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State board approves seawall extension for oceanfront home

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The California Coastal Commission last week unanimously approved a Laguna Beach resident’s request to lengthen an existing seawall — left standing despite an expired permit — to protect an oceanfront house from erosion.

With no discussion, commissioners at their Long Beach meeting decided that the property owner at 11 Lagunita Drive could extend an 80-foot-long seawall another 28 feet and fill in an excavated area under a single-family house.

The move came after the board learned a neighbor concerned about slope stability had withdrawn her objection to the type of material to fill the excavated area.

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Last week’s 12-0 vote caps more than a year of public hearings on a project the city’s Design Review Board approved in March 2014. That approval allowed the homeowner, whom project architect Jim Conrad declined to identify, to extend the 11-foot-high seawall, convert the excavated space into a living area, and reconfigure outdoor decks.

Commissioners Effie Turnbull-Sanders and Mary Shallenberger challenged the Design Review Board’s decision, arguing the city violated policies of its Local Coastal Program because the seawall, for which the previous owners hadn’t obtained proper permits, hinders public access and poses a threat to the level of sand on Victoria Beach.

In response, Conrad removed the proposed room addition and deck changes from plans, hoping a scaled-down project would appease commissioners’ concerns, he told the Coastline Pilot this summer.

One neighbor worried about slope conditions in a city susceptible to mudslides.

Lagunita Drive resident Vickie Collins hired a geologist to study the slope’s integrity and the expert recommended concrete for the excavated area, saying the material is not costly and would stabilize the hill, according to a commission staff report.

But commission staff disputed concrete as the preferred material saying it could cause water to pool upslope. Staff also said if the site were to be redeveloped or required to be vacated due to coastal hazards, a large concrete mass would post a difficult obstacle.

The commission approved a plan to fill the space with gravel or a soil-concrete mix.

As part of the project’s approval, crews will also build a retaining wall and drain under the house to stabilize the excavated area.

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At last week’s hearing, Collins nodded that she was satisfied with the revised project.

If the property is redeveloped in the future, the seawall could be removed if it’s determined that it is not needed, the staff report says.

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