Here are some decisions coming out of...

Here are some decisions coming out of Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

MEDICAL OFFICE BUILDING

A medical office building will be built at 494 and 496 Old Newport

Blvd., council members decided Tuesday. At issue was the question of

whether the Planning Commission was right to allow developer Robert

Lawrence of TRP Development Services to build a slightly larger

building than would normally be allowed with 45 parking spaces. The

rationale was that two of the parking spaces on the street would be

used for the building and that, therefore, the building could be 500

square feet larger.

Councilmen Steve Rosansky and Don Webb had called up the matter,

worrying that the surrounding area was too strapped for parking to

justify making an exception to city rules.

The council majority disagreed, narrowly endorsing the Planning

Commission’s decision, with Rosansky, Webb and Gary Adams dissenting.

WHAT IT MEANS

Instead of a building covering 11,250 square feet with 45 parking

spaces, which is what Rosansky suggested, the developer will be

allowed to build a medical office covering 11,750 square feet with

the same 45 parking spaces.

WHAT THEY SAID

“There’s a limit to what we should allow for buildings in this

area.... I think it would be a great project at 11,250 square feet.”

-- Councilman Steve Rosansky.

SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS

A plan to improve the city’s process for issuing special event

permits passed its first hurdle on Tuesday when council members voted

to approve a first reading of the item. Designed to better cover the

costs to the city of issuing permits and monitoring special events,

the new permit process would hike in fees for most permits.

WHAT IT MEANS:

Assuming the measure passes the second reading at the next council

meeting, permits for small events that now cost $125 for residents

and local organizations and $150 for nonresidents and nonlocal

organizations will cost $175 and $350, respectively. The largest

events such as the annual Christmas Boat Parade will go from $700 for

residents and local organizations and $750 for nonresidents and

nonlocal organizations to $1,000 and $1,900, respectively.