abandoned to standards of the County
Health Department.
131
3- Since the abandonment of septic tanks and subsequent sewer connection fee may represent a financial hardship to the neighborhood's lower
income residents, the City shall attempt to
procure financial aid to offset this cost in low
interest loan payments (through the Housing
Rehabilitation Program) and adjustments in normal
City permit fees.
4. When water mains within the perimeter of the
neighborhood are replaced, they shall be upgraded . to a larger pipe size as determined by the City and Laguna Beach County Water District. The
existing two-inch cross-feed water mains situated
in the pedestrian walkways shall also be
upgraded.
5. A new fire hydrant shall be installed near the
intersection of Milligan Drive and Victory Walk,
upon the availability of adequate funds. The
installation of this hydrant should remain a high
priority regardless of the timing for installation
of the new water system.
Issue (Natural Gas) :
Gas mains located within the existing six-foot easements may be temporarily displaced by instal-lation of new sewer and/or water lines, but will be re-sited
within the walkways when the construction is completed.
No Specific Plan policies relative to gas lines are
required.
Issue (Storm Drainage) :
(Refer to discussion on Natural Hazards, Page 25 for
description of storm drainage issues and related
policies.)
Issue (Solid Waste) :
The existing pedestrian circulation system inhibits
collection of refuse in the neighborhood. This problem
is exacerbated by the rural environment of the community, which sometimes generates a significant amount of natural waste, such as leaves and branches.
Policy:
1. In addit-ibn to "clean-up week", which is offered
to all City residents in the spring and fall of
each year, the City, where financially feasible,
shall periodically locate a refuse dumpster in the
neighborhood, with costs possibly borne by the
City's HCD Block Grant Program, Housing Rehabilitation Program, or other State and/or Federal program.
132
2. Once Milligan Drive has been dedicated and
improved as a public street, the City shall
provide ref use collect ion service along Milligan
Drive to its junction with Victory Walk.
3. The City should facilitate trash collection
service in the neighborhood similar to the service
offered elsewhere in the community.
Issue (Underground Utilities):
The overhead electrical lines in ~hurston Park are
vulnerable to wind storms and other natural hazards
which may adversely impact the safety of the neighborhood, due to structural and/or wildland fires. Additionally, the overhead utilities adversely impact the aesthetic and scenic qualities of the neighborhood.
Policy:
1. The City shall seek State and Federal funding for
installation of underground utilities. Funding for
this purpose, however, shall remain a lower
priority than for other Thurston Park capital
improvement needs, namely, new water and sewer
service, storm drain improvements and upgrading of
roads and pedestrian walkways.
133
IV HOUSING
A. Introduction
In recent years, housing prices in Laguna Beach have
dramatically escalated. Housing in Thurston Park,
however, has remained affordable to lower income
households, as evidenced by the figures presented in
this section. The contributing factors to this
situation include: (1) the absence or deficiency of
public improvements (sewer, water, drainage and
streets; and (2) the inability of residents to upgrade
their homes due to the existing nonconforming status of most pro erties. The Specific Plan will serve to
change t R ese circumstances and, in the proce-ss,
introduce a potential-increase in housing values that
might reduce access to low and moderate income families. A key objective of the Specific Plan is to preserve housing opportunities for the neighborhood's
lower income population.
Concern for affordable housing in Thurston Park extends to rental housing opportunities, as well as home
ownership. Even though there exist only a few multiple
family housing units in Thurston Park, a 1978 demographic survey conducted by the City revealed that 57% of the responding housing units were occupied on a
rental basis.
Another major housing issue in Thurston Park is that of overall housing quality. The age of the existing
residences and the inability to replace them (in light
of their nonconforming status) has caused a large
portion of the housing stock to lapse into varying
stages of deterioration. Given these concerns, the
primary housing objectives of the Specific Plan shall
be as follows:
- Maintaining the stock of rental housing.
- Maintaining rents and mortgages at affordable
levels.
- Revitalizing neighborhood housing.
The Specific Plan attempts to achieve these objectives
by encouraging the voluntary participation of neighborhood property owners in a series of housing programs.
The large majority of these housing programs are
administered and funded by County, State or Federal
agencies. In light of this, some programs will be
available only in the event the City is successful in
134
applying for funding and/or only as funding appropriations are made available. A description of prospective programs is presented in the final section of this
analys is.
Through the course of this section, the terms "affordablewand "low and moderate income" will be utilized frequently. For the purposes of this Plan, these terms
carry the following definitions as utilized by the
County of Orange Inclusionary Housing Program.
"Low and Moderate Income Households" -Households whose
incomes do not exceed 120 percent of the median income
for Orange County.
"Affordable (Housing Unit)" - A unit whose total
monthly cost to the buyerlrenter does not exceed 25
percent of the income of families earning 80 percent or less, or 30 percent of the income of families earning
81 percent-120 percent of the median income for Orange
County.
B. Maintaining Rents and Mortgages at Affordable
Levels
As previously stated, the Thurston Park neighborhood
provides some of the most affordable housing in the
City of Laguna Beach. This premise is borne out by
1980 Census housing statistics.
Table 6
HOUSEHOLD RENTS AND VALUES
Thurston
Park City
Median Rents (Rental
Housing Units) $ 215 $ 366
Median Values (Owner
Occupied Housing Units $ 65,000 $200, 000*
(NOTE: Table reflects 1979 Monetary Values)
* Highest value for Census data; actual median somewhat higher)
These statistics indicate that median rents in Thurston Park are 41.3% lower than the citywide levels and the
value of owner occupied units are similarly at least
67.5% lower. The affordability of Thurston Park
housing is further demonstrated by comparing the
135
neighborhood's housing prices to other census blocks in the City. Of 187 census blocks for which statistics
were available on median rent levels, only one block
showed lower levels than Thurston Park. In the case of
median values for owner occupied units, again only one
block out of 242 (with available statistics for two or
more units) indicated a lower value than Thurston
Park.
Both mandatory regulations and voluntary incentives can be used to maintain the affordable status of units in
Thurston Park. Mandatory regulations naturally provide
a greater assurance of overall continued affordability, but are often controversial, time consuming and costly
to administer.
