City Hall ringing deja vu

Lolita Harper

COSTA MESA -- Many developers and business owners have found

themselves getting more familiar with City Hall recently, as council

members have increasingly demanded a second look at their proposals.

At the last City Council meeting, three previous Planning Commission

decisions were appealed by three separate politicians. Each were slated

as public hearings and required an additional two hours of time.

Councilman Chris Steel’s appeal of the Habitat for Humanity project will

be heard tonight due to a continuation.

In the two cases heard and voted on, the council upheld the Planning

Commission’s earlier decision, confirming the wisdom of members of the

planning body -- people who were appointed by the council.

Councilwoman Libby Cowan said the increase in appeals is not an

indication that the Planning Commission is out of step with the council

or that council members lack confidence in the commissioner’s decisions,

Cowan said. Often times, council members just need additional

information.

Councilwoman Karen Robinson agreed, saying each of her appeals were

made to get some clarification and generate further discussion on the

dais.

“It does not mean that the Planning Commission was right or wrong;

it’s that I would like to look at it as a council member,” Robinson said.

Katrina Foley, chairwoman of the Planning Commission, said she and her

colleagues take a great deal of time, looking over the proposals and

weighing the pros and cons for the city. While she understands that some

decisions require further scrutiny, she hopes council members can discern

between planning and politics.

“I would hope that appeals would be generated because of some burning

issue that is still unresolved -- as opposed to merely just trying to

have another meeting on the matter,” Foley said.

Foley also said many of the questions outlined in recent appeals could

have been answered with a simple phone call to her, or other

commissioners. Foley said she wished council members would at least

contact one or more commissioners to discuss their concerns before filing

an appeal. Council members have a seven-day limit to appeal decisions.

Councilman Gary Monahan said he has faith in planning commissioners,

as they were appointed by the council to make city planning decisions. He

said the increase in the number of appeals is unprofessional.

“We keep ignoring their recommendations and bringing projects to

council that serve only to delay the process and waste the applicant’s

and the staff’s time and money just to solidify political basis,” Monahan

said.

City Manager Allan Roeder said the large number of recent appeals is

not normal by any means, but they are to be expected with so many changes

being proposed for the Westside in the form of redevelopment. Two recent

appeals regarding Habitat for Humanity and Jim’s Towing involved

properties in that area.

“Given all the public debate about land use on the Westside, I’m not

at all surprised that projects of a relatively small magnitude are

elevated to the council level,” Roeder said.

Cowan also offered another possible reason for the large number of

appeals. She believes the newer council members -- Robinson and Steel --

are feeling more comfortable with their political roles and the appeals

process.

“It’s part of their learning curve and I don’t think it’s that

unusual,” Cowan said.

Steel confirmed Cowan’s hypothesis, saying he feels more comfortable

with the procedures after having a full year on the dais.

“Now that I know what I’m doing, I feel a little more confident to

appeal and handle these things as they come up, instead of addressing

them in hindsight,” Steel said.

Robinson, however, disagreed, saying she has been comfortable with the

process since the beginning of her term.

Lolita Harper covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949) 574-4275

or by e-mail at o7 lolita.harper@latimes.comf7 .