H.B. council sends Huntington Harbour project back to drawing board

The Huntington Beach City Council voted Monday to send a small residential development in Huntington Harbour back to the drawing board, with the hope that its owner could come up with a new plan that alleviates concerns from both City Hall and the community.

The Stanko family trust, based in Rolling Hills Estates, had sought to build two homes on its 0.8-acre property at 4052 Davenport Drive, near the Davenport Marina and Davenport Beach Park. The two-story houses would be built on a portion of a private parking lot first built there in the early 1960s, when Huntington Harbour was being developed.

The houses, however, have been hotly contested by neighbors and denied by both the city zoning administrator and Planning Commission earlier this year. City officials contended that the homes were not compatible with the neighborhood and were not consistent with the zoning code and coastal development plan, among other issues.

But after a discussion with Joseph Stanko, representing his family’s trust, the council voted 5-2 for the project to return to the planning stages. The council majority urged Stanko to come up with an alternative site plan so the development could avoid such universal opposition.

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FOR THE RECORD

August 19, 1:48 p.m.: A previous version of this story misspelled the name of the family seeking to build the homes. It is the Stanko family.

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Councilwoman Jill Hardy and Councilman Erik Peterson dissented, contending that, even with changes, the homes would still be out of place with the existing harbor development and obstruct views of the water.

Mayor Jim Katapodis said he felt conflicted on the matter, seeing a divide between the residents’ concerns and the property rights of the Stanko family.

Having staff and the Stankos reexamine the project, he added, “I don’t think it will hurt anything.”

Stanko, whose appeal of the Planning Commission’s June denial sent the project up to the council, alleged that the city’s previous refusals of the project were violating his family’s property rights. He noted that the lot, which has always been used for parking, is already zoned residential.

The property was originally supposed to be large enough to provide enough parking for a 91-slip marina. However, Stanko noted, the marina only became built out with 66 slips, leaving the lot larger than it was originally designed for.

“We’re stuck with this excess land that we have nothing to do with except build waterfront homes,” Stanko said. “We look at two homes as the most viable option.”

The Stankos have proposed building the homes on the western edge of the lot, close to the bridge that connects Davenport to Baruna Lane. The remainder of the property would become a publicly accessible parking lot with about 50 spaces, about half of which are tandem and could hold boat trailers.

They have also proposed creating new public areas with seating and views of the water.

bradley.zint@latimes.com

Twitter: @BradleyZint