Programs to control affordability in this Plan will be
limited to those measures which involve the extension . of certain special benefits, usually financial, in . return for agreements with the property owner which seek to maintain affordable housing opportunities.
C. Housing Programs Designed to Preserve Affordable
Bousing Opportunities
1. Home Improvement Program (HIP): This is an HCD
Block Grant housing rehabilitation program that is
administered for the City by the County of Orange
Housing and Community Development Program office.
Through the Home Improvement Program, low cost
financial assistance is available to qualified
homeowners to correct building code deficiencies
and for specified general property improvements
(painting, etc.) . Types of HIP financial assistanceand qualifications vary by tenure and household income levels, and are subject to periodic modifications. Since
Thurston Park is part of the City's HCD Target
Area, however, most neighborhood homeowners will
be eligible for some type of assistance. Within
program target areas, loans of up to $15,000 are
generally made available to owner-occupied
households at the following low interest rates:
3.0% for households earning 80% or less of
the County median income
136
In addition to low interest loans, low income
households with very limited financial resources
may be eligible to receive a deferred payment loan
or a grant to undertake needed housing repairs.
Owners of rental housing units are also eligible
for HIP assistance, provided that the units are
occupied by low and moderate income tenants and
that rents are kept at an affordable level. Thd
interest rates on loans for rental units are
negotiable.
The Home Improvement Program provides several
benefits, including that: (1) it provides financing for housing improvements that may not otherwise be undertaken; (2) it helps low and moderate income families to af fordably reside in Thurston
Park; and (3) it helps to maintain neighborhood
stability by requiring continued residence for the
term of the loan.
In-Fill Housing Program: This program is designed
to provide new and replacement housing for
qualified low and moderate income property owners.
Like the low interest loan program, this program
is also administered by the County Housing and
Community Development Program office and uses HUD
Block Grant funds.as its principal funding source.
Basically, the In-Fill Program entails the
construction of new modular housing units on lots
that are either vacant or support existing housing
that is severely dilapidated. Since Thurston Park
contains numerous vacant lots and housing units in
poor condition, this program could be particularly
valuable to the neighborhood.
In order to qualify for participation in the
In-Fill Program, the following basic requirements
must be met:
The property and existing residence, if any,
must be owned free and clear by a low or
moderate income person or family.
The residential structure must be di13pidated
to the extent that rehabilitation is not
feasible.
The applicant must be credit-worthy and
137
capable of affording necessary monthly
payments.
If these conditions are present, program funds are
utilized to pay the participant a fair market
value price for the existing residence and to
demolish the structure. The lot itself remains
the property of the participant. Following this,
a new modular home is constructed on the lot in
place of the deteriorated unit. While the modular
unit is relatively low in cost, the models used in
the In-Fill Program have proven to be of high
quality in terms of both structural integrity and
appearance. Upon completion, the new modular
house is purchased by the participant, utilizing a
low interest mortgage loan or another prearranged
form of government financial assistance, depending
upon the financial limitations of the participant.
In the case of vacant property, the process will
be similar except for the demolition of structures.
Since the In-Fill program is intended to provide
improved housing for low and moderate income
families, certain deed restrictions are used in
the Program as an inducement for continued
ownership and occupancy of in-fill unics by
families within these income categorie.~ Generally, if an in-fill unit is sold or rented, these restrictions call for full repayment of the
mortgage principal plus an additional payment
based upon a percentage of the mortgage interest
or the increase in home equity. The'mortgage loan
is assumable, however, if the in-fill unit is sold
to another low or moderate income family.
3. Other Affordable Housing Programs: There are
several additional government sponsored housing
programs that may ass is t in providing affordable
housing. The programs, however, in many instances
involve entering into contracts with or submitting
funding proposals to the sponsoring agency. In
addi t ion, some programs currently possess little
or no source of funding. In light of these
circumstances, it cannot be determined at this
time which of these other programs may be available or appropriate for implementation in Thurston Park. For this reason, the programs Listed below
are only briefly discussed. At this time, the
City's policy will be to further investigate these
programs and implement later those which are
feasible and available to the City.
138
a. Section 8 - Moderate Rehabilitation: The
Federal Section 8 Program is basically a rent
subsidy program for low and moderate income
families. Under the Moderate Rehabilitation
portion of the program, an owner of a rental
unit enters into a 25-year Housing Assistance
Payments contract. The contract guarantees
the property owner payment of a rent subsidy
of an amount equal to the difference between
what the tenant pays (typically 25% of
monthly income) and the rent charged.
Participating property owners, as part of
their agreement, must maintain rents within a
HUD-approved Fair Market Rent schedule for
Orange County. The property owner is also
extended technical assistance in obtaining
financing and carrying out rehabilitation.
Utilization of this program cannot be
undertaken until the City enters into a
contract with the Orange County Housing
Authority.
b. Section 265/235 - Homeownership for Low and
Moderate Income Families: This program
provides mortgage insurance to p~ircii::~>r G 01
single family residences whose adjusted gross
income is less than 95% of the area median
income. In addition, Section 265 provides
for subsidizing the interest on the mortgage
to reduce the interest rate paid by the
purchaser to as low as 4%. The maximum loan
term is 30 years.
Section 245 - Graduated Payment Mortgages
(GPMs) and Growing Equity Mortgages (GEMS) :
This section of the National Housing Act
provides insurance of mortgages with varying
interest rates or amortization periods
corresponding to anticipated variations in
family income. The GPM program includes
mortgage plans with interest deferrals,
interest buy-downs for the initial portion of
the loan term, and monthly mortgage payments
that start at a low level and increase
annually. This type of plan is helpful to
families that are initially restricted as to
the monthly housing payment they can afford.
139
- *
Deferred Payment Rehabilitation Loans: This
program is operated by the State Department
of Housing and Community Development and is
designed to assist cities with the rehabilitation of housing for low and moderate income households. Loans are made to borrowers
(generally low and moderate income owneroccupants and non-owner occupants of rental properties) at 3% interest and must be repaid
at the end of five years or upon the sale or
transfer of the property. Loans may be
extended for additional five-year periods if
owner-occupants are unable to repay the
loans, or in the case of rental properties,
if low income tenants continue to benefit.
