Affordable housing project for local church property earns go ahead from Planning Commission
By SARA HALL
This week the Planning Commission unanimously approved a three-story, 29-unit, 100% affordable housing project planned for the Neighborhood Congregational Church property.
After two and a half hours of discussion and public commentary, commissioners voted 4-0 (Ken Sadler was absent) on Wednesday (June 3) in support of the ministerial design review and other resolutions for the Related California project at 340 St. Ann’s Drive.
Plans call for the demolition of the existing parsonage building and surface parking lot, but not the parish hall or church sanctuary. Montessori School of Laguna Beach will continue to operate.
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Rendering by KTGY Architects/Courtesy of NCC and Related California
A rendering of the view from Glenneyre Street of the proposed NCC and Related California affordable housing project
Overall, commissioners emphasized the importance of affordable housing.
“It feels like the majority of people are understanding of this need. It’s a state mandate and we can’t go on pretending it doesn’t exist any longer. I wish we would have gotten into the idea of affordable housing 20 or 30 years ago, but this is where we are now,” Commissioner Jorg Dubin said.
The project has been in the works for several years and the scale has come down significantly, he added.
Commissioner Susan McLintock Whitin is confident the developer will honor the “voluntary agreements” made regarding the color changes and lowering the building height.
“It’s pretty rare to see this much agreement and compromise. It’s more than compromise, it’s stepping forward and trying to create a project that is going to be beloved by the community,” Whitin commented.
The team listened to community input and changed the color scheme to better fit in with the neighborhood, said Design Team Coordinator Barry Kyler.
To address a view concern, they also reduced the roof line in that rear section by 2 feet and 7 inches (compared to what the story poles currently show).
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Rendering by KTGY Architects/Courtesy of NCC and Related California
A rendering of proposed project from Catalina Street
The potential project was first mentioned in May 2024 in response to a notice of funding availability from various sources for affordable housing projects. At that time, Related California proposed a mixed-use project with 72 units.
Revised plans were submitted to the city in March 2025, putting forward a two-story building with 44 residential units, a spiritual center (but Montessori School eliminated) and a different architectural style.
The latest plans describe the project as a three-story, 30,690-square-foot multi-family residential building that is 100% affordable with 28 residential units (plus one resident manager unit) and a parking garage with 41 spaces. The church and school are to be maintained as is on the site, staff confirmed.
The building height limit is tentatively set not to exceed 30 feet.
Under the state density bonus law, the applicant also requested a reduction in parking requirements from 29 spaces to 23 spaces.
The project is very unique for the city, noted Assistant City Attorney Patrick Donegan. The commission’s review of the actual housing units is “extremely limited,” he added, and only certain objective design standards can be applied.
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Rendering by KTGY Architects/Courtesy of NCC and Related California
A rendering of the view from Cleo Street
About 20 people spoke during public comment, with about half in favor of the project, several in support of affordable housing but hesitant due to various concerns, and some who opposed the current plans.
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Laguna Beach, like the rest of the state, has faced a housing challenge, said NCC Pastor Rod Echols.
“It’s a real crisis,” he commented. “We have an opportunity to do something for the workers (in the city).”
The city needs affordable housing, agreed Diane Harrison.
“A vibrant, diverse city needs to support housing at all income levels,” Harrison said. “If we believe that, we have to do something about it.”
Others weren’t so sure this was the right project for the issue.
Some neighbors’ “world will be rocked” by this project, Jacob Cherub said. The project started with an extremely high number of units, but the reduced number still represents a significant project.
“Now they look like the good guys that they went from insanity to just high density,” Cherub said.
The project also does not provide enough parking for all the new residents, he added.
This is essentially a block of housing and painting it different colors won’t satisfy the people who will have to “live in the shadow,” Cherub said.
Other concerns were related to view impacts, scale, architecture and style, color and materials, noise, trash, parking and accommodations for adjacent neighbors.
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Sara Hall covers City Hall and is a regular contributor to Stu News Laguna.
