A temporary solution diverting cars from Forest Avenue to help downtown Laguna Beach businesses stay open with customers shopping and eating outdoors on a promenade during the pandemic became a popular destination for locals and visitors that the city will now make permanent.
The City Council approved a $5.5 million construction contract this week, along with $350,000 to a local company to oversee the project so shovels can hit the dirt in February.
While the project is underway, councilmembers said efforts will be made to help businesses stay open and “do well,” and that signage and a pedestrian pathway will be created to allow people to access the area. Some of the more intensive work, such as pouring concrete and blasting away the existing curbs and street surfaces, will be done overnight, said Tom Perez, the city’s engineer.
“This is exciting, it will be done before summer,” said Councilmember Alex Rounaghi, agreeing with his colleagues that all efforts to support the businesses during the construction should be made, and applauding the use of a local company to manage the project. “It will be an example of us really investing in our future. I’m looking forward to the grand opening in June.”
Now, tables, chairs and a few platforms fill the closed-off blocks of Forest Avenue, forming the temporary promenade surrounded by restaurants, boutiques, art shops and specialty stores. Making the feature permanent will include removing the curbs, sidewalks and parking, and replacing them with decorative pavers and unique landscape features.
Some in the community — including resident groups Friends of Forest Avenue and Village Laguna — have criticized the project partly because they worried the area is already prone to traffic, parking and flooding problems. They also argue the new look will take away from Laguna Beach’s historic character.
Regarding flooding concerns, Perez said a study to ensure the project complies with FEMA’s requirements is being finalized, and, according to calculations by the engineers involved, shows that the new configuration will reduce the impact of flooding from a 100-year storm.
“We’ve worked to ensure all the conditions of approval are being met,” he said, adding the study must be finalized and submitted before any work can start.
Once the report is ready, he added, it will be posted on the city’s project page for public review.
The permanent promenade and pedestrian plaza have been in the works since 2021 and have been closely shepherded by Councilmember Sue Kempf and Mayor Mark Orgill, who formed an ad hoc committee to work with affected businesses.
Both also expressed their appreciation for the project moving forward, but said they will keep a personal eye on the construction process.
Since the start, city leaders have solicited ideas for what the promenade could look like and discussed what it would take to convert it into the destination with the vibe envisioned.
There were at least two public workshops held to get residents’ and business owners’ input. In June, the council approved moving forward with the project, and in August, the California Coastal Commission gave its OK.
“Mark and I will be down there every day,” Kempf said. “We plan to prepare the buseinesses and we want to be really clear that we want to make it as easy for the businesses to be open and doing well.”
Orgill agreed, saying, “There is going to be some tension.”
“The question is how we’ll manage it,” he said. “We’ll do everything to manage it well.”