There is no five-year repayment requirement
on loans made to elderly owner-occupants.
The State has indicated that funding for this
program is very low.
D. Coastal Zone Housing Requirements
Amendments to the California Government Code in 1981
included the addition of Section 65590, which sets
forth new regulations for the provision of affordable
housing in Coastal Zone areas. A major requirement of
these regulations mandates replacement of housing
occupied by low and moderate income persons wI-.en buch units are demolished or converted to condominiums. The
law does, however, provide for the exemption of
residential structures which contain less than three
dwelling units, unless it is determined by the City
that it is "feasible"1 to provide such replacement
housing.
In the case of Thurston Park, the issue of feasibility
appears to be a particularly important and necessary
consideration in order to achieve the objectives of the Specific Plan. This conclusion is based upon the
following observations:
1. Single family residential rental units are a key
Component of the neighborhood housing stock. The
Thurston Park demographic survey indicates that
88% of the housing stock is comprised of single
family residences and that a majority of the
residing families are renters.
2. The survey also indicates 93% of residing families
are in the low or very low income category. There
may be a number of situations, therefore, where
the issue of replacement housing would apply.
1 "Feasible" as defined in Government Code Section 65590(g) (3), means capable of being accomplished in a successful manner within a reasonable period of time, taking into account economic, environmental, social and technical factors.
140
3. Increased housing values realized from the
Thurston Park capital improvement program could
eventually result in a reduction of affordable
reatal housing opportunities in the neighborhood.
4. The availability of financial assistance programs
to Thurston Park property owners through this Plan
should serve to enhance the feasibility of
providing replacement housing from an economic
standpoint.
When reviewing project applications, therefore, the
provisions of Section 65590 will be applied on a
project-by-project bas is, and in cases where replacement of low and moderate income housing is feasible, such housing will be mandated.
E. Self-Hel~ Programs
1. California Housing Advisory Service (CHAS) : This
program is operated and funded through the
California State Department of Housing and
Community Development. It provides grants ranging
from $3,000 to $50,000 to public agencies, to
assist owner-builders and self-help rehabilitation
by establishing local housing advisory services.
Funding tor the CHAS program is currently being
made available on a periodic basis to competing
cities and organizations.
2. Craftsman Program: The Craftsman Program is a
State program which involves the hiring of elderly
or young unskilled workers to perform rehabilitat ion and maintenance tasks for lower income households. In addition to boosting rehabilitation efforts, the program may also serve the community by providing useful work for retired
workers and training for unemployed youths.
A specific funding source for. a craftsman program
is not known, but could potentially be obtained
through government employment programs.
141
V CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT COSTS AND FINANCING
Capital Expenditures
Table 7 presents an estimated cost breakdown of
anticipated capital improvements in Thurston Park.
These costs assume 1982 dollars and generally include
expenditures for design and engineering, administration and installation. Right-of-way acquisition costs, if
necessary, are not included.
B. Funding Alternatives
Realization of neighborhood capital improvements is
largely contingent upon the investment of public funds.
This is due to the lower income characteristics of
neighborhood residents and tbeir inability to part icipate in conventional private funding mechanisms, such as special assessment districts, deferred payments or
direct contributions. The principle source of financing for these improvements is expected from the Federal Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG),
administered by the County or Orange for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Federal government has awarded the City $200,000 of 8th and 9th Year CDBG Funds for the development of needed capital
improvements in Thurston Park. As evidenced in Table
7, however, this funding is inadequate to meet the
projected costs of all neighborhood improvements. For
this reason, the City intends to supplement this
funding with additional CDBG money, which is anticipated in connection with Program funding in ensuing years. The City's applications for funds in the 10th
Year Program will not be formally acted on until early
in 1984. Due to uncertainty over the actual supply of
Federal financial assistance, however, the City must
explore other prospective revenue sources to ensure
sufficient funds to complete t)-e public works activities. Alternative funding sources may include the following programs/activities:
1. Special Assessment Districts: A special assessment district enables property owners to establish an improvement district to issue bonds, assessing
themselves for the costs. The advantage of the
assessment district is the flexibility provided in
cost distribution and latitude in the bond
amortization period (5 to 40 year periods). Such
a mechanism may be impractical, however, because
of the financial constraints of neighborhood
residents.
142
Redevelopment Funding: The California Redevelopment Law, State Health and Safety Code, gives local communities the authority to create a public
agency for the purpose of promoting economic
growth and building public improvements. These
agencies finance their activities through tax
increment financing, whereby capital investments
are retired through anticipated increases in
property tax resulting from redevelopment of the
area. This procedure may conflict with the
objectives of the Specific Plan, however, which
seeks to maintain low cost housing in the neighborhood.
3. General Fund: Financing of neighborhood capital
improvements through the City's General Fund will
be subject to budget prioritization along with
Police, Fire and other municipal services.
Construct ion Phasing
Since funds will not be available to construct all
capital improvements simultaneously, it will be
necessary to construct these facilities in inciements
based upon priority of need and funding availability.
Table 7 lists the capital improvement program by
priority. Each component of the capital improvement
program may be constructed independently from another,
or can be combined with one or more project(s).
Moreover, funding constraints may require construction
of individual components in increments, such as
installing a portion of the sewer system one year and
completing that system the following year, when monies
become available. Combining projects together,
however, may prove more cost effective in the long
term,and would serve to minimize disturbances to the
neighborhood during construction activity.
The independent nature of the capital improvement
projects enables the City to exercise flexibility in
the phasing program, in accordance with the availability of financial resources. The ranking of capital improvements may also be adjusted in accordance with
the money supply or as a result of changing neighbor -
hood needs.
