Neighbors' privacy and building‑site‑coverage concerns force continuance of 399 Pearl ADU

The Laguna Beach Design Review Board on Jan. 28 continued an application for 399 Pearl Street after neighbors said a proposed two‑story ADU and related additions would exceed neighborhood building‑site‑coverage norms and harm privacy.

Staff and the applicant described revisions since the November hearing — including lowering roof heights, pulling eaves back and shifting the ADU footprint — and recommended approval. Neighbors including Linda Fluent and Mark and Justine Fluent told the board the project still unacceptably increases building‑site coverage, intrudes on private outdoor space and fails to meet board direction to confer directly with the most‑affected neighbors.

Board members praised some of the applicant’s concessions but said the increase in building‑site coverage from the allowable maximum (staff cited a proposed 47.78% vs. a 39.5% limit in the record) was substantial and not justified by the standard criteria used to modify coverage. The chair said he was “very disappointed” the applicants did not meet in person with the neighbor most affected and said sending nominal inch‑level adjustments was insufficient.

The board directed the applicant to re‑engage the neighbors (including the Fluent family), consider reducing or reconfiguring the ADU (single‑story option was discussed), and return with revised plans. The board continued the item to March 12, 2026, and recorded the continuance 5‑0.