Huntington Beach condo project’s approval stands after split City Council vote
The Huntington Beach City Council deadlocked Tuesday on an appeal of a downtown condominium project, effectively allowing the residential and commercial development to go forward.
The four-story project is slated to become the first for-sale residential building downtown in nearly 20 years.
Slated to supplant a vacant lot at 414-424 Main St., the project was OK’d by the Planning Commission in January, but Councilman Erik Peterson appealed the matter to the council for additional review. Peterson argued the project, which also features ground-floor commercial space, fell short in meeting city parking requirements.
City code requires 60 spaces for a development that size. Developer Peter Zehnder plans 51 slots and agreed to pay a fee to make up for the nine-space difference. Those fees are intended to go toward city efforts to improve overall downtown parking.
The parking deficiency is in the development’s planned 5,000-square-foot commercial space, not the residential section.
The council split 3-3 on the project, with Peterson and Councilwomen Jill Hardy and Lyn Semeta dissenting over the parking issue. Councilman Billy O’Connell recused himself because of his downtown business interests.
The tie effectively upheld the Planning Commission decision.
Mayor Mike Posey, who lives about 1,400 feet up Main Street from the development site, called it an “exciting, attractive, beautiful project.”
Zehnder didn’t have asking prices for the homes yet, but described them as luxurious and “not inexpensive.”
Hardy noted how the development falls within the Downtown Specific Plan, which she voted against because she disagrees with allowing fees to be paid in lieu of providing mandated parking.
Twitter: @BradleyZint
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