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.
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