Cecil Place developer creates alternative plan

Lolita Harper

COSTA MESA -- The owner of an unusually large Eastside lot gave into

political pressures Tuesday and dropped a house from his proposal to

build three homes on an 18,000-square-foot property.

Michael Schrock, the developer of a highly debated project on Cecil

Place, said the revised proposal will give city officials a viable option

if they choose not to endorse his three-house plan.

The new proposal divides the lot into two horizontal properties,

saving the existing two-story front house -- which sits on 7,476 square

feet. The additional house would sit on the remainder of the site and be

accessed by a long driveway from Cecil Place.

Planning commissioners unanimously voted to postpone a decision on the

project, which came before them Monday night, to give Schrock a chance to

submit a parcel map that may survive City Council scrutiny.

“It is clear to me that the council does not want three houses on that

lot,” Planning Commission Chairwoman Katrina Foley said.

Foley and her colleagues delayed the issue instead of denying the

three-lot proposal so they could take action at the next Planning

Commission meeting and save Schrock time.

“We can’t wait another three months,” Schrock said. “We were delayed

exceptionally long for this hearing.”

Schrock and business partner Fritz Howser have tried to build two

additional houses on the Cecil Place lot for four months. The two men

have gone in circles with planning staff, the Planning Commission, the

City Council and neighbors, altering their proposed project according to

various recommendations. A rezoning permit was ultimately denied, and the

developers chose the option to subdivide the large lot into three.

Although he vigorously defended his proposal for three houses --

reminding commissioners that his previous plans gained their approval

twice -- Schrock agreed to amend his proposal to appease the politicians.

“It shouldn’t be about politics. It should be about property rights,”

he said.

Mel Lee, the city’s associate planner, said the best option for the

property would be to demolish the existing two-story house and divide the

lot so both parcels front the street.

Schrock said it is not a viable option because he spent thousands

renovating the front house and his family plans to move into it in a

matter of weeks. He is only considering the two-parcel option because he

can’t afford to lose his entire investment, he said.

Schrock planned to develop and sell the additional houses, using the

profit to cover the extensive improvements to the front home.

“We either need to sell the whole property now and break even, or we

could build one house behind and break even,” Schrock said.

Neighbor Marty Bradbury said he was pleased that a two-house project

was being considered but was still concerned the additional house would

be “in the backyard.” Bradbury supported Lee’s idea to raze the existing

house, divide the lot in two and build new houses that both front the

street.

Although he understood his suggestion would not be the most cost

effective, Bradbury said Schrock’s finances were not his concern.

“It is not our duty to make sure that people who make investments make

the best investment,” Bradbury said.

* Lolita Harper covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at o7 lolita.harper@latimes.comf7 .