Surprises In Marathon Planning Commission Meeting

LONG AND LOADED
The Costa Mesa Planning Commission met last night and, although most observers expected it to be a long meeting, few expected it to run well past midnight.  Even fewer expected there to be charges of racism leveled against staff members.  It was a night of surprises.

CHANGED MY PLANS
I arrived at the Planning Commission meeting a few minutes late, finding half a hundred people in the auditorium.  My grand plan was to attend the Organics Recycling meeting first, then scamper to the Planning Commission meeting.  However, that first one was packed to overflowing, so I gave up my seat and adjourned to the other meeting.  I'll attend the next Organics Recycling meeting Saturday morning at the Neighborhood Community Center starting at 9 a.m.

MATHEWS ABSENT
Back to the Planning Commission.  I arrived just as Public Comments were finishing and Commissioner Comments were about to commence.  I noted that Vice Chair Jeff Mathews was absent.  Apparently an earlier speaker addressed the development on Victoria Street approved by the City Council last week with changes recommended by the Planning Commission removed because Chairman Rob Dickson found it necessary to speak about it.

COLIN ON PARKING AND FUN
Colin McCarthy responded to apparent criticism of parking in the city, indicated that he'd been working under the assumption that Costa Mesa had the tightest parking rules in the county.  Assistant Director of Development Services, Claire Flynn, advised him that a consultant is working on that issue and will report back this summer.  He also addressed traffic and home prices, indicating that he wants to invite someone from the Orange County Business council to address home prices county-wide and citing the lack of housing stock as a major negative on our economy.  He also said he was looking forward to the Mayor's Ball, which he described as his favorite event of the year - a great place to just laugh and joke.  I smiled...

SESLER ON COMPLAINTS
Tim Sesler complained about people complaining about Westside housing - must have meant during public comments.  He attributed the traffic problem to high density apartments, and stated that people want to live in the homes being built on the Westside.

ANDRANIAN ON FIRST FRIDAY ROAD SHOW
Stephan Andranian spoke about parking and the First Friday Road Show, which he described as a great event.

DICKSON ON VICTORIA STRET PROJECT - AGAIN
Rob Dickson again spoke about the Victoria Street project, citing a "hybrid plan" the developer put together for the City Council that the Planning Commission had not seen - apparently defending their decision, which was overturned by the council.

EASY ONE TOOK AWHILE AND WAS SHOVED OUT
One of the surprises of the evening was Public Hearing #1, a nice little two-unit development on Orange Avenue.  This item took an hour for the commission to hear, and then they voted to continue it off calendar so the staff could work with the developer again on a 3-1 vote.  Sesler voted No.

RADIOS AND RACISM
Public Hearing #2, the appeal of the denial of a permit for a radio antenna at an office building location on Fair Drive at Harbor Blvd, brought the most distasteful moments of the evening.  The item was actually pretty straightforward.  They wanted to build a 70 foot tall radio tower and the maximum permitted is 30 feet.  However, when the appellant, Mrs. Mary Luna, began talking she eventually accused Flynn of being racist because Mrs. Luna felt "unwelcome" in Costa Mesa.  I've never heard such a preposterous charge uttered by any applicant.

GRASPING AT RACISM STRAWS
Adding to that theme, Victor Mendez, the founder of the organization who wanted the radio station, emphasized his duel ethnicity - Latino and Black - then dragged out a document that apparently showed that he was an American citizen.  Part of their spiel was that the FCC had "assigned them" to Costa Mesa.  Clearly, all the people in their entourage had trouble comprehending exactly what the FCC told them, and they certainly didn't understand the municipal code.  The City enlisted lawyer Jonathon Kramer - a radio expert - to help sort out the issues.  Resident Art Goddard, who helped create radio antenna ordinance a

couple decades ago, stepped up to refute the claims by the appellant.

SESLER SETS HER STRAIGHT
As the discussion continued Sesler - clearly angry - advised Luna that,  "crying racism is a very serious charge and reflects very poorly on your organization."  He was right.

NO TOWER FOR NOW
In the end the commission voted unanimously to uphold the Zoning Administrator's rejection of their application.  It was very bizarre.

MOVING SUTRA
At 9:00 p.m., following a very short break, the commission began hearing Public Hearing #3, the relocation of the Sutra Lounge from one end of The Triangle to the other, the placement of a restaurant in the vacated spot and the possible use of 7,000 square feet of wine storage space in that center.  Former Director of Development Services, Don Lamm, represented the owners of The Triangle and first provided some history of the shopping center and told us that the current owner had spent $30 million on the center since acquiring it in 2012.  Much of the discussion revolved around the controversial planned patio,  noise, police calls for service and parking.  Eleven members of the public spoke on the issue - 7 for and 4 against.  One of the speakers, Mary Spadoni, mentioned that we lack the ability to enforce our drunk driving laws. 

