Despite some dissent, Laguna Beach City Council agreed to a final plan from April to November to move the $2.7 million Forest Avenue Promenade project toward a more permanent state at their regular meeting on Tuesday.
However, some council members expressed concerns about the level of community involvement and a lack of data-driven decisions.
The plan, presented by the new Promenade ad hoc committee of Mayor Sue Kempf and Councilmember Mark Orgill, will focus on securing the project as a permanent pedestrian plaza.
“Our effort and intent when we put this [the plan] together was to provide the community with as much detail as possible…and make sure at this juncture, that the community was going to be included,” said Orgill.
The ad hoc committee’s proposed scope involves collaborating with various stakeholders, including community members, city staff and consultants via workshops, focus groups and economic analyses, as well as working with government agencies such as the California Coastal Commission and the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) beginning June 2024.
“One of the tricky parts of this [plan] was when we would have community workshops,” said Kempf. “We want to make sure that when we have community workshops, we have concrete things to share.”
Kempf described an example of concrete constraint discussion items like street foundational infrastructure in addition to forming a design that would meet ABC’s requirements.
While initially considering a design competition, Kempf and Orgill agreed to work with Laguna Beach design firm SWA Group on an existing on-call services contract for up to $30,000, which quickly raised concerns about fairness and the selection process.
“I don’t see ‘resident’ in here at all,” said Councilmember George Weiss, referring to the Promenade Ad Hoc Committee Work Plan. “You may have addressed it in your comments, but why it is not in the staff report is really funky…the first process is to engage the public because they’re the biggest stakeholder.”
Residents shared varying opinions, with some strongly favoring the Promenade but advocating for the ad hoc committee to be more inclusive of the community. Others wanted more concrete data to understand the project beyond the economic benefits. Some residents were in favor of holding a design competition, with one resident describing their planning commission experience as “a complete waste of time.” In contrast, others described the potential to improve its current state, highlighting the economic boon for some businesses located around the Promenade due to the shift over the past four years.
“The current version for me is far too dedicated to a few restaurants and too many tables, fences, tents…that interrupt the flow and general vibe of the block,” said Mark Christy, Laguna Beach resident and owner of The Ranch at Laguna Beach resort. “On a scale from one-to-10, it’s currently a two or three, but I know we can make it a 10 with great design…it should look like it’s been there for 100 years.”
In addition, several residents voiced their concerns about the community’s lack of involvement in committees and focus groups. Most residents want the committee to have thoughtful consideration when designing the Promenade with its historic component remaining intact.
“Where are the qualified residents on any committee or focus group where the real input/decisions will be made? You’ve certainly got the focus groups covered with self-interested parties like the Chamber of Commerce, Visit Laguna Beach, architects, etc. What about the residents who will be paying for this?” said resident Michèle Monda. “Who’s looking out for our interest? This town is teeming with experts qualified to make reasoned decisions…how many from your ‘focus groups’ live here and care the way residents do?”
Created out of a need to serve the public during the pandemic, the historic Forest Avenue Promenade has since become a semi-permanent fixture for residents and tourists to partake in traffic-free shopping and dining. It has stirred much debate over its permanence. As the city moves forward with its plan to gather more data on the Promenade’s benefits and drawbacks, residents aim to find a voice among those involved in the committee’s focus groups and analyses.
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