Strip mall developers propose housing projects

Jennifer Kho

COSTA MESA -- The City Council gave a unanimous go-ahead this week to

process proposals to build houses on the El Camino Shopping Center site

and part of the Harbor Center property, and also renewed its moratorium

on building houses on small lots.

Two development companies want to change their properties’ zoning

designation from commercial to residential in an effort to lower the

density and the effect of the projects. The council voted Monday to make

its final decision on the zone changes at a later time, after city staff

have reviewed the plans.

The El Camino proposal seeks to convert the rundown, 2.5-acre Mesa Del

Mar retail center -- bordered by single-family homes, an office building

and apartments -- into medium-density housing.

Representatives of El Camino Partners LLC said they bought the

shopping center in March with plans to improve it. But, they said,

neighbors resisted any commercial development, arguing that the center

did not belong in the middle of the primarily residential neighborhood.

The council voted to consider medium-density housing at the site after

developer Jeff Pratt said that if a low-density zoning designation was

imposed on the residential project, then he would rather stick with the

commercial designation.

Lots in medium-density zones are allowed between 8 and 12 housing

units per acre, while those in low-density zones must have between 6 and

10 per acre.

One resident, Dan Goldman, urged Pratt to reconsider low density, but

most residents -- including a representative of the Mesa Del Mar

homeowners association -- spoke in favor of the project.

“It’s pretty defunct right now and, as a homeowner there, I would be

happy to see it become residential,” said Douglas Toohey, another

resident.

The Harbor Center project, which seeks to convert an L-shaped lot

behind Home Depot into housing, met with more controversy.

The developer, Harbor Center Partners, applied to change the

commercial and high-density residential lot to medium-density

residential, but the council decided to consider only a conversion to a

low-density residential zone.

Three residents spoke against the medium-density proposals -- saying

they could increase noise and traffic, but were in favor of low density.

Councilwoman Karen Robinson also spoke in favor of low density.

“Is it too much to ask for you to give back to residents who have

given up so much to accommodate Harbor Center, which has been a profit

for you?” she said. “I would be letting everyone who voted for me down if

I didn’t press you to go [low density] and to take a profit cut to give

back to those residents.”

There have been recent discussions on how to keep home builders from

submitting projects that bunch several houses on small lots. In June, the

council imposed a moratorium to halt small-lot, cookie-cutter residential

projects while the city staff work on new development standards. On

Monday, the council voted to extend the building freeze for 18 months.

The Planning Commission is scheduled to review the revisions to the

development standards Dec. 11, but the new policy would not go into

effect until approved by the City Council.

Councilwoman Linda Dixon said even though the standards will probably

be ready before the 18 months are up, she would rather “play it safe” and

then lift the moratorium when the council has “an ordinance we feel

strongly about.”

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