IRVINE : City OKs Plans for Residential Hotel

Capping a year of debate, the City Council early Wednesday approved plans to build a single-room-occupancy hotel in an industrial area off Jamboree Road.

The Irvine Inn would be the city’s first residential hotel--a landmark structure that affordable housing advocates see as an ideal home for people who work in Irvine but can’t afford to live there.

The council’s 3-2 vote came after five hours of emotional testimony. Owners of nearby heavy industrial businesses argued that the site near a rock-crushing plant and waste facility was not an appropriate location for a hotel.

But the council majority, while acknowledging the location wasn’t perfect, said the hotel proposal was well-conceived and that it should be built.

“This is a workable site in a livable location,” said Councilwoman Paula Werner. “This project would allow workers to live close to their jobs and thereby reduce traffic.”

The Irvine Co., Shawnatana Development Corp. and HomeAid Orange County sought to jointly develop the $12-million Irvine Inn. The hotel would have more than 100 rooms--each with a bathroom and kitchenette. A furnished room would cost about $370 a month.

The developers said they would market the hotel for low-wage earners who work in such places as UC Irvine and the business parks that line the San Diego Freeway. Some entry-level professionals and senior citizens would also be encouraged to live at the Irvine Inn.

The council’s decision came several months after the Planning Commission rejected the proposal in a heated meeting that lasted past midnight. Commission members said it was not wise to locate a residential hotel in an industrial area.

That point was emphasized again Wednesday by nearby business owners who said hotel residents would be bothered by the noise, traffic and pollution caused by the industrial work. The owners said they feared the hotel residents would complain about the noise and demand that working hours be reduced.

Council members Christina L. Shea and Greg Smith sided with the business owners. But Werner, Councilman Barry J. Hammond and Mayor Michael Ward concluded that the hotel could coexist with the businesses.

The council also voted to require hotel residents to sign disclaimers stating that they are aware of nearby industrial businesses that create noise and sometimes operate 24 hours a day.

Ward suggested that the city consider signing a development agreement with the businesses aimed at reaffirming their right to operation--even with the hotel next door.

“I’d like to protect them,” Ward said.