Planning Commission Meeting Promises Controversy

STARTING THE WEEK WITH A BANG
The first meeting of a very busy week in Costa Mesa, the Planning Commission meeting scheduled to begin in City Council Chambers at 6:00 on Monday, June 9, 2014, promises to generate a good deal of heat and - hopefully - some light, too.  You can read the full agenda HERE.

INTERESTING READING
Prior to the Public Hearings the commission will probably vote to receive and file the Code Enforcement Update, HERE.  I don't know about you, but I always find this a fascinating report to scan through.  This one shows many "before and after" photos of properties that have been cited for violations and the solutions to those infractions.  It's always interesting to see what the Code Enforcement folks are nailing your neighbors with.

THE BIG ITEM!
The first Public Hearing on the agenda, HERE, is subtlety titled, "Amendment To City Of Costa Mesa Residential Design Guidelines", but that doesn't give you a clue what's afoot here.

NO NOTICE!
Presently the procedures requires the city staff to mail a notice to residents who share a property line with a parcel that will have a new two-story residence built or an addition that will be two-stories high.  The proposal to the guidelines will REMOVE that requirement if the project otherwise meets the recommendations of the guidelines.

APPEALABLE NOW - NOT LATER
The adjacent property owners have a 7-day appeal period prior to issuance of the building permit for the above mentioned projects.  Apparently the staff feels that, because the Residential Design Guidelines have recently been revised, this noticing requirement is no longer necessary.

THE NATIVES ARE RESTLESS!
I can tell you that my inbox has been bombarded by communications from residents - and several social media sites is aflame with comments from folks -  who think this is a BAD idea, and apparently plan to show up Monday night to tell the Planning Commission how they feel.  Perhaps, once they hear the staff presentation on this issue, they will soften their feelings... we'll see.

OK, BUT...
Personally, I've read the staff report and I think I understand the issue.  However, if one of my neighbors planned to build a two-story structure adjacent to my property, I'd want to know about it and I'd want a chance to review the plans to BE SURE there won't be privacy issues once the building is completed. 

SOCCER TRAINING FACILITY
Public Hearing #2 is a Conditional Use Permit for a Soccer Training Facility with a deviation from shared parking requirements at 2777 Bristol Street, HERE.  It's an interesting concept and the request appears to meet all the requirements, including parking.

REPLACING ONE HOME WITH TWO ON THE SAME LOT
Public Hearing #3, HERE, is a request to build a two-unit residential development in an R2-MD zone at 270 Palmer Street, replacing one single-story residence.

A TRIFECTA OF ACTIVITIES
Public Hearing #4, HERE, is a fascinating issue.  It involves a General Plan Amendment, a Re-zone and a Lot Line Adjustment for a 23-foot by 63-foot chunk of land contiguous with the Lighthouse Coastal Community Church on East 18th Street.  Apparently this 1,449 square foot piece of property is critical to a planned two-unit residential development planned for that site.  One resident has provided historical data on this site going back  more than 40 years!  Interesting stuff.   It should be more than interesting to see how this one plays out.  The proposed developer, RSI Development, has been doing A LOT of work in Costa Mesa recently.

COULD BE FUN... OR NOT...
It could be a very interesting meeting Monday, and that's just the beginning.  More on the rest in another post.