143
Sewers (Single Fmily
Residential Area)
Table 7
'I'lTuXTON PAFX SPECIFIC FLAK WITAL DPROVEI~~S PnXERAN
Ita~ized Cost "mp,e Cuiiiulative Cost Range Note
Water Mains , fiicludiiig $ 80,000
Fire Ilydl-ant at Iiilligm
h-ivs/Victory Kalk
Imp-i-ovm~t of Milligan $ 80,000
Erive ( including Bridge
Replacemnt)
Stolm Drain Zmprovements $ 45,000
alung Woodltliid Drive
Woodland Drive Extension $ 11,000
This cost reflects an October 1983
construction cost esthte by Greer
and Campany based on design engineer's plans prepared by same.
This cost assumes engineering installation and inspection.
The need to improve; fire safety and
enhmce veliicular circulatim 6s
this ahigb priority item.
$315,000 ' This project Is sil(xm in the City-'s Piaster Flarl of kainage as a Priority I1 itan, and may be implemented in
cmj unc'iioi~ with tint prograii.
This estimte ass-axes 250 cubic yards of
grading ffir the roactvay md associzted
tui~litround, 2t $5/c.y. Street cul-de-sac
to measure approximately 50 feet in
diameter. Estimate also includes use
of retention devices for exposed cut
and fill slopes..
144
Table 7 (Continued)
TtfuWTON ?ARK SPECIFIC TLAnU' CAPITAL E4l?ROVEL~ENTS PNXRAM Itemized Cost Rmge Cunwlative Cost Range Note
Parking Co-ur t at kpia
Canyon Road md Woodland Drive (Flood Control
District Property)
S~v17er Service (Thurstoh $69,500
Trailer Park)
Lhdergrou-~d ULility
Lines
$336,000 Faving costs assume a price of $3.001
sq.ft. Additional costs may be incurred
due to lease or sale agreements with
the C~mnty Flood Carltrol District.
This cost assmes approximately 600
feet of VCP sewer line located withii1
the existing six foot wide easeilents
and assurnes continued use of the
property as a trailer park. Estimated
costs, however, my vary since the
existing developimt patterm fails to
observe these easements. Furthemre,
conversion of the trailer park to
multiple falily use may influence the
design and cost of the sewers.
Estimated costs range between $1,800
a-~d $2,200 per unit. Sii-~ce the costs
are high and benefits comparatively
low, this project ramins a low
neighbor;-lood priority .
Source: City of kguna Beacl~
Deparm-~t of Coi~~~ity Developrent
145
VI NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
A. Intent and Purpose: The intent and purpose of this
chapter is to establish specific development standards
for Sarah Thurston Park, pursuant to the authority of
Article 9, Chapter 3 of Division 7 of the California
Government Code. These standards have been adopted by
the City Council as Ordinance No. 1043. It is recognized that the Thurston Park neighborhood, due to the size and configuration of pedestrian orientation,
possesses special problems which are most effectively
solved by specific plans and development controls.
These regulations are intended to implement and
complement the development policies of the Thurston
Park Specific Plan text. These policies, together with
the development standards contained herein, form the
development regulations for the neighborhood. All
other ordinances and sections of the Laguna Beach
Municipal Code shall also apply to Thurston Park,
unless such standards are inconsistent with the
provisions of the Specific Plan, in which case the
Specific Plan shall apply.
B. Description and Application. Property contained within the Specific Plan is encompassed in the Sarah Thurston
Park Tract and includes the following properties: Lots
1-98, 105-137, all parking space "G-Lots" and three
metes and bounds parcels situated southerly of Woodland Drive. Figure 2 in the Specific Plan text graphically
illustrates these planning boundaries.
C. Uses Permitted. All buildings, structures and land
shall be used and buildings and structures shall
hereafter be erected and designed for the following
purposes, subject to the locations described below:
1. Thurston Trailer Park (Lots 105-134, exclusive of
Lot 111).
a. Detached mobile homes on permanent or fixed
foundations.
b. Child care, subject to the standards in
Chapter 25.08 of the Laguna Beach Municipal
Code.
146
c. Such other uses as the Planning Commission
may deem, after a public hearing, to be
similar to and no more obnoxious or detrimental to the health, safety and welfare, than the permitted uses.
Publicly-owned lands (Lots 84-94, 97, 98 and a
portion of Lot 96).
a. Recreation without intensive playground
.equipment or other intensive recreational
facilities.
b. Affordable single family or multiple-family
.dwellings made available only to low and
moderate income persons as defined in Section
IV of the Specific Plan text.
c. Resident parking facility.
3. Thurston Park, exclusive-of the areas contained in
Items 1 and 2 listed above (Lots 1-83, 95, 96,
111, 136, 137 and property situated southerly of
Woodland Drive; refer to Figure 2 in Specific Plan
text).
a. Single-family dwellings, includ;:ig inodb*. iar or
prefabricated units which meet Uniforn
Building Code standards.
b. Multiple-family dwellings, subject to the
provisions of Subsection I of Section VI of
the Specific Plan text (i. e. , nonconforning
uses).
c. Child care, subject to the standards in
Chapter 25.08 of the Laguna Beach Wunicipal
Code.
d. Public parks and recreational activities,
without intensive playground equipment or
other intensive recreation facilities.
e. Such other uses as the Planning Commission
may deem, after a public hearing, to be
similar to and no more obnoxious or detrimental to the health, safety 2v.d welfare, than the permitted uses.
D. Uses Derrnitted subject to n ConditionaL Use Permit. The Ioiio-.~in~ uses nay be ~errnitted in areas described in ~ubseccions C.l and C.3,' subject to the granting of a
conditional use pernit as provided for in Chapter 25.45 of the Xunicipal Code.
147
1. Home occupations;
2. Nursery school, preschool;
3. Resthome.
E. Property Develo~ment Standards
1. General Provisions:
a. All new construct ion within the Specific Plan
planning area (except for structural inprovements which total less than 50% of existing livable floor area) shall be conditioned:upon
upgrading the water supply systen or providing an emergency waier supply to the property which is acceptable to the Fire DeFartment.
All construction shall be required to observe
Type Five, one-hour construction requirements, and provide an approved automatic sprinkler system. Strict adherence to all
other applicable fire-municipal code requirements concerning Fire Zone "A" shall also be observed.
