BIA Opines On The Costa Mesa General Plan

BIA CHIMES IN ON GENERAL PLAN UPDATE
Wednesday morning I joined a handful of interested residents, a few city staffers, one council member and some honchos from the Orange County chapter of the Building Industry Association of Southern California (BIA) at a 90 minute meeting that is part of the community outreach on the update of Costa Mesa's General Plan. 

1ST OF THREE "ROAD SHOWS"
This meeting was billed as one of the three "Road Show" events at which selected organizations are invited to provide input on elements they'd like to see as the General Plan is updated.  The remaining two "Road Shows" are on Wednesday, June 5th from 3-4:30 p.m. in Conference Room 1A with the Chamber of Commerce and on Wednesday, June 26th from 9-11 a.m. with the Newport Beach Association of Realtors (Includes Costa Mesa and Newport Beach).  You can read the full schedule of events regarding the General Plan update HERE.

ATTENDEES
The BIA was represented by Mike Balsamo, Chief Executive Officer of the Orange County Chapter and Victor Cao, Government Affairs Manager.  Their organization represents over 1,000 companies or organizations involved in development and peripheral businesses.  Wendy Leece was the only council member present at the meeting conducted by Minoo Ashabi, Principal Planner.

WHY COSTA MESA IS APPEALING
Balsamo, in describing why Costa Mesa is an appealing venue for his member companies to consider for possible development, cited the solid financial condition, using South Coast Plaza and Metro Point as examples of Sales Tax generators; the quality of life found in Costa Mesa; the Fairgrounds, Hoag Hospital and the proximity of beach recreation in Newport Beach as favorable elements.  He also mentioned good weather and good schools. 

ARE WESTSIDE OVERLAYS VIABLE?
Leece asked his opinion of the Westside overlays, citing the fact that those plans have been slow to evolve due to the recent economic downturn, and wondered if he and his member companies thought those plans are viable today.  Balsamo deftly avoided directly answering that question, indicating it was a matter of timing in the marketplace.  Leece was concerned that the so-called "live/work" units planned would devolve into rental units, further exacerbating the renter vs. owner housing in the city.

"GEN Y" REQUIREMENTS?
A discussion ensued about the changing views in our society, emphasizing that the "Generation Y" group seem to be much more willing to consider renting as a way of live as opposed to the white picket fence suburban homes many have grown up seeking.  The only resident in attendance that fit into that group acknowledged that perception, but also indicated that she much preferred a home with a front and back yard and some peace and quiet not typically found in large rental buildings.

PREDICTABLE PROCESSES AND FLEXIBILITY
Transportation Services Manager Raja Sethuraman inquired about any special challenges the BIA sees ahead.  Balsamo spoke of the Banning Ranch development - not a Costa Mesa project, but one that will severely impact our city -  and the environmental hurdles involved.  He said his members are looking for predictable processes and a pro-business orientation so the development process can move smoothly.  He mentioned development fees, specifically the Parks fee, as issues that cause some developers to pause when considering Costa Mesa projects.  He also indicated that they'd like to see some "flexibility" with density, parking and setbacks on projects that are basically infill projects, usually constrained on all sides by adjacent uses.  That made me more than a little nervous, since our city has a long history of underparking projects all over the city.

EASTSIDE TRANSITION
We spoke briefly about the impact of transitions happening on the Eastside, where large lots with small homes are either being converted to large homes or common interest developments with multiple units that put stress on the existing infrastructure and significantly impact traffic in neighborhoods.  I expressed a view that such developments are inevitable, but that we don't want shoddy developments anywhere in our city.  I suggested they consider fewer units, so adequate parking could be provided onsite, and built to a quality level where a higher price could be charged per unit.

CLEAR GOALS AND RULES
Cao expressed a view that their members are looking for the General Plan update to create clear goals and unambiguous "rules of the game".

EGAN ON RENTERS
Former Planning Commissioner Eleanor Egan expressed concern about the renter/owner ratio, indicating that the transient nature of renters as a whole adversely affects the sense of "community" sought by many and, as a result, the quality of life in our neighborhoods.  The discussion of the "Gen Y" group was covered again.

HUMPHREY ON PARKING
Former councilman Jay Humphrey expressed concern about parking, which generated a significant discussion about that issue, including a mention of subterranean parking as an option.  Several projects throughout the city already require permit-only on-street parking in neighborhoods impacted by underparked apartments.

NO VIDEO RECORD MADE...
The meeting was not videotaped - a major shortfall in the grand transparency plans for these kind of things - although an audio recording was made.  I thought there was a good exchange of information among the participants and I think the staff now has a clearer idea of what the BIA is looking in the General Plan.  I'm glad I attended, but was disappointed so few of my neighbors took this opportunity to become informed.