Costa Mesa : Council Gives Boost to Hospital Apartments

General Plan amendments and zoning changes that could lead to construction of 550 apartment units on the grounds of the Fairview State Hospital in Costa Mesa have been granted preliminary approval by the City Council.

In a 4-1 vote Monday, the council gave its tentative nod to land-use changes that would revise the zoning of the hospital’s grounds from public and institutional to planned development residential high-density. Currently, 144 apartment units are slated for construction on the 54-acre state hospital grounds, but the zoning changes approved Monday would enable the construction of an additional 406 units, bringing the total to 550.

The apartments, intended primarily for hospital employees, would rent in the range of $500 to $600 a month and would help the hospital attract employees who might otherwise not be able to afford housing in Orange County.

The lone vote against the changes was cast by Councilman Dave Wheeler, who questioned the project’s benefits for local residents. “I don’t think we’re serving Costa Mesa residents with that housing,” Wheeler said. “We’re serving the state.”

Wheeler also said that by approving high-density zoning, the city is giving the hospital a license to build even more apartments.