Dental Office Gets Council’s Approval

The City Council has agreed to allow construction of a dental office at 12581 Newport Ave., despite objections of nearby homeowners who said the project would adversely affect future developments in the area.

The land is part of an eight-acre parcel annexed from the county in 1990 and zoned for single-family residences. When the council began debating whether to change the zoning to allow the 3,300-square-foot dental building, some residents protested.

“We think the property is being overbuilt,” said Niles Koines, president of the Foothill Community Assn., a homeowner group. The zone change, he said, would hurt the neighborhood over the long term.

Council members disagreed, however, and voted to support the project.

The approval will allow Signe Belden, a Tustin dentist for the last 16 years, to move her offices into a larger and better facility, officials said.

In other recent land-use action, the council approved two separate subdivision requests--by Irvine Apartment Communities and Kaufman & Broad--to build on land owned by the Irvine Co. The actions were not as controversial, however, because they were formalizing deals that had already been approved in concept.

The approval will allow 316 condominium units to be constructed on a 19-acre site at Irvine Boulevard and Robinson Drive.

A 9.7-acre parcel of land on Heritage Way, east of Tustin Ranch Road, will be subdivided to allow 71 single-family homes, the council decided.