Groundbreaking Gateway Entrance To Laguna Celebrated On Sept. 11

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — It was what councilmembers considered a "milestone" in the history of Laguna Beach. On Tuesday, September 11, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Village Entrance Project began. Located in the area adjacent to the intersection of Laguna Canyon Road and Forest Avenue, the Village Entrance Project focuses on enhanced pedestrian safety, improved traffic flow and new public open space.

“The Village Entrance Project will create an outstanding gateway entrance to our City while also
improving safety and circulation at one of the busiest intersections and parking areas in town,” said
City Manager John Pietig.

Village Entrance Project elements include wider pedestrian pathways, improved lighting, extensive
landscaped planting areas, new bridges and parking lots with enhanced paving and lighting. The
project will happen in four stages and break during the summer of 2019 with an expected completion
by summer of 2020.

“The path to this groundbreaking today has been a journey, but worth the wait,” said Laguna Beach
Mayor Kelly Boyd. “As a City we finally have the opportunity to come together and build a
beautiful, welcoming entrance to Laguna Beach that we can all be proud of. It took a while, but we
did it right.”

Public parking in the lots at the project site will be available until January of 2019, when some lots
will close for construction. Detailed parking information and scheduled changes can be found here.

City parking permit policies will not change during construction, and the weekly Farmer’s Market
will remain located in the Lumberyard Lot until spring of 2020, when it will move to the new Lot
11.

“We wouldn’t be standing here today without the years of tireless dedication to this project by our
City Council and staff,” Pietig said. “I want to thank them for all of their hard work and
commitment in seeing this through for our town.”

Village Entrance Project highlights include:

• Wide multi-use trails made from decorative concrete and decomposed granite to create a pedestrian-friendly environment, including 52 bicycle racks
• Extensive landscaping throughout the site, including the planting of 120 new trees, 9,100 new shrubs and 2,200 flats of ground cover
• Upgraded decorative fencing along the drainage channel to replace the chain link fence
• New vehicle bridge aligned with the traffic signal at the Festival of Arts that will improve parking circulation and better separate vehicles from pedestrians and cyclists
• Paved bridges, roads and new lighted parking lots will improve safety, circulation and connectivity for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists

The City Council awarded the construction contract to C.S. Legacy Construction in the amount of
$8,432,668.

The revised project budget is $11.1 million and includes final design and all anticipated
construction related costs. To sign up for a monthly newsletter on project activities, visit
www.lagunabeachcity.net

City of Laguna Beach Photo