Plan for 142 ownership units at Costa Mesa’s TBN building ratified by council, with edits
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The Costa Mesa City Council Tuesday approved a proposal to build 142 residential units at the former Trinity Broadcasting Network headquarters, a plan that did not sit well with neighbors, who demanded — and were granted — some last-minute edits.
A proposal by Meritage Homes to build 122 stacked-flat townhomes and 20 detached single-family homes on the 6.12-acre parcel at 3150 Bear St., just south of the 405 Freeway, was approved by planning commissioners in a July 24 meeting.
Prior to that, in September 2024, the City Council reviewed the initial details of the plan in a general plan amendment screening, advising the applicant to think more about open space, sidewalks and street safety upgrades as well as improvements to the city’s Shiffer Park, to the west of the site across Bear Street.
Planning commissioners credited the plan for providing more ownership housing in Costa Mesa, where 60% of the populace rent their dwellings and where the high demand for housing, and the costs thereof, are skyrocketing with no end in sight. Meritage will also designate seven units for very low income occupants.
The new complex aims to provide housing for “the missing middle,” a segment of the population looking to move beyond renting but who cannot yet afford single-family homes, by offering townhouses that allow buyers to build equity, then move up the housing pyramid.
City officials also found favor with Meritage’s promise to proffer a one-time payment of $250,000 for improvements to Shiffer Park, on top of the city’s developer and impact fees. And while the 319 parking spots, including two-car garages for every unit and 35 guest spots, is lower than what the city would require for a project of that size, that exceeds the 236 stalls required by the state for density bonus housing projects.
Throughout both the prior public airings, Meritage pitched a signalized intersection on Bear, at the southwestern corner entrance of the property, and a pedestrian gate at the northeast corner, near Olympic Boulevard, that would offer new residents safe access to nearby amenities while offering neighbors a shortcut through the development to Shiffer Park.
Current residents consistently turned out at those meetings to vociferously oppose the pedestrian gate, which they said would effectively turn existing residential streets into an overflow parking lot for new residents. They reiterated those concerns at Tuesday’s hearing.
Valerie Stokes lives on nearby Yellowstone Drive with her husband and 4-year-old son. She described families with small kids walking and biking to play dates and Shiffer Park, who already must contend with traffic on Bear. The situation, she said, would only be made worse by more cars and more people.
“This gate would bring significant foot traffic into our quiet, safe neighborhood and threaten the sense of security we’ve worked hard to build,” Stokes told the council. “There’s no justification for it, and our small community shouldn’t have to suffer to become a back entrance for this complex.”
Housing advocate Elizabeth Hansburg, executive director of People for Housing Orange County, shared her enthusiastic support for the proposal.
“This project is housing for the next generation,” she said, describing Stokes’ picture of residential harmony as a vision that Meritage occupants want for themselves. “There is absolutely no reason to think this new community will not be that for those future residents.”
After hearing more than an hour of public commentary, Mayor Pro Tem Manuel Chavez proposed approving the project but eliminating the pedestrian gate on Olympic, out of deference to the existing neighbors, while eschewing other complaints about the 52-foot height of the townhomes and increased vehicle traffic.
“The developer has intentionally chosen to build single-family homes adjacent to existing homes in an attempt to mitigate that height,” he said. “And I think it’s very reasonable to remove [gate] access on Olympic that you guys have told me you don’t want.”
Councilmember Arlis Reynolds attempted to make revisions and amendments that would allow the gate to remain open during park hours, attempting in a substitute motion to implement limited or timed access and a parking study should parking thresholds be breached.
“I’m looking for a way to balance the very, very valid concerns we heard here tonight with plans that allow for more connectivity and safer movement for people, families and kids, walking and biking to parks, schools, restaurants and so on,” she said.
However, those attempts failed, and Reynolds’ substitute motion failed due to a lack of support. Her desire to implement pedestrian-friendly modifications to the signalized intersection and traffic calming measures south of Shiffer Park were approved.
Councilmember Loren Gameros also offered friendly amendments to Chavez’s original motion, suggesting that the city take steps to ensure neighbors living further down on Bear would not see their egress blocked by traffic at the signal and getting clarity that, were parking to become an issue, the council could consider overriding a prohibition for residential permit parking in the area.
Ahead of the 6-0 vote, Mayor John Stephens supported the project, which would replace an underutilized property with needed housing, while improving the nearby entrance and Shiffer Park.
“It might impact the neighbors a little bit, but I don’t think it’s an undue impact,” he added. “[And] the housing that’s provided outweighs the concerns I’ve heard, in my mind.”