2. Thurston Trailer Park (Lots 105-134, exclusive of
Lot 111).
a. popu1at ion Density: A maximum density of 27
mobile home units is permitted.
b. Design Review: All new development is
subject to Design Review as specified in
Subsection J of this Ordinance.
3. Thurston Park (Lots 1-83, 95, 96, 111, 136, 137
and property situated southerly of Woodland Drive,
refer to Figure 2 in Specific Plan text).
a. Legal Building Sites: Legal building sites
are delineated on the Land Use Plan Yap
(Figure 3) of the Specific Plan. No additional building sites, other than Category 4 sites as deEined in Subsection E below and
lots which arc demonstrated to be nonconformin, shall be created except by amendment oE thc Specific Plan, notwithstanding lots as
defined in S~~tion 3 of the Specific Plan.
Combinations oE designated legal building
sites may be created, however, without
amending the Plan, subject to the provisions
of the City's Subdivision Ordinance.
148
b. Lot Coverage:
Lots under 4,000 square feet: new construction shall not exceed 35% of lot area; for Parcels 111 and 80, these open space requirements shall not apply, but required setbacks must be observed;
Lots greater than 4,000 square feet: new
construction shall not exceed 40% of lot
area;
For all lots, total floor space (excl-uding
garage) shall not exceed 50% of total lot
size.
c. Front Yard Setbacks: A front yard is any
yard facing either a street or an existing
pedestrian easement indicated on the Land Use
Plan Map. The front yard setback shall not
be less than ten (10) feet. Where the
property abuts two or more pedestrian
easements, the second and third front yards
shall not be less than six (6) feet.
d. Side and Rear Yard Setbacks: Sidn and rear
setbacks shall not be less rt-ran four (4)
feet.
e. Building Height: Height of structures shall
be measured from any point above the natural
or finished grade, whichever is lesser.
Height shall include flood plain requirements
for elevation of the foundation.
Lots under 4,000 square feet: two stories,
not to exceed 20 feet;
Lots greater than 4,000 square feet: two
stories, not to exceed 25 feet.
Category 4 Sites: Category 4 sites, as shown
on the Land Use Plan ?lap shall not be
considered legal building sites until a
determination has been made by the Design
Review Board as to the development feasibil ity of the property. The Board of Adjus~ment shall perform this responsibility based on
public health and safety considerations,
includ ing geologic and hydrologic factors.
Development standards, including setbacks,
shall be detsrnined as part of the Design
Review process, but in no case shall building
149
heights exceed 25 feet at any point above the
adjacent street or adjacent pedestrian
walkway, opposite the midpoint of the lot,
whichever is lesser.
F. Flood Darnane Prevention. New single and nultiplerainiiy construction on all lots within the 100-year flood- plain shall be subject to the provisions of
Chapter 25.38 of the City's Municipal Code. Definition
and application of the 100-year flood plain shall be as descr ibed' in the Flood Insurance. Study [March 1979), prepared by the Department of Housing and Urban
Development, and as specified in section 25.38.020. of
the Municipal Code.
G. Soils and Geology. A geologic report shall be prepared for all new construct ion as defined and in accordance
with Chapter 14.78 of the Laguna Beach Municipal Code.
H. Parkinz. Parking standards shall be governed by the
provisions contained in the Specific Plantext.
I. Nonconforming Uses. Units which do not comply with
this section, including existing two-fanily dwellings,
apartments and multiple-family units on single family
leeal build in^ u sites. shall be ~ermittel to remain as existing nonconforming' uses. ~uiiding permits shall be granted for activities consistent with normal maintenance and preservation of these structures so long as the total square footage of that structure is not
increased. Nonconforming struc tures, however, may be
added to or enlarged pursuant to Section 25.56.008 of
the Municipal Code if such units are made available to
low and moderate income households, under an agreenent
approved by the City of Laguna Beach. In no case shall
these improvements exceed 50% of the existing floor
area of said units. Nonconforming s t r u c t u r e s n a y be rebuilt "in kind" if destroyed by a natural calamity,
but in no circumstance may be reconstructed if denolished intent ionally for purposes of new construct ion, unless such new construction (the new dwelling units)
are made available to low and moderate income households, under an agreenent approved by the City of Laguna Beach. Reconstruction of all other nonconforxing structures shall be confined to a single family unit
built in conformance with the Specific Plan.
J. Desirn Review. All new buildings, structures and
pnysicai improvements and relocations, additions,
extension and exterior changes of or to existing
buildings, structures and physical site inprovezents
shall be subject to design review. Design review
guidelines shall be governed by Chapter 25.40 of the
Laguna Beach >lunicipal Code, excepting therefron,
150
however, Sect ion 25.40.003. The Design Review Board,
in carrying out the objectives of this section, should
consider and evaluate the scale and character of
existing development and overall neighborhood ameni -
ties. Application for a building permit and Design
Revisw Board action shall be accompanied by the
following materials:
(1) Engineering geologic report prepared in accordance
with Chapter 14.78 of the Laguna Beach ilunicipal
Code ..
(2) Landscaping, grading and drainag.e plans, showing
existing and proposed topography at two-foot
contour intervals, plant types, sizes and locations, planting details, underground sprinkler system (if any) and drainage system for the entire
site.
(3) Site plan and details, showing all site constructions including paved areas, storage areas, fences, trash enclosures, stairways, decks,
patios, etc. The maximum height of yard fencing
and walls shall not exceed four feet.
(4) A site plan showing the precise location of all
buildings on adjacent lots, their encranceways,
window openings, and outdoor living areas, all in
relation to the proposed building and lot,
accurately drawn to scale.
(5) Preliminary Eloor plans, elevat ions, architectural and site details, color and material samples of
exterior surface.
(6) Parking plan.
151
APPENDIX
152
INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY
(Prepared Pursuant To Title 14, Division 6, Article 7 of the California Administrative Code)
project ~~c~ti~~: Sarah Thurston Park Project No-. 82-018 Evaluator : Kyle Butterwick Date: October 4, 1982
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: .Preparation of a Specific Elan for ~ar&~ pursuant to Section 65.45nptspnnh P hpCalifnmi;l-Sppl f 1 ,- P1 an . . - is considered a neces-s-ary prerequisite to the investment of public funds for new . . _capital improvement tlod.