PULLED PATIO REQUEST
Rob Ariano, Marketing and Event Director of Sutra Lounge, told the commission that they had reevaluated their situation and the request for the patio along 19th Street was being withdrawn.

PARKING
Much discussion was about parking, both within and outside The Triangle.  Neighbors complained about drunks in their neighborhood and parking from cars using The Triangle.

APPROVED
Eventually - at 11:25 p.m. - the commission voted in favor of the requested actions, 4-0,  but wanted the withdrawal of the patio codified and parking reviewed before the 7,000 square feet could be leased for any purpose.

THE BIGGIE
Which brought us - the 30 folks remaining in the auditorium at 11:30 - to Public Hearing #4, the 177-unit project on West 17th Street at the corner of Pomona Avenue, the site of the old J.C. Carter industrial venue.  This site has been vacant for years, with the contamination of both the water and soil a major factor in it not being developed.  According to McCarthy, the cost of remediation was more than the value of the land at one point.

NO TRAFFIC IMPACT?  REALLY, DON?
Lamm was the representative on this project, too.  He began his presentation at midnight, emphasizing that this was exactly the kind of project the Westside Overlays anticipated.  He made a curious statement when he said, "This project has no impact on traffic in this area."  Really?  Hard to imagine, isn't it? We're adding 400 people to an area!

MCEVOY WADES IN
The first member of the public to speak on this item was former council candidate, Chris McEvoy, who introduced himself as "Boycott Skosh Monahan's".  He leveled many complaints about dense development on the Westside, traffic, checking garages for use parking cars and not storage and overflow parking.  Ten more people spoke - many of them the same young people who spoke - twice - in favor of the Victoria Street project last week.  Eight speakers favored the project.  McEvoy and two others did not.

DIRT IS TOXIC
No small degree of concern was expressed about the need to clean up this site, described as a possible Super Fund toxic site by McCarthy.  The water side of the clean up is complete, but millions of tons of dirt will have to be "remediated" - maybe completely removed and replaced - before homesites can be built.  When asked for the possible price point for the units, Lamm speculated they might be in the low $600,000 to mid $800,000 range.

NO SHOWERS IN WORK UNIT!
When it finally passed - at 1:01 a.m. - Chair Dickson required the full bathrooms shown on the plans for the live/work units that formed part of this project be reduced to 1/2 baths - a sink and toilet - to preclude using them for another bedroom or a rental unit.  During the discussion McCarthy took time to thank the people who spoke in favor of the project, lambasting those who "come down here and say they hate everything, then go away."  Those, of course, would be the people who take the time to actually study the issues, go survey the project sites and take time out of their busy lives to dare to step up to speak to the commission on these important issues.

WHEW!
So, that was it for the evening/morning.  More on that Organics Recycling meeting later.

A Big Agenda For The Planning Commission

AN INTERESTING EVENING AHEAD
The Rob Dickson-led Costa Mesa Planning Commission meets again Monday, May 11, 2015 beginning at 6:00 p.m. in City Council Chambers for what likely will be a VERY interesting meeting.  You can read the agenda HERE.

AN EASY ONE TO BEGIN
It looks like it might start out with an easy one in Public Hearing #1, HERE.  This is a plan for a two-unit development at 1620 Orange Avenue with a couple minor adjustments to setbacks.  As far as I can tell from the staff report, this should be a nice little project.

DENIAL OF RADIO STATION
Public Hearing #2, HERE, is a little more interesting.  This is an appeal of a decision by the Zoning Administrator to deny the application for a radio station at 440 Fair Drive which includes a 70-foot tall antenna in the parking lot!  Some might recall that address - the site of previous controversial businesses.  Reviewing the agenda report, it seems unlikely that the appeal will be approved since there is no way to screen that tower, which is nearly twice the height of any other structure nearby.

MOVING SUTRA LOUNGE
Public Hearing #3, HERE, is an entirely different kettle of fish.  The applicant - Diamond Star Associates, in the person of former Senior Costa Mesa Development executive, Don Lamm - who represents the owners - Greenlaw Partners (a member of which will receive recognition at the upcoming Mayor's Celebration next week) are asking for a Master Plan amendment to move the existing Sutra Lounge - a business that generates significant calls for service - from the current location at the confluence of Newport Boulevard and Harbor Boulevard to the former NikeTown location at the other end of The Triangle, along 19th Street.  The existing space would then be available for another restaurant.

