Laguna Beach — Two contested design-review appeals dominated the council’s later agenda. The council upheld the community development designee’s administrative approval of a modest deck extension on Holly Street after mediation attempts faltered. Separately, in a de novo hearing the council reviewed a split (3–2) Design Review Board denial for a major remodel and upper-level addition at 607 Short Street (the McIntosh project) and overturned the board’s denial by a 4–1 vote.

Appeal B (Holly Street): Neighbors appealed an administrative approval for a roughly 24–28‑inch deck extension they said exceeded earlier story‑pole staking. The parties had been negotiating two possible conditions (privacy film/opaque glass on a bay window and a low curb to control drainage) but later the appellant withdrew full agreement. Council reviewed the record, heard testimony and staff analysis and concluded there was insufficient basis to overturn the designee’s administrative approval; the appeal was denied and the designee’s approval sustained with standard conditions attached (staff report and deliberations, SEG 5360–6226).

Appeal A (607 Short Street): The second appeal was a de novo review after the DRB split 3–2 to deny the major remodel and addition. Opponents argued the project lacked sufficient design articulation, was incompatible with neighborhood massing and unduly impacted private and local scenic views; supporters and staff said the remodel respected scale, used articulating features and preserved primary ocean views. After extended testimony and site visits, a majority of council members found the DRB findings were not supported by the record and voted 4–1 to overturn the DRB denial and approve the project, amending the resolution to correct minor typographical items and to reflect the council’s rationale on evidence (public hearing and vote, SEG 6258–7526).

Both decisions were heavily fact-based and emphasized council’s role in de novo appeals: where a DRB vote failed to reach four affirmative votes, council reviews the matter anew and applies a presumption in favor of the DRB but may overturn if the council finds the record does not support the board’s conclusions. The council requested staff to finalize the written resolutions reflecting the decisions and to attach the standard conditions of approval.