Rest Home Can’t Subdivide Land

The City Council has overturned a unanimous Planning Commission recommendation and rejected a retirement home’s application to subdivide its property, saying the home could find itself landlocked if it ever needed to expand.

The action pleased residents who showed up at Tuesday’s meeting to protest the subdivision, saying they feared it would open the area to development.

American Retirement Villas was seeking to divide its 18-acre property on the southwest corner of Cypress Street and Valley Center Avenue into a five-acre parcel that it would keep and a 13-acre parcel that it would sell.

Last month, the Planning Commission approved the division. Neighborhood residents oppose the split, fearful that the imminent sale to developer Brian Barbuto would open the gates for a 47-house project, potentially disturbing a canyon and creek bed that are home to possums, quail, rabbits and woodpeckers.

The council decided with a 4-0 vote that the smaller parcel did not meet parking, setback and open space standards, and thus the retirement home may need the remaining land. Mayor Terry Dipple did not participate in the discussion or vote because he is a consultant to Barbuto in development projects in other cities, including La Verne, West Covina and Ontario.

“This is a shoehorn job,” said Councilman Curt Morris, referring to the retirement center’s contention that five acres are adequate for its existing seven-story residential building, a two-story administration, dining and recreation building, and a planned minor enlargement of the parking area. “It just seems to me it’s too tight.”

Gary Collins, assistant director of the Planning Department, told the council that the center would need at least another half an acre should it ever need to increase parking from 97 to 167 spaces to meet a requirement that is waived under its present conditional-use permit.

“Parking will never be a problem because of the type of elderly person that we house,” said John Jason, executive vice president of Costa Mesa-based American Retirement.

He later said using the parking issue as a justification for denying the lot split was ludicrous.

“They want one space per bedroom for a facility where people don’t drive,” he said, adding that he has not decided what to do next.

Barbuto had submitted an application to the city for a 54-home development at the site in February but later withdrew it because of resident opposition and because the city is in the process of updating its General Plan.

The draft plan is expected to come before the council early next year.

Many residents pleaded with the council Monday to protect the wilderness area behind their homes.

“The impact of the seven-story (retirement) building was minimized by 18 acres that are wild and rustic,” said Carla Damrill, a member of Save Our Rural Environment, a group of residents on the canyon’s southern edge who oppose any building in the canyon. “That’s why we’re living here.”

Before the meeting, Damrill said she hears coyotes in the night and has watched raccoons bathe in her hot tub.

“We have quail in our back yard,” said John Boyadjian, a resident on the north side of the canyon. “Let’s just leave a little bit of space and keep the wildlife there, so we can show our kids what was there before we destroyed the area.”