NO PARKING PROBLEM, THEY SAY.... UH, HUH...
According to the staff report, parking will not be a problem because there is a surplus of parking at The Triangle.  OK, if they say so, but my personal experience and that of many of my neighbors is that there are major parking issues at The Triangle, particularly during the evenings when all the restaurants are open and the theaters are operating.  Over the years this shopping venue has gone from one with a diverse array of businesses - most of which typically had customers in and out in less than an hour.  Today, with the theaters, the gym in the basement and the proliferation of popular restaurants, most visitors are staying for two hours plus.  Hearing Lamm's pitch on the parking will be very interesting.  The staff is recommending approval.

ANOTHER INTENSE DEVELOPMENT ON THE WESTSIDE

Public Hearing #4, HERE, is also an interesting item.  This is the development of 177 units at 671 W. 17th Street - the old Argo-Tech industrial site at the corner of 17th Street and Pomona Avenue.  According to the staff report, there will be three-story with rooftop patios in these configurations: 42 detached live/work units; 89 attached live/work units and 46 residential loft units.  Don Lamm is also pitching this one.  The staff report is nearly 1,600 pages!  This project follows the guidelines of the Mesa West Bluffs Urban Plan created a decade ago.  Theoretically, the parking is within guidelines, but includes some of the "open spaces" within closed garages!  What?  The staff recommends approval of this very intense, traffic-producing development.

ORGANICS RECYCLING MEETING CONFLICTS WITH THIS ONE
Oh, yes, simultaneous with this meeting there will be an Organics Recycling meeting at the same time at the Halecrest Community Center, not too far away.  It's decision time again...

The Triangle Signs - Half A Loaf

SIGNAGE APPROVED
Last night the Costa Mesa Planning Commission approved the use of vinyl signage on a 300 square foot location at the Newport Boulevard/Harbor Boulevard corner of that star-crossed shopping venue.  That's the short version of events.  You can read Bradley Zint's account of the event from the Daily Pilot HERE.

ANGRY RESIDENTS
In the past couple weeks Eastside neighbors have become incensed at the possibility that the commission would cave in to the current owners of The Triangle (formerly Triangle Square) and permit them to sell so-called "off premises" advertising on two locations on the building - the aforementioned southwest facing 300 square foot site and the 600 square foot wrap-around site that faces the terminus of the 55 Freeway as it emerges from the ditch at 19th Street.

PANDORA'S BOX
Activists complained - see Katie Arthur's excellent letter from the Daily Pilot, HERE -  that permitting such ads opens a Pandora's Box because once such signage is permitted, because of 1st Amendment considerations,  it would be impossible to control the nature of the messages delivered by the signs.  The complaints of the specter of condom ads and other equally offensive signs apparently caught the ear of several commission members and Don Lamm, the representative of the owners, Greenlaw Partners, because he withdrew the request for off-premises signage at the beginning of the presentation.  Lamm is a former Costa Mesa employee - an executive in the Planning Department and former City Manager for the City of Westminster.

APPROVED, 5-0
Residents would have preferred that NO signage be permitted on either location, but that ship had already sailed.  The commission approved the vinyl signs on the larger location last March.Since vinyl signage had previously been approved for the large, wrap-around location, all that remained for the commission to consider was the smaller sign site.  They approved it on a 5-0 vote.

ONLY ONE SPOKE FOR THE SIGNS
Many residents, including Arthur, spoke against the off-premises signage.  Only one resident spoke in favor of it - a grumpy old fella who pretends to be a real estate developer among other things and who lives far, far away from the location in question.  He's the same guy who has badgered The City for more than a year for a sign identifying the so-called "19 West" part of town until the most lame of signs imaginable was finally stuck in the center divider on West 19th Street just to shut him up.

KUDOS
Kudos to Lamm and Greenlaw Partners for recognizing the concern of residents near their center and pulling the request for off-premises signage.  The current plan for more restaurants at that location might make it work.  We'll know in pretty short order.  In the meantime, very extensive and expensive renovations to the site continue and the gym in the basement thrives.

"Sign" Of Trouble At The Triangle

"TIMES SQUARE" ANYONE?
The Costa Mesa Planning Commission, at it's meeting on Tuesday, November 12, 2012, will address a request from the new owners of The Triangle - it used to be known as Triangle Square - for approval to hang huge movable vinyl signs on the carcass of the renovated building that represent advertisers NOT associated with the building.  The image at the top is what one artist thought it might look like with LEDs.  The current proposal would forbid lighting, but not tackiness.

THEY'RE BACK!
Yes, after withdrawing a similar request that involved LED lighted signs earlier this year and spending who-knows-how-much money on the current renovations, Greenlaw Partners are back with a request to plaster signage at two locations on the building - signage space that would be rented out to non-resident advertisers.  You can read the Daily Pilot article on this issue HERE.

