6 lagunabeachindy . com JULY 12 , 2024

NCC ’ s Housing Application Draft Process Requires Community ’ s Patience For decades , Neighborhood Congregational Church ( NCC ) thrived , serving the needs of Laguna Beach families . But today , we live in different times . Churches all over the country are closing as they struggle to remain relevant to millions of Americans who identify as spiritual but not religious .

In 2020 , our congregation decided to come to terms with reality . On any given Sunday , we had fewer than 50 people in a church built for over 200 . Faced with the choice of spending down our dwindling endowment to survive , or selling the property , our congregation was advised to close the church and sell the property to the highest bidder .

Instead , we began researching the feasibility of a vision that could serve the greater good of Laguna Beach and do justice to the land gifted to us by our founders . Our research and hearts tell us it ’ s time to create space to address two synergistic opportunities we believe are in our destiny to pursue .

The city ’ s General Plan Housing Element ( 2021-2029 ) identified NCC ’ s property as one with the potential to yield affordable housing units . As we understand it , the city

of Laguna Beach is required to encourage its “ fair share ” of housing with the addition of 394 housing units — affordable to all economic segments — over the next five years . The NCC vision is to build a different kind of spiritual center for a different generation and provide affordable housing for those earning between $ 33,150 to $ 102,300 a year , depending on family size – seniors , city and school employees , artists , retail workers and other lower-wage employees . These are the people who help our community thrive . NCC and Related California have not yet

LAST WEEK ’ S QUESTION

Is pedestrian safety a concern in Laguna Beach ? - Yes 80.49 % ( 66 votes ) - No 19.51 % ( 16 votes )

TOTAL VOTES : 86

submitted an application for the proposed development to the city . The preliminary site plan included in Related ’ s application for the city ’ s notice of funding . Availability is not the development design . Unfortunately , misinformation and images are being circulated that are an unfair misrepresentation of our project .

The team is hard at work designing a spiritual center and affordable rentals that will benefit the community for decades to come .

LETTERS , PAGE 13

THIS WEEK ’ S QUESTION

Should Laguna Beach go back to fireworks or stick with the drone show for next year ’ s Fourth of July ? - Fireworks - Drone show

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