Laguna Beach City OK's Marine Center Expansion, Conservation Project

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — Members of the Laguna Beach Planning Commission approved a proposed expansion of the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, which will include a new water-saving system that will conserve thousands of gallons of water a week.

The expansion includes upper and lower-level additions to the center, as well as a two-story addition to the Laguna Beach Animal Shelter, which is located next to the center. The building will be shared by both organizations, according to a city staff report.

The expansion also includes the construction of decks and walkways connecting the shared space between the marine center and shelter, as well as the construction of a 2,000 square-foot water reclamation facility that would allow the center to filter its own water.

According to the staff report, the center's seven rehabilitation pools operate under a "dump and fill" process, meaning each pool is drained and re-filled two to three times per day, on average.

The new reclamation system could reduce the center's annual water usage by at least four million gallons, according to a city staff report.

While the new developments for the center were approved, the PMMC is looking for a temporary site in Orange County where the pinnipeds living at the center can be moved during construction, the Laguna Beach Independent reported.

Laguna Beach Planning Commissioner Susan McLintock Whitin applauded the nonprofit's leaders for prioritizing water conservation amid a historic drought.

“It’s really a remarkable institution with a remarkable history and very forward-thinking,” Whitin said. “The moment is absolutely right where we have water mandates in the State of California and here they are before us right now."