Residents ask city to see ‘big picture’

Jennifer Kho

SOUTH COAST METRO -- Residents asked the Planning Commission to look

at the “big picture” at a public hearing for the proposed 54-acre town

center expansion Monday.

The proposal includes a 2,500-seat symphony hall, a

140,000-square-foot art museum, a 140-seat expansion to the South Coast

Repertory theater, three new office buildings and two parking structures

on a site bordered by Bristol Street, Sunflower Avenue, Avenue of the

Arts and the San Diego Freeway.

“No one [proposal] can be properly analyzed out of context with

others,” said Costa Mesa resident Robin Leffler.

Former mayor Sandra Genis added that the city should review the

project in conjunction with another major development proposal -- the

Home Ranch project.

“You’re being asked today to close one eye and look at [the town

center] project, then in a few weeks you will be asked to close the other

eye and look at the [Home Ranch] project,” Genis said, adding that both

projects would contribute to traffic on some of the same streets.

“We have one general plan and should have one [environmental report]

examining both projects.”

The 90-acre Home Ranch proposal, originally scheduled for Planning

Commission review in June, was redesigned and is on the agenda for Aug.

28.

The modified proposal for the Home Ranch site -- between Sunflower

Avenue, the San Diego Freeway, Fairview Road and Harbor Boulevard --

includes a 17-acre IKEA furniture store, 950,000 square feet of office

space and more than 900 homes.

Thomas Wood, assistant city attorney, said it would be legal for the

commission to require a combined report for both projects.

“The main law is that the city is not allowed to piecemeal separate

projects to confuse the development or omit to analyze the combined

environmental impact,” he said. “The main goal -- whether we have one

[environmental impact report] or two -- is that the EIRs in both projects

evaluate the cumulative impacts of both of them.”

Whether the commission decides to require a combined report or not,

commissioners Chris Fewel and Katrina Foley said they need to consider

information about both potential projects before making decisions.

“We should look with eyes wide open at the intentions of developers in

the area,” Fewel said. “We should look at what’s a good amount of

development in the area and let that answer dictate these projects. It

does feel like we’re looking at them separately.”

Residents can submit to the city public comments on the town center

project’s environmental report until Sept. 1. The Planning Commission is

scheduled to consider the proposal Sept. 25.