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.