Special Planning Commission Meeting Monday

FOUR ITEMS CONTINUED FROM NOVEMBER 14TH
The Costa Mesa Planning Commission will hold a Special Meeting on Monday, November 21, 2016 in City Council Chambers beginning at 6:00 p.m.  You can read the agenda for this meeting HERE.

BRUTAL MEETING SCHEDULE
This meeting was scheduled to hear those four items continued from the previous meeting on November 21st.  That meeting was dedicated to hearing the first of an avalanche of sober living issues that will be facing the Planning Commission over the next few weeks.  It's my understanding that there will be meetings on the 21st, the 28th, December 5th and the 12th - an unbelievable workload for the city staff to manage.

COULD BE A SHORT MEETING
This meeting should move fairly quickly.  The four items on the agenda seem to be fairly straightforward.

SMALL LOT SUBDIVISION AT 166 ROCHESTER STREET
Public Hearing #1, HERE, is a small lot subdivision for two units at 166 Rochester Street.  The staff recommends approval.

ACCESSORY STRUCTURE AT 321 ROCHESTER STREET
Public Hearing #2, HERE, is a variance request to build a two-story detached accessory structure within the rear yard setback at 321 Rochester Street.  This structure would be used for an exercise room/storage on the ground floor and an office on the second floor.  The staff report is full of conditions. The request is to change the rear yard setback from 20 feet with a two-story structure to 5 feet.  The staff recommends approval.

PARKING AT 3O33 BRISTOL STREET
Public Hearing #3, HERE, is a for a minor conditional use permit to deviate from shared parking requireents to all ow two reserved parking spaces in front of Suite A to accommodate patrons of the Watch Connection.  Staff is recommending denial of the request.

440 FAIR DRIVE - FINALLY
Finally, Public Hearing #4, HERE, is the controversial development planned for 440 Fair Drive.  This issue has many of the residents of the nearby College Park neighborhood up in arms.  I anticipate a crowd, despite this meeting falling during the run-up to the Thanksgiving Day holiday.  This one is unusual in may ways. For example, the staff report implies that no decision will be made at this meeting.  According to the report, the staff has learned of code enforcement violations that persist at the site despite their efforts to encourage the applicant to correct them.  As a result, at this time the staff is recommending the Commission:

1. Receive any additional public comments.
2. Close the public hearing.
3. Direct the applicant to meet again with the residents to address their concerns and/or revise the project.
4. Direct the applicant to continue to work with Code Enforcement staff to clear all violations on the property.

I suspect the neighbors will show up angry and vocal... we'll see.

NEXT MEETING ON 11/28/16 - MAYBE
The next Planning Commission meeting is tentatively scheduled for Monday, November 28th.  No agenda has been released for that meeting yet.

Oh, yes... We here at A Bubbling Cauldron wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving.