Costa Mesa council to review an Eastside small-lot housing project

At Mayor Katrina Foley’s behest, Costa Mesa City Council members will review a request Tuesday to split an Eastside property to accommodate construction of two new two-story houses.

The city Planning Commission reviewed the project May 8 and approved it on a 4-1 vote, with Commissioner Carla Navarro Woods opposed.

A week later, Foley asked the council to take up the matter.

“Significant neighborhood concerns have caused me to seek council review and consideration of whether there are compatibility issues that can be resolved,” she wrote in her review application.

The project involves subdividing the 7,006-square-foot parcel at 1933 Church St. — currently home to one single-story unit — into two lots, with a two-story, three-bedroom, 2 1/2-bathroom house on each.

Both new homes would have attached two-car garages and feature “a modern architectural style utilizing a variety of materials, including wood siding, concrete block veneer, smooth stucco finish, aluminum-clad windows and exposed wood beams,” according to a city staff report.

During the Planning Commission hearing, some speakers said they didn’t think the project’s architectural style fits the surrounding neighborhood.

“For me, it just didn’t blend at all,” Navarro Woods said at the time. “It sticks out like a sore thumb. If you look at all the other homes, even the duplexes, they’re all single-story duplexes … they’ve got that California cottage look to them.”

Commission Chairman Stephan Andranian said varied architectural styles are typical of the Eastside. He also pointed out that the property in question butts up against commercial establishments, including along Newport Boulevard.

“As a private property owner, if you’re not allowed to design the look of your home in Eastside Costa Mesa — right next to commercial property — I don’t really know where you’d be able to design your own home,” he said.

The project falls under the city’s small-lot ordinance, which eases development standards for proposed housing projects of 15 or fewer detached homes in areas zoned for multifamily units.

The ordinance has been controversial since its adoption in 2014, with critics saying it permits excess development that can lead to additional traffic, noise and other quality-of-life issues.

Supporters say it encourages redevelopment and creation of additional housing on underutilized land.

During the May 16 City Council meeting, Foley said she thinks the council and Planning Commission should hold a joint study session at some point to take another look at the ordinance.

Tuesday’s council meeting starts at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 77 Fair Drive.

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