Koll gets city OK to test growth law

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT BEACH -- It’s up to the voters now.

City Council members approved a 250,000-square-foot expansion project

for Koll Center on Tuesday night, setting the stage for the city’s voters

to make a decision at the polls this fall.

Councilman John Heffernan voted against the project, and Councilman

Gary Proctor was absent from the meeting.

The final say is in voters’ hands because the development triggers an

election under Greenlight, the city’s new slow-growth law. The special

election, paid for by Koll officials, will be Greenlight’s first test.

“Thank you very much, mayor and council,” said Tim Strader Sr., one of

the Koll Center partners, adding that he would be in touch with city

officials to set up the election.

Before the meeting, several council members said they felt comfortable

bringing the project before voters.

With 60% of voters approving Greenlight in November, the Koll

expansion is a first chance for residents to make use of their new

rights, Councilman Dennis O’Neil said.

“I don’t want to deny them that opportunity,” he said, adding that

planning commissioners already had approved the project as well.

“The sooner we allow Koll to start getting ready for an election, the

better for them,” Councilman Steve Bromberg said.

And Councilwoman Norma Glover, who opposed a hotel project for the

city-owned Marinapark site in November because she thought it wouldn’t

get voters’ approval, said the Koll project was a different story.

“It’s out in the airport area,” she said. “It’s not on open space.”

On the other hand, Councilman John Heffernan said approving the

expansion was the wrong thing to do because city officials were working

on a comprehensive general plan update for the entire airport area.

“Why are we dealing with this piecemeal by putting this large project

before voters?” he asked. “Why wouldn’t we hold off until we have a plan

in place?”

Heffernan added that he also didn’t know about the development

agreement negotiations between Koll folks and city officials.

“I didn’t get a draft,” he said. “Now all of a sudden, we have the

dinner cooked and have to decide whether to take it or leave it.”

If voters approve the project, it would be located at the center’s

southern tip, near the intersection of MacArthur and Jamboree boulevards.

It includes a 10-story office tower and two parking structures.

On top of about $1.16 million in mandatory traffic and transportation

fees, the developers have agreed to pay $2 million for long-term traffic

improvements, as well as $112,500 to fund a planning study for the area

and $60,000 to build a new fire station.

While Koll partners can still build another 15,000 square feet under

the current zoning, they need a general plan amendment for the additional

225,000 square feet. And that goes far beyond Greenlight’s

40,000-square-foot threshold. Voters also have to approve developments

that add more than 100 peak-hour car trips or dwelling units over what’s

allowed in the general plan.

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