Costa Mesa

Condos Win Over Park: Neighbors who sought to have a park rather than condominiums built on a 2.4-acre site had their hopes dashed Tuesday after the City Council gave final approval to a 16-unit development near Arbor Street and Whittier Avenue. Some residents of homes situated on a bluff overlooking the site had protested the plan, citing obstruction of views and erosion of the hillside below their houses. Since Costa Mesa is in the process of taking bids for the development of 32.25-acre Canyon Park to the north of the site, the residents asked that the city study the feasibility of adding the 2.4 acres to that plan. However, a staff report indicated that the land would cost from $480,000 to $640,000, a necessary appraisal would be about $4,000 and the city would also have to cover the developer’s cost to date, estimated at about $50,000.