Habitat project faces minor hurdle

Lolita Harper

A Habitat for Humanity project designed to turn a run-down

Westside apartment complex into owner-occupied condominiums must

obtain a minor approval tonight to ensure the success of the

development.

Planning Commission approval of an “airspace subdivision” is

mandatory for the converted units on the property to be sold as

condominiums, as it allows for ownership of the individual units, as

well as shared ownership of the common area. That common area is

considered its own lot and therefore requires a subdivision, City

Planner Mel Lee said.

“If the parcel map is denied, the individual units could not be

sold independent of one another, and could only be used as rentals,”

a staff report reads.

Planning commissioners are expected to approve the subdivision,

given they have previously approved the overall project that calls

for the conversion of six existing rental units into five

owner-occupied homes and the construction of a new building. The

result would be a six-unit affordable housing project.

Mark Korando, who represents Habitat for Humanity, said his

organization is looking forward to getting started with the project

as soon as the buildings become vacant.

“This is more of an administrative step,” Korando said. “The

project has been approved in design and concept. This is just the

last bit of the entitlement process.”

The project calls for two of the existing two-bedroom duplexes to

be converted into four-bedroom homes, and the third to be

rehabilitated. An additional three-bedroom house would also be built.

Once converted, the condominiums would be sold as low-income housing

to qualifying applicants and maintenance of the property would be the

responsibility of the new homeowners.

Home prices are estimated between $70,000 and $100,000, said

Habitat for Humanity representative Mark Korando, and construction is

scheduled to start in a few months.

The Habitat for Humanity project has received its fair share of

opposition from city leaders and residents who contend it will crowd

the Westside and possibly house more undocumented residents. In

January, Councilman Chris Steel appealed initial approval of the

project -- saying it would attract too many non-English speakers --

but he was not supported by his fellow council members.

Since then, planning department officials have voiced concerns

about less contentious issues -- specifically the amount of parking.

In a memorandum dated June 13, City Planner Sue Happ wrote she had

“concerns that five guest parking stalls (I don’t consider “open

parking” located in front of a garage as guest parking) won’t

accommodate the number of apartment units and street parking is

already impacted.”

Korando said his organization has since changed the configuration

to address that issue.

* LOLITA HARPERcovers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

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