Police expansion before planners

Lolita Harper

Planning commissioners will review the proposed plan for a

11,000-square-foot police department expansion project tonight that

calls for various exceptions to general city development standards.

The sizable project proposes renovation of 75% of the existing

police facility -- including a seismic upgrade -- construction of an

additional single-story building, a new parking lot and changes in

landscaping. The expansion project will make room for additional

office space, storage and a new emergency operations center.

Officials have placed a high priority on the project, given that the

current facility has been overcrowded for years.

In order to accomplish the goal, planning commissioners -- and

ultimately the City Council -- must approve changes in the city’s

general parking, landscaping and building density standards.

According to a staff report, the suggested development falls 90

parking spaces short of the amount required and asks to increase the

building density on the Civic Center site by about 9%. The existing

Civic Center already exceeds the maximum floor area standards by 28%

and the additional 11,000 square feet would stay consistent with that

nonconformity, the report states.

Planners also justify the parking issue by pointing out that most

of the employees who would occupy the new building already work for

the city and park in the existing lot. While the plan falls short of

the required number of spaces for a building of its size, it would

increase the number of current parking slots by 28 spaces.

Commissioners hold mixed opinions on whether a public project

garners special consideration in regard to strict conformity to city

standards. Veteran Planning Commissioner Walt Davenport, who has held

a seat for more than 25 years, said he views all projects the same.

Davenport said Friday that he had some concerns about the proposed

amount of parking spaces. His concern may be a little premature, he

said, as the proposal still requires further study.

Planning Commissioners Eleanor Egan and Bruce Garlich have a

different take on the police department expansion. Both commissioners

said the fact that the expansion is a public project would influence

their ultimate decision.

Garlich said the exceptions may be necessary to save taxpayer

money.

“My take is that they are trying to do things for the residents

and keep the costs down without having to buy more land,” Garlich

said. “That is a savings and certainly something that I would think

about, given that the issues weren’t overwhelming.”

Egan tended to agree, saying it was an issue of how the overall

project will affect the public. Minor exceptions to development

standards on this project are exceptional because the site is not in

the middle of a residential neighborhood.

Garlich and Egan also admitted their initial opinions were a

little premature and the issue required more scrutiny.

Just the design phase of the expansive project cost $883,100. City

planners did not release the estimated cost of the entire project

Friday.

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

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