--- --
-- - - - - - -
EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING:--~~~~~ Thurston Park is a 137 lot subdivision within the City of Laguna Beach. -The neighhoxhaod is characterized hyder-dbzelling-s-ed of both single familya&d&$g-le f~t~ti+ttffi~~. Pri--*
these parcels is provi~~~
The majority of residential lo-ts -mahtdz~xxmxdami~ns S- tt-o imlf flr~en-t . . , (non-vehicular) access and inadequate~arcel .- s&e.
REFERENCES : - - -. - - - - - -- - -- - - - - -- - - - - - --
1. California Government Code~--SectinTI615n st---- - -- - - - - ---
2. California Adminis$rative-We --Se&ien- Z5080 &- seq, - - . - - - - -- - - -- - -
3. Orange County Assessors Records (1982 Tax Roll), - ---- - - -- - - -- -
4. U. S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Developmen&-T FIA - -- "Flood -- - - -- -. Insurance - - Rate-", - 1979.
5. Geologic Constraint and Land Use Capability Map - City of Laguna Beach, 1975. - - - - - - . - . - - - -
6. Housing Element, City -- of Laguna Beach, 1982.
- - ---- - -- -- -- - - - - -- -. - - - -
- - - - - - -- -- - - - - - -- - - - - . -- -- - - - - - - -- - - -- - - ? - -- -- - - - - - - - - - - - --
-- -- - - - - - - - - -- -- --- -- -- - -
- -- - - -- - - - - - -. -- - --- - ---- - --
--. -. -- - - -
- -- -. - - - - . - --
- - . -- - - - --- - --- -- - --
- --- - -- - - . --- - - -
- - - - - - - - -- P --
- - -- - - --- - - -- - -- - - -- --
- - - - - -- --- - - -- - - - - - -- - - -
- - -- -.
-- - - - - - - -- - -- --- - - ----- - . - -- - -- - -- - - -
-- - - -- - -- - - -- - - -- -- - - -- -
153
INITIAL ENVIRONIfENTAL STUDY (cont ' d)
ENVIRONMENTAL CIIECKLIST FORM (From Appendix I, Guidelines for the Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act of 1970)
11. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
(Erplanat~oru of all "yes" and "maybe" answers are required I I. EarIh. Will the proposal result in:
a Unstable earth conditions or in changes in geologic subshuctures? b. Disruptions. displacements. compaction or overcovering of the soil?
c. Change in topography or ground surface relief features? d. The destruction, covering or modification of any unique geoloec or physical features?
e. Any lncreve in wind or water erosion of soih.either on or off the site?
f. Changes in deposition or erosion of beach sand2 or
changes in s~ltation. depos~tion or erosion which may mod~fy the channcl of a river or stream or the bed of the ocean or any bay. inlet or lake?
g. Exposure of people or property to geologic hazards such ar earthquakes. landslides. mudslides, ground failure. or similar hazards?
2. Air. WiU the proposal result in:
a. Substantial air emissions or deterioration of ambient air quality?
b. The creation of objectionable odors?
c. Alteration of air movement, morsture or temperature, or any change in climate, either locally or regionally?
3. Water. Will the proposal result In:
a. Changes in currents, or the course or direction of water movements, in either marlne or fresh waters?
b. Changer in absorpt~on rates, drainage patterns or the rate and amount of surface water runoff?
c. Alterations to the course or flow of flood waters?
d. Change in the amount of surface water in any water body? -. e. Discharge into surface waters, or in any alteration of surface water quality, includinr: but not limited to temperature. dissolved oxygen or turbidity?
t Alterat~on of the direction or rate of flow of ground waters? g. Change in the quantity of ground waters, either through direct add~tions or w~thdrawals, or through interception of an aqulfer by cuts or excavations?
h. Substantial reduction in the amount of water otherwise available for public water supplies?
i. Exposure of people or property to water related hazards such as flooding or tidal waves?
4. Plant Lila. Will the proposal result in:
a. Change in the diversity of species, or number of any species of plants (including trees. shrubs, grass, crops, and aquatic plants)?
b. Reduction of the numbers of any unique, rare or endangered species of plants? C. lntroductlon of new species of plants into an area, or in a barrier to the normal replenishment of existing species? -d. Reduction in acreage of any agricultural crop?
5. Animal Life. Will the proposal result in:
a. Change in the diversity of species. or numbers of any species of animals (birds. land animals including reptiles, fish and shellfish, benthic organisms or insects)?
b. Reduction of the numbers of any unique, rare or endangered species of antmals? c. Introduction of new species of animals into an area, or result in a barrier to the m~gration or movement of animals? d. Deterioration to ensting fish or wildlire habitat?
6. Nois*. W~ll the proposal result in:
a. Increases in existing noisc levels?
b. Exposure of people to severe noise levels?
7. Light and OIar*. W~ll the proposal produce new light or glare?
8. Land Us*. Will the proposal result in a substantial alteratio~i of the prewnt or planned land use of an area?
9. Natural Rssourcas. Will the proposal result in:
a. Increase in the rate of use of any natural resources? b. Substantial depletion of any nonrenewable natural resource? ~n attached sheets.) I YES MAYBE NO
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11. Population. Will the proposal alter the location, distr~hution, density. or growth rate of the human population of an area?
12. Housing. Will the proposal aKwt existing housing, or create a demand for additional housing?
13. Trsnsportation/Circuletion. Will the proposal result in:
a. Generation of substantial additional vehicular movement? . b. EKects on existing parking facilities, or demand for new parking?
c. Substantial impact upon ensting transportation systems? d. Alterations to present patterns of circulation or move ment of people andlor goods?
e. .4kerahons to waterborne. rail or a;r traffic?
f. Increase in traffic hazards to motor vehicles. bicyclists or pedestrians?
14. Public Sswicea. Will the proposal have a11 effect upon, or result in a need for new or altered governmental services In any of the followng areas:
a. Fire protection?
b. Police protection?
c. Schwls?
d. Parks or other recreational facilities?
e. Maintenance of public facillhes, including roads?
f. Other governmental services?
