100-condo development in Newport Beach near John Wayne Airport OK’d

The Newport Beach Planning Commission approved the development of 100 market-rate condominiums near John Wayne International Airport at its meeting Thursday.

The Residences at 1500 Quail Street will replace an existing office building and become part of the Newport Place Planned Community. It will offer 100 three- and four-bedroom condominiums for sale spread out over 24 buildings on a 4.77-acre parcel, according to a report by city staff.

Those buildings will be no taller than 39 feet in height. Units will range from 1,591 to 1876 square feet, and each will come with a two-car garage. There will also be 31 uncovered parking spaces for visitors to the complex.

“I think it’s a really well thought-out project,” Planning Commissioner Curtis Ellmore said before submitting a motion to approve the project. “I like the design. I think it fits the area.”

The commission voted 6-0 to approve the development, with Commissioner Michael Gazzano absent from Wednesday’s meeting.

Newport Beach’s housing element calls for the creation of 8,174 new units by the end of 2029, with a third of those intended as affordable housing, to meet the state’s Regional Housing Needs Assessment. During public comments, resident Jim Mosher noted that the Residences did not include any affordable units set aside for low-income tenants. He raised concerns about the city’s ability to fulfill those obligations.

The Residences at 1500 Quail Street will replace an existing office building and become part of the Newport Place Planned Community.

(Screenshot by Eric Licas)

“This provides no affordable, and it takes away 100 units from what you can assign elsewhere,” Mosher said, “That puts the requirement higher of how much affordable housing will have to be developed in the rest of those 8,174, quite a few of which we’ve already assigned… This is contributing to that problem, which I think will come back to bite us.”

In response to Mosher’s comments, Newport Beach planning manager Ben Zdeba said the city’s Community Development Department is closely monitoring available development sites, and also recently completed a Housing Element Annual Progress Report. He said their records show enough space remaining to build the amount of affordable units required by the state.

“We do have an adequate buffer, even considering the possible approval before you today,” Zdeba said.