Second-story is not compatible

It is interesting that the Pilot constantly tugs at the

community’s heartstrings with stories like Wednesday’s cover story

(“Building blocks”). Why is it that the Pilot and many in this

community are always looking for any reason to abandon our community

standards?

The standard I refer to in this instance is the requirement that

home additions be “harmonious and compatible” to homes surrounding

the proposed addition. A 4,000-square-foot home surrounded by

1,500-square-foot homes is certainly not harmonious.

This project might have fit in if the other neighbors had already

added on to their homes, but this is not the case.

An eight-bedroom, five-bathroom home in a neighborhood comprised

of four-bedroom, two-bathroom homes is pushing the limits of

neighborliness and is an affront to longtime residents of the area.

While it is commendable that the folks who want to add on care for

disabled children, that is beside the point.

The Costa Mesa zoning code does not have a clause stating that all

requirements are moot if this or that is going on at the subject

property.

One might also question what will happen to this monstrosity when

the limit of expansion is reached, and the folks decide to “adopt”

another 20 kids? Who will then find the layout appropriate? A college

fraternity? Eight impoverished families? Either scenario would be

devastating to the neighborhood harmony.

Goofy zoning, rampant conditional-use permits and variances galore

helped to muck up the Westside. Let’s try to learn from our past

mistakes and avoid stretching the bounds of acceptability to the

point that the remainder of the city follows the Westside down the

path of decadence.

Charity is admirable, but not at the expense of the neighbors, and

certainly not in residential neighborhoods.

ERIC BEVER

Costa Mesa

Why is Anderson-Davis having a problem getting permission to

enlarge her home to 3,982 square feet? Many new homes in Newport

Heights are at least that big, on much smaller lots. Oh, I forget

those are rich people building in Newport Heights.

KAREN HURST

Newport Beach

Everyone I’ve talked to in Mesa North is opposed to the project at

3030 Madison.

No one I’ve talked to is against helping children, but the issue

here is one of neighborhood compatibility, not caring for children.

The home is twice as large as the average home in the area and may

eventually turn into a tenement-style flop house.

There was a movie out a few years ago where space aliens always

said, “We come in peace,” just before they blasted everyone and

everything in sight. This reminds me of the constant “It’s for the

kids” refrain that we hear in Costa Mesa to justify everything from a

proposed massive mini-hospital in the middle of a residential

neighborhood on the Westside to this massive group home.

Because the Pilot and the applicants have tried to play on our

heartstrings with talk of “children,” many residents of Mesa North

believe it is fair to ask the following questions to determine the

true nature of the compassion:

1. Exactly how much money do the applicants get from various

social service agencies for caring for the nine disabled children?

2. What do the applicants do for a living?

3. Is caring for these children their main source of income?

4. Is this really just a group home with a different name?

5. If this isn’t a business, then why do the applicants employ

three people to help care for the children?

6. If it is a business, then why is it in the middle of a

residential neighborhood?

7. How many more children will they “adopt?”

MARTIN MILLARD

Costa Mesa