Wilson

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Plaintiff owns an oceanfront parcel in the Rockledge section of Laguna Beach improved with a residence over 7,200 square feet in size, plus an additional 950 square foot garage. The Towfiqs are the trustees of a family trust that acquired a 20,000 to 25,000 square foot oceanfront lot adjacent to plaintiff’s residence. The properties are zoned for low density residential use. Because the Towfiqs’ lot borders the ocean, defendant’s Local Coastal Program identifies it as being in an environmentally sensitive area. When they acquired the lot, it was improved with two or three 1940’s era residential structures containing less than 1,600 square feet of living space. In late 2010, the Towfiqs submitted an application to defendant’s community development department (CDD) to demolish the lot’s current structures and construct a three-story, 7,955 square foot single family residence with an attached 903

2 square foot garage, over 900 square feet for mechanical equipment and storage, and a 3,000 square foot covered patio. CDD’s staff reports note the Towfiqs were (1) not seeking any variances for the project, and (2) replacing an existing residence with a…