Laguna considers a cap on parking credits for historic preservation
After five meetings, the Laguna Beach Planning Commission appears on the cusp of recommending an amended historic preservation ordinance to the City Council.
Commissioners will review and discuss the document at their meeting Wednesday.
Laguna staff incorporated a few changes into the ordinance that commissioners suggested during their Sept. 6 meeting on the matter.
The proposed ordinance replaces Laguna’s letter-rating system of E, K, and C with California Historical Resource Status Codes.
E- and K-rated properties would be assigned codes 1 through 5, according to a city staff report. C-rated structures would be assigned the code 6L and, if not currently listed on the city’s historic register, are no longer considered historic resources under the California Environmental Quality Act.
Under the proposed ordinance, property owners of commercial buildings with codes of 1 through 5 could receive a 75% reduction in the amount of parking spaces they are required to provide, or a decrease of 15 spaces, whichever scenario is more restrictive, the staff report said.
Property owners of commercial buildings with a 6L code could receive a 50% reduction in the amount of parking spaces they must provide, or a decrease of 15 spaces, whichever scenario is more restrictive, according to the city.
The idea behind the incentives is to reward property owners for preserving or enhancing a building’s historic character.
In its report, the city said it has recently seen applications from property owners seeking to convert spaces from retail to restaurant use which would require them to provide more parking.
Restaurants must provide one space for every 100 square feet of floor area while the ratio for retailers is one space for every 250 square feet of floor area, according to Laguna’s municipal code.
Commissioners at prior meetings were concerned that neighborhoods close to a commercial structure would see more motorists trying to find spaces if a property owner did not need to provide as many spots because of a parking incentive.
In addition to the suggested ordinance changes, commissioners will recommend the city hire a person to oversee historic preservation and additional training be given to Design Review Board and Heritage Committee members, the report said.
Wednesday’s meeting begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 505 Forest Ave.
Twitter: @AldertonBryce
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