The Issue - Let Laguna Live!

The Mandatory Ordinance Problem

Any home or building in Laguna Beach 70 years old or older will automatically be subject to historic evaluation. Owners may have to hire a historian to prove to the city that their property is not “historic” to do simple remodels or make other changes to the property.

The Voluntary Inclusion Solution

Let Laguna Live! wants a voluntary, incentive-based Historic Preservation Program. Implementation of financial and planning incentives to promote long-term appreciation and preservation of historic resources is the right way to preserve historic properties in our community.

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Selected Articles About The Issue

July 14th, 2020 City Council Meeting for Final Approval of Historic Ordinance

The long awaited Historic Preservation Ordinance will be heard by the City Council on Tuesday, July 14, 2020 at 5PM. PLEASE mark this date on your calendars now and plan to participate in the hearing. You may participate by Zoom or by telephone. This was the reason we formed Let Laguna Live! Please help us push this important…

Special City Council Meeting September 29th 2018

At a special meeting on September 29, 2018, The Laguna Beach City Council supported the freedom of choice by empowering the Historic Preservation Task Force to write a voluntary historic preservation ordinance. For a long time you showed up, spoke up, wrote letters, made calls, talked to friends and neighbors, and generously donated to and…

Legal Reasons Why a Mandatory Plan is Not Required

VIA ELECTRONIC AND FIRST CLASS MAIL Kelly Boyd, Mayor Rob Zur Schmiede, Mayor Pro Tem Steve Dicterow, Councilmember Toni Iseman, Councilmember Bob Whalen, Councilmember Re: Historic Preservation Ordinance Dear Mayor Boyd and Council Members: Recent discussions of the revisions to the Historic Preservation Ordinance have generated much discussion of General Plan and CEQA mandates. Some…

Response to CEQA Article

The following letter is in response to an article published by Stu News on July 31, 2018. Dear Barbara, Thank you for covering the historic preservation issue. I wanted to make a couple of clarifications in the article. “Historic resource” is a defined term in CEQA. In a nutshell, lead agencies (like the City) are required…

4 Comments

Garnet PIgden on January 24, 2017 at 6:57 am

I object to my property being classified as a historic property and being encumbered with certain restrictions. None of these restrictions were in place when I purchased this property in 1997. Further, I except that the net result of this classification will be a decrease in property value for there is no incentive – only a disincentive – for a homeowner to posses a historic home.

David Michelsen on January 25, 2017 at 7:37 pm

I’m OK with a city Historic Preservation Ordinance. What I’m not OK with is the language and processes being discussed in this current Preservation Ordinance. Some people want to preserve their vision of ‘character’. Fine. Just do not trample on the rights of others to maintain that vision.

Roy on August 22, 2017 at 5:13 pm

The city required me to install “like for like” windows for my “C” rated house. Then the “like for like” windows were required to became double pane, tempered glass window. I don’t know of any double pane window made in 1928. This tripled the cost of the windows that are not “LIKE FOR LIKE”. I spent a lot of time finding someone to make the windows because they are unique.

Taryn Tennant on January 1, 2018 at 9:16 am

After my mother passed away we found out her house is on the historical list. We learned we cannot add a single square foot to the home when we wanted to enclose the laundry area which is currently outside. This is ridiculous. I understand preserving character but it also needs to allow for keeping up with modern times as well. Just learning about these requirements and would greatly appreciate any updates or assistance by those in this group.

Let Laguna Live!

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