Costa Mesa City Council will hear debate on home views
Paul Clinton
A resident’s feud with his homeowners association and neighbors
about whether he can build a second-story addition onto his home will
head to the City Council on Monday.
A handful of John Clark’s Westside neighbors say they will air
their objections to his construction plans to the council that
evening.
City zoning administrator Harry Valantine approved Clark’s project
in February, but the decision was later challenged by Councilman
Chris Steel.
“We hope to overturn it because that particular building project
is not compatible with the location,” resident Terry Douglass said.
“We hope the City Council will hear the arguments and agree with
them.”
Douglass and a handful of other neighbors are arguing that Clark’s
second-story addition would block the oceanviews of at least seven
homeowners in the Marina Highlands community, which is adjacent to
Talbert Regional Park.
The project has caused its share of controversy in City Hall. In
addition to appealing Valantine’s initial decision, Steel also
second-guessed the Planning Commission’s May 28 approval of Clark’s
project. He said it should be overturned.
On Friday, Councilman Gary Monahan said the project should be put
in the hands of an arbitrator for a ruling.
“I’ve got some questions about whether we even want to put our
foot into this mess,” Monahan said. “We’re not the legal system.
We’re not the judge.”
Douglass and others say Clark’s second story is out of tune with
the homeowners association’s rule book -- the covenants, conditions
and restrictions, otherwise known as CC&Rs.;
They cite a section of the association’s bylaws, from 1967, that
require new construction to have a “harmony of external design with
existing structures.”
Clark’s project was turned down by the association’s architectural
design committee because it jutted into the air to block the view of
the terraced homes above.
Clark, who could not be reached for comment, lives in the 1100
block of Aviemore Terrace.
“For somebody to come in and build a second floor on Aviemore and
completely block the view, obviously it’s objectionable,” said
resident Christine O’Conner, a resident in the community for 13
years. “They’re not only losing their view, they’re losing the value
of their property.”
In addition to decreasing the value of their homes, the project
would also damage the “integrity of the bluffs,” resident Sonya Ables
said.
* PAUL CLINTON covers the environment and politics. He may be
reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail at paul.clinton@latimes.com.
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