The City Council has decided to make the Promenade on Forest a permanent pedestrian plaza where people can continue to dine, gather and shop while enjoying the downtown’s tree-lined forest ambiance.
A resident group had appealed the Planning Commission’s earlier support for a proposed design for the permanent features that would be built on Forest Avenue, but the council at its meeting last week denied that appeal and also declared the road from Glenneyre Street to Coast Highway a “slow street” so the city could go ahead with permanently closing it off to parking and traffic.
Born out of the pandemic as a lifeline for local businesses who could move customers outside, the Promenade on Forest has become a town gathering and shopping spot with temporary chairs, tables and a few structures surrounded by restaurants, boutiques, art shops and specialty stores. Making it permanent would include removing the curbs, sidewalks, and parking, replacing them with decorative pavers and unique landscape features.
Now a design for the promenade will be finalized, which, importantly, officials said, will help with determining a budget for the project. If all goes as planned, construction could begin in January.
“In two years, the community will celebrate the 100th anniversary” of Laguna Beach, Mayor Alex Rounaghi said. “That demands reflection on how we’ve become this unique and special place that we all love. We have to be willing to have a vision and not do things the way they’ve always been done.”
The future of Forest Avenue and the promenade has been the topic of numerous council meetings, starting in 2021 when the idea to make the promenade permanent was first considered. City leaders have solicited ideas for what the area could look like and discussed what it would take to convert it into the destination with the vibe they envisioned.
There were also at least two public workshops held to get residents and business owners’ input, and a council ad-hoc committee made up of council members Sue Kempf and Mark Orgill met with business owners twice in 2024 and once this year.
“I don’t know of any other issue that’s generated this level of interaction,” said City Manager Dave Kiff.
Some residents have been concerned about the long-term impact on traffic from closing the street, the permanent loss of 48 parking spots and the potential for negatively impacting businesses. Several have also said Forest Avenue is the historical gateway to the city’s downtown from Coast Highway and that shouldn’t be lost.
A 2022 traffic study by a city consultant said there likely wouldn’t be a “significant impact on the parking conditions throughout the weekday and weekend because the combined utilization rate of the on-street and off-street parking facilities remained under 85%.”
In April, the Planning Commission agreed closing down the street wouldn’t be an issue and approved the design concepts, but Village Laguna, a local advocacy group, appealed that decision to the City Council.
“We come from a place of truly loving Laguna Beach and wanting residents and business owners to thrive,” Merril Anderson, the group’s president, told councilmembers, adding that he and others are disappointed the council didn’t consider options other than closing off the street. “Resident engagement was limited, and business needs were ignored.”
Ann Christoph, a resident, board member of Village Laguna and former mayor, said the group initially did not take a position on the idea of the promenade because “pedestrian-oriented spaces are appealing.”
However, it became apparent during the last few years that losing the parking along the street is not ideal, she said.
“Over 100 business owners in and around Forest have signed a petition asking you not to complete this project,” she said, also raising concerns with the parking solutions the Planning Commission approved. “Losing 48 parking spaces in a parking-straved downtown cannot be replaced by using after-hours parking spaces at the library or 10 temporary spaces at the new surf museum, or some mythical program to lease private spaces elsewhere.”
She also noted that Forest Avenue, framed in its forest of eucalyptus trees, is the traditional entrance to downtown.
“Our downtown is simple, traditional and unique to Laguna,” she said. “No pedestrian mall will compensate for the loss of our historic main street.”
Christoph added concerns about flooding impacts to the area, which she said has had three “hundred-year floods” in the last 55 years.
City officials said that hydrology studies for the proposal show no negative impacts and that trench drains would capture any excess water, which would then flow to the nearby Laguna Channel and out to the ocean at Main Beach Park.
Dozens of people spoke for close to two hours at the recent City Council meeting, and more than 500 wrote in giving their opinions.
Support for the permanent mall came from the Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce, with its director envisioning a “vibrant town center where visitors can enjoy year-round events,” and residents can enjoy outdoor dining and a “community hub.”
Several merchants on the street spoke in support and one resident called the permanent promenade, “A vote for today and a vote for the future.”
Rick Conkey, who runs the Cultural Arts Center, said Forest Avenue is the town’s “true gathering spot.” A permanent promenade could provide more opportunities for performance and music events, he said.
Another resident group, Friends of Forest Avenue, represented by resident Pat Menna, raised many of the same concerns as well as the impact on business from the construction time and criticized city staff for not having clear cost estimates. Some questioned the city’s overall process and criticized that there were no other considerations for something that was not permanent.
Kiff explained the project’s cost is determined by the final design, which once ready will be put out for bids — that could happen later this year, he said.
He also added that if the project became too costly, the council could still nix it entirely.
Councilmember Hallie Jones agreed that local affected businesses would need support and hoped to squash a rumor that the area would be primarily devoted to restaurants.
“I want to make sure we have a really robust mix of retail and restaurants,” she said.
Councilmember Bob Whalen, who with Kempf, promoted the concept for the promenade during the pandemic, said he has always been a fan of the area being free of cars.
“It’s difficult when you have to pick a side,” he said. “We’ve been at this for a number of years. In the end, you’re left with, “Do you want cars or not?” he said. “I don’t want to see cars there.”