Westside live-work homes, called too boxy, get panel’s OK for new styles

The Costa Mesa Planning Commission signed off Monday night on a host of changes to the city’s Westside urbanization plans, among them a desire to see new Westside homes incorporate more classic California architectural styles.

Under the commission’s recommendations, which will face final City Council consideration next month, new houses under the guidelines of the urban plans could be Spanish Colonial, Craftsman or bungalow, rather than just contemporary.

Costa Mesa’s Westside urban plans call for contemporary three-story homes throughout the Westside with a “live-work” component, with the bottom floors intended to be used as office space. Some of the houses have replaced former industrial sites; others replaced older homes or apartments.

Hundreds of the three-story homes have been built or approved since around 2011, but concerns were raised last year by the public, commissioners and council members about their design, with some arguing that they looked too stark or boxy.

The Westside plans were first approved in 2006.

“It’s nice to have a refresh and update on these,” Commissioner Colin McCarthy said.

The commission also recommended that the new tracts have minimum 30% open space instead of 10% — with rooftop decks eligible toward meeting the minimum — that they be prohibited from being used as short-term rentals through websites like Airbnb and that they not contain tandem garages.

The Building Industry Assn. of Southern California’s Orange County chapter expressed reservations about the changes in a letter to the commission Friday.

“Increasing setbacks, removing tandem garage applicability and increasing private open-space requirements may hinder the ultimate goal of providing much-needed infill housing to our region,” chapter Chief Executive Michael Balsamo wrote. “We encourage the city to allow for a variance-style procedure through the public hearing process for these items.”