Newport Beach : Vote Due on Building of 96 Apartment Units

A public hearing and a decision to approve General Plan amendments allowing the Irvine Co. to put up 96 apartment units in Corona del Mar under the city’s affordable housing program will come before the Newport Beach City Council Monday night.

At its last meeting, the council voted tentatively to allow the construction in the Brisa del Mar subdivision of the Irvine Co.’s 5th Avenue Parcels project. Eighty-four of those apartments would be earmarked for families with annual incomes of $30,000 or less. Rents would be in the range of $670 to $900 a month.

During the public hearing portion of the meeting, several residents of the adjacent Harbor View development came forward to protest the developer’s plan to construct the so-called affordable housing near their neighborhood. The homeowners contended that erecting high-density housing would create additional traffic congestion in the area.

Dave Dmohowski, government relations manager for the Irvine Co., said the developer plans to present the council with site plans, traffic studies and a tentative tract map for future approval, possibly later this month.

Also coming before the council for a public hearing and final approval will be General Plan amendments to permit the Irvine Co. to build 46 duplexes and one single-family dwelling in the Jasmine Park portion of the 5th Avenue Parcels development. At its last meeting, the council took a straw vote and approved the changes. Dmohowski said that if approval is granted Monday, construction could begin by late summer.