15. Energy. IVill the proposal result in:
a. Use of substantial amounts of fuel or energy?
b. Substantid increase in demand upon existinp sources of energy, or requlre the developmcnt of new sources of energy?
16. Utilitioa. IVill the proposal result in a need for new systems. or substantla1 alterations to the follouing utilities:
a. Power or natural gas?
b. Communications systems?
c. I\'~ter?
d. Se\ver or ,eptic tanks?
e. Storm water drainngc?
f. Solid wa,te md disposal?
li. Human Health. Will the proposal result in:
a. Creation of any health hazard or potential health hazard (excluding ment;~l health)?
b. Exposure of people to potential ltealth hazards?
18. Aesthetics. N'ill the proposal result in the obstruction of any scenic \Isla or view open to the publlc, or u-111 the pro~wral result in the creat~on of xi aesthetrcally offensive site open to pubhc tiew?
19. Recreation. Will the proposal result in an impact upon the qudrty or quantity of existing recreational opp~rtun~lirs?
20. Ar+hwlogicol/Historlsal. Will the proposal result ill'an alteration of a s~qificant archeological or historical site, rtruchnre. object or building?
21. Mandatory Findings of Significance.
(a) Does the project have the potential to degrade the quolily of the enrironment.substanhdly reduce the habitat of a fish or uildlife species, cause a fish or w~ldlife population to drop belcw self sustaining levels, threaten to elim~nate a pl.xpt or animal community, reduce the number or restrict the ranFe.of a rare or endangered plant or animal or elininate important examples of the major periods of California history or prehistory? b. Does the project have the potential to achieve short-term. to the disadvantage of long-term, environmental goals? (A short-term impact on the environment is one which occurs in a relatively brief, definitive period of time while long-term impacts will endure well into the future.)
c. Does the project have rmpacts which are individually limited. but cumulat~vrly cons~derable? (A project may impdct on hvo or more separate resources where the impact on cach resource is relatively small, but where the effect of the total of . those impacts on the environment is significant.) d. Does the project have entironmental effects w111ch UIU cause substantd adverse effects on human beings, rithcr di. rectly or inhrectly?
10. Risk of Upset. Does the proposal involve a risk of an explo- sion or the releax of hazardous substances (including, but not lim~ted lo..o~l, pestic~des, chemicals or radiation) in the even1 of an accident or upset conditions?
154
DISCUSSION OF ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION : ~. .~. .. . ...... , ................-...-............-. . Refer to at-tached --Analysis--(Exhib it - 8;)-.---------------- / .- . .. ............ . .-..= . -- . . .................... . -----.-+.>.-.-..-----, ~--.. . ----- ... , ...................................................................................... ... . ~ .............. .- .
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................ ............................................. .... ................................. ..................................... . ..................... ................................ . ......................... ............................................. ......... ........ - .~ .~ ~ .- . . ~. . ~~~-.- ....................................... ............................................. , ........ ... ..................... -............ ........... ....................................................... ..........................................
-. ~. . -......... ............................................. ..,. -. . . ................................
.......... -.... ..,..., . , ... ........ ,- ....
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DETEwlINATION: On the basis of this initial evaluation, I find:
1. The proposed project COULD NOT have a significant effect on the environnent, and a IiEGATIVE DECLARATION will be prepared.
2. That although the proposed project could have a significant effect on the environnent, there will not be a significant effect in this case because the mitigation measures described below have been added to the project.
A NEGATIVE DECLARATION WILL BE PIXPARED.
3. The proposed project tfAY have a significant effect on the environment, and an ENVIROXHENTAL IMPACT REPORT is required.
Date: October 4, 1982
?lITIGATION :?EMURES:- See- attached- check- list and summary sheet (Exhibit A). ,!!or 1 more complete details refer to-thg'Thu_rstlon_ Park Sp_e_dLLcCP1an- -- - -- . - - - -.. . - -
-. -
-- --. -. - . -
-- - - . . - -
- - - - - - -- - - -
.-- - - - - . - -
. -- - . --- .
- - - .- - - - --
- --
- .- -
- - - ----
- -
- - - - -
- --
- -- -. - - - - -- -
-
- --
. .
-- . - - - -- .-
- -- - - - - - - - -. - ---
As the applicant or designated representative for this project, I hereby agree to incorporate the listed mitigation measures into project planning, program and design; Date : nrt 6 1987 Signature of ~wner/~e~resentative
Kyle Butterwick
156
THURSTON PARK SPECIFIC PLAN
EXHIBIT A
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
The Sarah Thurston Park Specific Plan is not expected to create significant impacts to the environment, since the document represents a textual plan only, in contrast to an actual development project. The plan is a legislative planning tool designed for the systematic regulation of new growth and development in the neighborhood, and sets forth the foundation for this growth by establishing development policies and criteria in accordance with neighborhood goals and objectives.
Since the Specific Plan is intended to stimulate development interests and opportunities in the neighborhood, the plan is expected to produce physical changes to the environment through implementation of its programs, policies and standards. These "secondary effects" which may emerge as a result of - new development in conformance with the Plan are itemized on the attached check list and explained in more detail later in this analysis.
The development standards and policies of the Specific Plan will collectively serve to mitigate the environmental impacts associated with new development in the neighborhood (see following analysis of mitigation measures). In this context, therefore, the plan internalizes the necessary safeguards to protect and enhance the neighborhood's environment, resulting in either the elimination or reduction of development impacts to acceptable or insignificant levels. Presented below is a description of the probable environmental effects of the plan and an explanation of mitigation measures contained within the document.
Category Environmental Effect Mitigation
(Refer to Check List)
Geology (la,b,e,f) The Specific Plan and implementing ordinances will result in the creation of
new building sites both
in the Laguna Canyon Flood
Plain and hillside areas.
Development activity at the
toe of the slope has the
potential to provide unstable geologic conditions.
A geologic report shall
be prepared for all new
construction as defined and
in accordance with Chapter
14.78 of the L.B.M.C. (see
Section 6 of Specific Plan).
