Coastal Commission wants compensation from Ranch owner for public access

In order for the owner of The Ranch at Laguna Beach to proceed with a hotel renovation, the California Coastal Commission wants a shuttle program operating temporarily on the property until a public trail linking a local wilderness park to a point at or near Aliso Beach Park is in place.

Laguna Beach Golf & Bungalow Village LLC, headed by longtime Laguna resident and businessman Mark Christy, is seeking a coastal development permit to boost the number of rooms from 64 existing suites to 97 while reconfiguring a restaurant area and adding a new spa and fitness center.

Commissioners will hold a public hearing Jan. 8 in Santa Monica, nearly six months after they questioned the Laguna Beach Planning Commission’s unanimous approval of the project in May. The project is in Aliso Canyon at 31106 S. Coast Hwy.

In a report, Coastal Commission staff said the project “will have significant impacts to public access and recreation.” Requiring the shuttle and trail is meant to lessen any impeding of public access that would come with the increase of 33 rooms.

In June, resident Mark Fudge filed an appeal, which set in motion the Coastal Commission’s review of the project. Fudge’s appeal raises concerns about the loss of affordable overnight accommodations, pedestrian access, parking, historical preservation, natural resources and water quality, according to the commission’s staff report.

Christy wants to split 32 existing one-bedroom suites in half, creating 64 standard-sized hotel rooms. A new room, bringing the number to 33, would be added to the hotel by converting a former residence on the property to a penthouse suite.

He also wants to increase rates for all room types, a change that Coastal Commission staff says runs counter to a feature of the Coastal Act that calls for “protecting, encouraging, and providing lower-cost visitor facilities,” the report says.

“The greater intensity of use of the hotel translates into increased recreational demand on coastal resources in the surrounding area,” the report says.

Christy has said the 1960s-era hotel, composed of 23 structures, is in dire need of upgrades, both aesthetically and to comply with fire codes and Americans With Disabilities Act requirements.

Christy did not return an email seeking comment on the staff report Wednesday.

To compensate for potential harm to public access, Christy is offering a trail for pedestrians and cyclists that would meander through the property, which includes a nine-hole golf course, and offer at least 12 overnight camping stays per year for youth groups at a parcel known as the Scout Camp.

Even with the overnight camp stays, the shuttle service and an eventual trail, commission staff wants more from Christy.

He can either pay a $1.1-million fee in lieu of providing lower-cost overnight accommodations or agree to fund and operate a permanent shuttle program with service from the wilderness park to Coast Highway or the Aliso Beach parking lot. That shuttle program would be more extensive in cost and service than the temporary program.

The Laguna Beach City Council will take public testimony about the project at its Tuesday meeting to give City Manager John Pietig direction on the city’s stance before Thursday’s Coastal Commission hearing.

Christy identified two potential areas for a trail on the north side of the property that could connect with the edge of Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, the staff report says. Both parcels are away from traveling golf balls.

Either trail option would require the crossing of land owned by multiple properties including the city, South Coast Water District and the county.

Until a trail is built, a temporary shuttle program would transport pedestrians and cyclists from an existing road at the property’s northeast corner through the golf course to the hotel entrance.

According to the Coastal Commission report, Christy would be limited to 12 events monthly at the Scout Camp — including overnight stays — with no more than 100 guests attending other functions limited to daytime hours. Amplification of voice or music is not permitted and decibel levels must keep in line with city regulations.

Christy must also submit a lighting plan that indicates hours of use, and only low-level LED bulbs may be used.

Last fall, commission staff told Christy to halt all activity at the Scout Camp because he hadn’t gotten a permit for work that included removing debris and trash, trimming and removing eucalyptus trees and other vegetation, and installing a 7,000-square-foot concrete pad.

Christy had received a permit from the city to strip buildings to their wood frames in anticipation of a remodel.

The Coastal Commission hearing will begin at 9 a.m. Jan. 8 at the Santa Monica Civic Center, 1855 Main St.

The full staff report is available on the Coastal Commission website at coastal.ca.gov.