CURRENT AGREEMENT FOR TENANTS ONLY
The current agreement apparently calls for signage that only represents tenants of the star-crossed shopping center.  You can read the staff report HERE.  The owners managed to circumvent the spirit of that agreement when they rented a closet to Van's which entitled them to have a huge banner stretched around the corner of Newport Blvd. and 19th Street for folks coming out of the SR-55 ditch to see as they wait for the traffic signal to cycle - sometimes two or three times - before heading on down to Newport Beach to spend their money. 

NEIGHBORS ARE CONCERNED
Concerned residents, mostly Eastside folks, have rallied against this scheme and plan to show up at the Planning Commission meeting Tuesday to vent their collective and individual spleens against this plan, which many of them apparently feel would produce a gaudy, inappropriate distraction for residents.  Most folks could be satisfied with signage for businesses located within the shopping mall - The Yard House or the Starlight Theaters or the new and thriving gym in the basement for example - but are very concerned about ads for inappropriate and offensive businesses.  Correspondence I've seen lists a large number of objectionable potential Costa Mesa businesses that might appear on those signs:

• Condom Stores
• Personal Injury
• Check Cashing
• Massage Parlors
• Credit Debt Counseling
• Mufflers and Exhaust Systems
• Gun Shops
• DUI Attorneys
• Bail Bonds
• Dating Services
• Pet Grooming
• Windshield Repair
• Cash Advance
• Criminal Law Attorneys
• Liquor Stores

TIP OF THE ICEBERG
Because of the pro-developer orientation of the current Planning Commission and City Council majority, opponents feel this may just be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to loosening up the The City's sign ordinance.  If these large, overpowering signs are permitted here - in one of the primary gateways into our city - they are concerned about what will happen throughout the city later.

MEETING BEGINS AT 6:00 TUESDAY
The Planning Commission meeting begins at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday in council chambers at City Hall, 77 Fair Drive.  You can read the entire agenda HERE.  This item is the final one on a fairly short agenda, so those wishing to address this before the commission are advised to arrive early.  Each speaker will have 3 minutes to address their concerns following the staff report presentation.

Planning Commission Agenda For Tonight

A BUSY NIGHT TONIGHT
The Costa Mesa Planning Commission, under the direction of Chairman Colin McCarthy - also president of the Costa Mesa Taxpayer's Association and main shill for the OC GOP attempt to take over Costa Mesa government - has an agenda that could generate some interesting discussions and evoke comments from the public, too.  You can read the agenda HERE.  The meeting begins at 6:00 p.m. in City Council Chambers.

MORE ALCOHOL TO BE DISPENSED AT "THE TRIANGLE"!
In the Consent Calendar there is an item requesting yet another liquor license for The Triangle (formerly known as Triangle Square).  You can read the request for the transfer of this license from another location just down the street to this location HERE.  In my opinion, we have more than plenty of places where a person who wants to get soused can do so, including just a stone's throw up the street at a pub owned by a current council member.  I'm hoping that a city council in the future will seriously look at the proliferation of liquor stores and bars in our city.  There's a reason members of the CMPD consistently rank high in the number of DUI arrests they make each year.

RECYCLING CENTER REQUEST CONTINUED
The first Public Hearing deals with a new Recycling Center on the Westside.  The applicant has requested a continuance until the May 14th meeting.

STARBUCKS AND MORE
The second Public Hearing is a request to convert an existing building at 450 17th Street into a drive-thru Starbucks coffee dispensary plus something described as "another food use".  It's my understanding that many of my Eastside neighbors are not happy with this and may show up tonight to speak against it.  You can read the staff report HERE.  As an aside, I have a question... Just how many Starbucks stores do we need in a two block stretch?  This would be the third in basically three blocks!  Yikes!

TWO FOR ONE
The third Public Hearing is a request to convert a residential lot at 164 Flower Street into two parcels so a two-unit common interest development can be constructed and each sold separately.  The variances for this one seem minor.  You can read the staff report HERE.

NEW WESTSIDE DEVELOPMENT
Finally, the fourth Public Hearing deals with a request to build a six-unit common interest development at 2070 Maple Avenue - another attempt to upgrade the Westside one development at a time.  The staff report, including all the requests for variances, can be read HERE.
 
MORE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS LATELY
In case you've not noticed, our Planning Commission has begun to have more meetings lately.  That's a very good thing.  That means that folks with money have finally decided to spend some of it developing and re-developing properties in Costa Mesa.

SPECIAL NOTE:

My blog host has apparently has had a temper tantrum and is refusing to let me post most images in locations I want.  So, for the near term, I'm just going to have to deal with it the best I can.  Some of you who come here for the fun images are just going to have to suffer along with me until we get this sorted out.  I don't know how this will affect comments or other features.  Please be patient.  Sorry...