All new buildings, as defined in Section 25.40 of the
L.B.M.C.. are subject to
Design Review. This is to
ensure proper consideration
of grading activities and
to preserve natural slope
conditions.
157
Category Environmental Effect
(Refer to Check List)
Drainage (3 b,c,i) The size and density of
lots in Thurston Park may
result in the coverage of
substantial portions of
impervious surfaces, thereby increasing the concentration of water runoff and rate of water-induced eroMitigation
As part of the Design Review
functions, drainage plans are
required for all new construction. These plans will examine the effects of on-site and offsite drainage, and appropriate means of insuring proper
drainage - controls.
sion of soils. Much of the The Specific Plan contains site study area has been identified as being within the coverage limitations and lot 100-year flood boundaries. combination requirements
Development and/or re-devel- which will serve to reduce the amount of impervious sur- opment occurring within this faces, thereby retaining land flood plain may provide a in natural open space. change in current, direction or water,level. New construction within the Grading and excavation activity for both public and
private functions has the
potential to intercept
underground aquifers which
may exist close to the
ground surface. This circumstance could negatively
impact groundwater quality.
The study area has been
identified as a "potentially moderate'' geologic
hazard area (liquefaction),
due to the site's location in an alluvial plain.
100-year flood plain must comply with Chapter 25.38 of the L.B.M.C., "Flood Damage and
Prevention".
Building sites partially in
flood plain must concentrate
development in the area outside the flood boundary.
(Specific Plan policy.)
Lands subject to liquefaction
potential will be properly
identified and construction
mitigation measures will be
imposed as a result of geologic
studies, pursuant to Chapter
14.78 of the Municipal Code.
Such studies will also disclose the level and effect
of underground aquifers and
their influence on new construction. Proper mitigation will be required as a condition to permit issuance.
158
Category Environmental Effect Mitigation
(Refer to Check List)
Vegetation (4 a,c) Significant amounts of
Thurston Park are now
vacant. Many of these
sites have not been previously disturbed by
development activity.
Large stands of eucalyptus and other trees are
interspersed throughout
the neighborhood. Future
development has the potential to disrupt and
remove existing vegetat ion.
Land Use (8)
Housing (12)
Development of a neighborhood park, as provided for
in the Specific Plan, may
result in the introduction
of new plant species within the area.
The adoption of specific
standards, regulations
and development criteria
will result in the reestablishment of building
opportunities in the
neighborhood.
While the Specific Plan
will not directly affect
the quality of existing
housing, its adoption may
indirectly adversely affect
the availability and preservation of affordable
housing opportunities,
through the construction
of capital improvements
and the encouragement of
new development. These
activities have the potential to inflate the value
of real property within
this neighborhood and
could result in the dislocation of existing
lower income tenants.
All new development must
observe the text policies
on Open Space and Conservation (see Section 3 of
Specific Plan).
In conjunction with Design
Review, landscaping plans
are required when developing property in the neighborhood.
While alterations in the
pattern of land use are expected, these changes will
be minor in nature while
attempting to maintain the
existing character of the
neighborhood. This growth
is expected to be a cohesive pattern of development,
due to the provisions of the
Specific Plan.
Section4 of the Specific Plan
contains a comprehensive
housing strategy designed
to maintain housing rents
and values at affordable
levels, in accordance with
the goals of the Plan.
159
Category Environmental Effect
(Refer to Check List)
Circulation and New development will
Parking (13 a & b) introduce additional
traffic into the neighborhood and create a
demand for additional
parking. Neighborhood
character may be disrupted by illegal
parking, unauthorized
new roadways, and interference with emergency response capabilities.
Public Services Implementation of the
(14 e.f. and 16 Specific Plan and associac.d.e) ted re-establishment of development opportunities
is largely predicated on
new public improvements
(i.e., new sewer system
and water service).
Installation of these
capital improvements
will necessitate maintenance costs and services furnished by the City.
Mitigation
The Specific Plan contains
an assortment of policies
and standards concerning
parking requirements and
new road improvements
(Section 3 of Specific Plan).
Observance of these provisions is expected to relieve
existing parking constraints
and enhance internal neighborhood circulation.
Financing for installation
of these capital improvements
is expected from federal and
state sources. Maintenance
costs will be derived from
general tax revenue. These
improvements will serve to
alleviate existing public
health and safety hazards by
eliminating septic tank/
leach field systems and increasing neighborhood water
pressure for fire prevention
purposes.
160
.,.\,'.: . +$ .: The PI ann i ng Department h
' :,$;~ 3.'. State Gu i de I i
..': to determ i ne
: A 1 project, as p + . the project c
. project Title . -
, Road, Milligan Drive, Woodland Drive, including the Laguna Beach Boys' Club. , ity: Laguna Beach County: Orange
Preparation of a Specific Plan for Sarah Thurston Park, pursuant to Section 65450 et seq. of the California Government Code. The Specific Plan is considered a necessary prerequisite to the investment of public funds for new capital improvement activities and subsequent revitalization of the neighborhood. The Specific Plan contains new development standards and policies for guiding future growth in Thurston Park.
Reasons for Find i ng: J
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The Specific Plan will not directly result in significant effects to the environment, since the document represents a textual plan only, in contrast to an actual development project. Implementation of the Plan will result in physical changes to the neighborhood but these effects are considered insignificant due to mitigation measures incorporated into the Specific Plan. (Refer to the Plan for a description of such measures.)
. .
The Initial Study for the above project is available in the Project File at city Hall, 505 Forest Avenue, Laguna Beach. The Initial Study was conducted by:
Kyle Butterwick , date act. 4. 1987 . APPEAL: Based on environmental reasons, any person may file an appeal of the Negative Declaration. This must be done in writing, stating specific environmental reasons, within 10 days of the posted date A shown above and should be delivered to the Planning Department. The filing of an appeal stays proceedings for this project unti errnination Of the appeal by the City's Lead Agency or Acting Lead Agency. . J'
t ,-
161
-6- Reso. #
Exhibit B
(Amended Version of Sarah Thurston Specific plan text)
See following pages
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