Board approves deck expansions at 31461 Coast Highway with planting and monitoring conditions

Laguna Beach’s Design Review Board on June 11 approved design review and coastal development permits for expanded and combined decks at 31461 Coast Highway but added conditions to require substantial landscape mitigation and clarified that certain deck edges will be replaced with planted green‑roof material.

Staff presented the project history and noted the property’s long entitlement record, earlier reductions and a prior mitigated negative declaration adopted with earlier approvals. The current proposal combines previously approved roof areas into larger decks totaling roughly 1,625 square feet; staff acknowledged public concerns about scale, view equity and privacy.

Multiple neighbors spoke at the hearing. Nicole Strathman, who lives immediately in front of the site, urged that the project be finished and complained about ongoing construction impacts and a skylight that produces glare. Larry Noakes and Dan Haspert argued privacy was now a more significant concern because previously planted trees died and a revised planting condition should be required to ensure replacement trees survive.

Applicant David Berry and architect Alex Villalpano described reductions made in response to board and neighbor comments, proposed green‑roof planters to shrink active deck area and offered to plant significant trees in the stairway/landscape zone to restore privacy. Berry said he was "happy to" install tree plantings and that the trees would be sited where they would not affect street‑level views.

Board members debated deck depth, precedent and enforceable landscape language. Louis said he would approve the reductions and asked staff to record an amendment to the landscape plan to ensure planting and maintenance; board member Tom sought a more substantial reduction for the mid‑level deck. The board agreed on a direction to staff to prepare resolution language that: accepts the applicant’s red‑line deck reduction plan with green‑roof materials, conditions the project on planting 3–6 significant trees (preference Melaleuca) in a specified zone along the south property line near the public stairs, and sets a maximum mature tree elevation so that view equity from Coast Highway is preserved (board discussed a maximum established elevation near 109 and a minimum target near the 103 railing elevation).

Board member Louis moved to adopt the resolution with these conditions and to direct staff and legal counsel to amend finding number 7 and related landscape language; the motion was seconded and carried unanimously. The board asked that staff prepare the final resolution for the consent calendar at the next hearing and that staff coordinate exact species, planting locations, monitoring and maintenance requirements with the applicant.

Next steps: staff will draft the revised resolution and landscape plan language for the consent calendar and ensure the tree species, installation, monitoring and height caps are recorded with the permit.