Thursday, August 20, 2015

Important Study Session Information!

WESTSIDE URBAN PLANS AND GENERAL PLAN
On Tuesday, September 8, 2016, the Costa Mesa City Council and the Planning Commission will hold a joint study session to discuss the Westside Urban Plans and the Land Use Alternatives of the General Plan.  I won't be surprised if the Fairview Developmental Center property is an important part of this discussion.  Considering the land rush of development going on in the city for the past couple years, and the specter of the so-called Smart Growth initiative that might be on the ballot next year, this discussion should be of interest to anyone at all interested in the future of development in the city.

NEW LOCATION!
This meeting has wisely been re-located from City Hall to the Neighborhood Community Center, 1845 Park Avenue (Lions Park).  The meeting begins at 5:00 p.m.  There should be more than adequate seating for all interested in this study session, which typically will be a more casual kind of discussion of these important issues.

RIGHT AFTER LABOR DAY!
I know this notification is early, but it's time to mark your calendar.  I'll notify you again shortly before the Labor Day holiday, since this meeting falls on the first work day after the holiday.

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5 Comments:

Anonymous breaking bad said...

What happened to the CostaMayberry mantra? Was that all just fake? Why are we in this " the Brand is Strong" city settling for "Hey it could be worse development" so be happy about it? Shouldn't we be "Raising the bar" and negotiating for what would be the best development we can get? If our Brand is so strong stop settling for well it could be worse!

8/23/2015 10:52:00 PM  
Anonymous Heart for Costa Mesa said...

Thank you for the head's up

6 story apartment and condo buildings on Newport and Harbor are not what we need! The Westside Urban Plan should be put on hold while traffic consequences, a shade/shadow ordinance to protect existing residents, and an economic development program are developed. There is no cohesive plan with any foresight here. It's all seat of the pants "we-wanna-do-what-we-wanna-do RIGHT NOW!" The economic effect of turning industrial/commercial areas into residential and of spot zoning effect on existing businesses have not been studied.

The traffic hasn't been thought through either. I look at the developments going up on Placentia across from each other and think of the big influx of traffic from them plus all the approved units all around the Westside. The places on Placentia have teeny tiny setbacks. Even if the City takes the sidewalk there is not room to widen the road. Where will all the new traffic go? If they take sidewalks, there goes any pretense that this type of development promotes more walkable neighborhoods. So short sighted!

I have a house near Placentia/Victoria and it's already very difficult to turn left onto Placentia. Even a right turn gets backed way up and you can't exit long some without long long waits.

The things happening now are much different than what the committee that developed the overlay and live-work ideas thought would happen. It was a hopeful feeling for real improvement on the Westside. No more. It's a joke and the jokes on us.

8/23/2015 10:58:00 PM  
Anonymous Where's My Coffee? said...

I encourage everyone to sign the initiative going around, in order to obtain a vote on some of the things that are happening. I have to say, the development on top of the slope on Victoria isn't entirely horrible. Aside from the fact that they completely butt up against the nice homes on the other side. The real problem is the entrance off Victoria. Its extremely dangerous to have people stop in lanes of traffic on Victoria, going uphill, to make a right turn into that driveway. Same on exit. Completely poorly done. No thought went into this at all.

Again, let's get that initiative on the ballot.

8/24/2015 07:27:00 AM  
Anonymous lovemygarden said...

There is a lot of complaining on the Facebook page CM not-so-Public Square about the way traffic impact fees (aka trip fees) are calculated in the proposed initiative. Costa Mesa’s current trip fees (assessed on builders of new projects, not the residents) were established in September 2005 and have not changed for 20 years. Our traffic impact fees do not count vehicles over 6000 pounds as two vehicles, but neighboring cities use that way of counting because those vehicles take longer to get through intersections and affect the level of service. So, the initiative is not unique in this respect, and the City should update how it calculates trip fees. It would be interesting to know if the trip calculation for the traffic entering Costa Mesa from the Banning Ranch project (which would greatly impact the Westside) used Newport’s method of calculating traffic impact fees, or Costa Mesa’s, because the difference is significant.

The Westside residents need to show up at this meeting in force because the proposed changes will greatly impact their lives. The expansion and increased density of the Westside Urban Plan will bring more traffic to an area already plagued by circulation problems. While there is no way to get rid of the overlays, the City could impose a moratorium until it determines how to deal with traffic and parking problems that come with new projects.

8/24/2015 11:09:00 AM  
Anonymous lovemygarden said...

Oops, that's a typo on the number of years since the trip fee changed. It should be 10, but even then the trip fee didn't change much from 1997, when the fees first started.

8/24/2015 11:53:00 AM  

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