25-story Museum House condo proposal goes before Newport Planning Commission on Thursday
Newport Beach planning commissioners Thursday are expected to consider a 25-story luxury condominium tower proposed to replace the single-story Orange County Museum of Art building in Newport Center.
Related California LLC’s proposal for the 100-unit Museum House would require demolishing the museum at 850 San Clemente Drive to make way for the 295-foot tower and two levels of subterranean parking on the 2-acre site.
OCMA has called the property home since 1978 but has announced plans for a new building in Costa Mesa near the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Related California has entered an agreement to eventually buy a portion of OCMA’s San Clemente Drive land, which would help fund the museum’s move, officials say.
For the Museum House project to move forward, the Planning Commission would have to approve a general plan amendment to change the land use from private institutional to multi-unit residential, with a limit of 100 units. The City Council also would have to sign off.
The project’s draft environmental impact report released in August determined that the development would not have significant negative effects on views or traffic but that construction could create considerable noise for neighbors.
“Since the commencement of the environmental review process, we have held more than 60 community meetings and we are proud that our draft EIR concludes that Museum House will have no long-term significant environmental impacts, is consistent with the Newport Center general plan policies on height and mass and incorporates smart growth principles,” Bill Witte, chief executive of Related California, said in a statement.
City staff wrote in a report that the proposed land-use change would further the city’s goal — outlined in its general plan — of providing opportunities for residents to live close to jobs, retail and entertainment in Newport Center.
“The proposed residential community would be consistent with this goal by providing a residential use that creates a strong sense of place and connection to the surrounding resources in the Newport Center area,” staff wrote.
However, some residents have taken issue with the project’s height and questioned the need for more residential units in Newport Center. Activist group Still Protecting Our Newport and political action committee Line in the Sand circulated a petition against the development this week.
“Both organizations are concerned with the dangerous precedent this project would set by allowing additional dense residential development in Newport Center,” the groups wrote in a news release.
The tower’s 100 condominiums would consist of 54 two-bedroom units with three bathrooms and 46 three-bedroom units with four bathrooms. Each unit would have a private balcony.
The condos are proposed to vary from 1,800 to 6,000 square feet and be priced from $2 million to $4 million.
The exterior of the building, designed by architect Robert A.M. Stern, would be limestone and precast concrete with bronze features and large windows. The building would taper as it rises, according to architectural plans.
Museum House also would contain a common area with a media room, library, viewing deck and concierge. Its second level would have additional common space, including a terrace with a garden and barbecue grills, a fitness and spa area, a pool and an outdoor kitchen. A pet spa and a wine cellar also are planned.
The project is proposed to include 200 resident and 50 guest parking spaces. Valet parking would be provided onsite.
Thursday’s Planning Commission meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Newport Beach Civic Center, 100 Civic Center Drive.
Twitter: @HannahFryTCN
