COSTA MESA PLANNING COMMISSION WRAP-UP

Here are some of the decisions made at the Monday meeting of the Costa

Mesa Planning Commission.

2000 GENERAL PLAN UPDATE

WHAT HAPPENED:

The Planning Commission unanimously agreed to recommend the approval

of the 2000 general plan to the City Council, including changes made for

the proposed Home Ranch project.

The latest general plan is an update from the 1990 general plan and

includes proposed changes to highways, bikeways and the Home Ranch site.

Planning department staff recommended the Planning Commission adopt

the proposed changes to the former lima bean field zoning designation to

reflect their recent recommendation of the Home Ranch project.

C.J. Segerstrom & Sons asked for an amendment to the general plan to

rezone its land north of the San Diego Freeway to allow for a

308,000-square-foot Ikea property, 791,050 square feet of office space,

252,648 square feet of industrial use and 192 homes.

Last month, the Planning Commission recommended the project for

approval to the City Council. The council has not yet made a decision on

the proposed development. Planning staff is proposing the required

changes to the general plan to incorporate the changes the Segerstrom

firm is requesting.

The development’s final environmental report will also be up for

recommendation.

WHAT IT MEANS:

The City Council will have the final say on the changes to the city’s

2000 general plan and is expected to decide whether they will adopt the

changes after a decision is made on the Home Ranch project itself.

FEDERAL AVENUE CHANGES

WHAT HAPPENED:

Commissioners also recommended approval of part of the 2000 general

plan that called to change the land-use designation of two lots on

Federal Avenue from commercial to low-density residential.

The lots at 1904 and 1900 Federal Ave. alone are too small to meet the

minimum lot-size requirement for commercial development, a staff report

shows. To meet that requirement, the parcels must be combined to meet the

12,000-square-foot minimum, the report states.

Combining the 7,650- and 7,260-square-foot lots would create a

commercial development that is too large for the surrounding residential

area, the report shows.

WHAT IT MEANS:

The two lots could be rezoned as residential if the City Council

decides to follow the recommendation of the Planning Commission.

VOTE: 5-0 in favor of changing the land use

FYI

* WHAT: Costa Mesa Planning Commission meeting

* WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Nov. 12

* WHERE: Costa Mesa City Hall, 77 Fair Drive

* INFORMATION: (714) 754-5245