Planning Commission Agenda For 2/22/16

ANOTHER BUSY AGENDA
The Costa Mesa Planning Commission, guided by Chairman Rob Dickson, meets again on Monday, February 22, 2016 beginning at 6:00 p.m. in City Council Chambers at City Hall to discuss another handful of developments.  You can read the full agenda HERE.  Items 2, 3 and 4 involve replacing seven (7) existing units and replacing them with fourteen (14), doubling the density.

SANITARY DISTRICT MOVING
I noted with great interest as I scrolled down through the agenda that Consent Calendar Item #2, HERE, is on the agenda.  This is a General Plan Conformity Resolution for the proposed relocation of the Costa Mesa Sanitary District to move their headquarters from their very inadequate location on 19th Street to a new location at 290 Paularino Avenue, near John Wayne Airport.  Normally, Consent Calendar items are voted upon with one vote, so this one might not get any discussion.  The staff report is interesting and anyone who has visited their current location knows it's much too small with woefully inadequate parking.  This, of course, means that their location on 19th Street is probably going to be sold.

TIME EXTENSION FOR HARBOR AND HAMILTON
Public Hearing #1, HERE, is a request for a two-year time extension on the development agreement for a project at Harbor and Hamilton, apparently delayed due to difficulties with the remediation of soil and air contamination.  Further complicating things is the revelation by nearby businessman Tim Lewis recently that the title on a portion of this property at the time of the original hearing has been brought into question.  Correspondence from Lewis is included in the staff report.

2 NEW HOMES AT THE CORNER OF 18TH STREET AND FULLERTON AVENUE
Public Hearing #2, HERE, is a planning application for a two-unit residential development at 146 E. 18th Street that falls under the Small Lot Ordinance.  These two homes replace a single-story home with detached garage and meets all requirements except for a minor setback modification.  Both proposed homes will actually front on Fullerton Avenue when completed.

8 UNITS ON 21ST STREET
Public Hearing #3, HERE, is another new development - an 8-unit, two-story small lot subdivision at 133 and 139 E. 21st Street.  It will involve demolishing the existing 5 rental units and replace them with the proposed 8-unit development, again based on the Small Lot Ordinance.  It should be interesting to hear this conversation.  I found myself wondering how a fire truck will navigate in the driveway, for example.  Maybe someone will ask.

4 UNITS ON 22ND STREET
The last item on the agenda, Public Hearing #4, HERE, is for yet another development.  This time it's a 4-unit detached development at 165-171 22nd Street, which also falls under the Small Lot Ordinance.  There's some confusion as to the actual address.  The cover sheet says 167, but the staff report and maps says 165.  This project is asking for a significant variation on front setback - 9 feet instead of the 20 feet required.  There currently are two dwellings on the two lots, which would be replaced with the 4 units proposed.