LAGUNA BEACH : Officials Fret About New Hotels to North

Local officials say they will notify the County Board of Supervisors of their concerns that hotel development north of Laguna Beach might adversely affect the city.

In a letter they will send to the board, city officials say they are worried because development plans for prime land between Laguna Beach and Newport Beach does not include on-site housing for resort employees who earn the minimum wage.

As a result, those employees might look for housing in Laguna Beach, putting additional strain on the city’s limited stock of affordable apartments, officials say. City services, including police and fire protection, also might be affected, City Manager Kenneth C. Frank said.

In a unanimous vote Tuesday, the council agreed to contact the Board of Supervisors in search of “any creative solutions that might minimize the potential impacts on our community.” A letter to that effect will be mailed this week, Frank said.

On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors rejected an appeal by other housing advocates and approved construction of a $140-million Hyatt Hotel resort along the Irvine Coast.

“There’s a real problem,” Frank said. “There’s just no low-cost housing in Laguna Beach and Newport Beach.”

Frank suggested that the supervisors require hotels to create shuttle systems and provide vans or bus service for employees who can’t find housing in the area.