Commission to decide fate of home sales

Susan McCormack

COSTA MESA -- The Planning Commission tonight is expected to approve an

application by the Mekambe Development Group to divide the site of six

homes it is building and sell each unit individually.

Construction has begun on the six two-story homes on Orange Avenue.

If the request is approved, the owners will be allowed to sell the homes

individually instead of as a unit. If the homes have to be packaged

together, they likely would end up as rentals.

The application requires Mekambe to leave part of the land open to the

public.

Last May, the commission approved a permit for the Mekambe Development

Group to build the homes as apartments. The homes are three-bedroom and

have two-car garages.

The commission has issued the Mekambe several conditions for their

approval, including the establishment of a homeowners association.

Mel Lee of the city’s planning department said his department does not

expect the division of the lots to have any significant effects on land

use.

The commission also will hear an appeal by the Assistance League of

Newport-Mesa to overturn a decision to allow an addition to a nearby car

wash.

On Oct. 8, the commission approved Sam Khan’s request to construct a

two-story, 6,606-square-foot office addition to an existing car wash on

Newport Boulevard.

The assistance league, which is adjacent to the property, filed their

appeal, claiming the addition will block their view of the street, Lee

said.

The Planning Commission will meet at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers, 77

Fair Drive.