IRVINE : City Gives Developer Permits, Gets 8 Units

The city on Wednesday lifted its 2-week-old suspension of a condominium complex’s conditional use permit after the development company provided the city with eight units that will be used for affordable housing.

The move caps four years of discord between Douglas Plaza Ltd. and city officials over control of the units, located in the Metropolitan condo complex near John Wayne Airport.

By suspending the conditional use permit in July, the City Council prohibited the company from selling or marketing unsold condos or doing construction work in the complex until it handed over the eight units.

City officials contend that the company promised to give the units to Irvine four years ago in exchange for the permit.

But until this week, the city had not received either deeds or keys to the condos. City Manager Paul O. Brady said he lifted the suspension Wednesday morning after receiving titles for the units and confirming that there were no liens on the properties.

“We now own them,” he said. Douglas Plaza Ltd. “can resume the work they were doing before the suspension.”

The condos will now be turned over to nonprofit agencies, which will use them to provide low-cost housing to individuals and families.