Police are still investigating the May 16...

Police are still investigating the May 16 arson fire at an

8,000-square-foot Irvine Cove house in the framing stage of

construction, owned by Robert and Loretta Stehlik of Newport Beach.

The house was approved by the Design Review Board in 1999. The

owners’ lawyers and Irvine Cove neighbors have appeared before the

board and City Council members several times since its approval in

“neighborly disputes,” Design Review Board member Steve Kawaratani

said. He added that the project was approved before he had joined the

board.

The house was put on the market in February 2002 for more than $6

million and taken off the market in October when the listing expired.

The Stehliks’ realtor at the time, Nancy Levigne, said they took the

house off the market because they decided to live there.

Councilman Wayne Baglin, a Realtor, said he visited 2555 Altamar

Drive just a couple weeks before the fire, in response to a

“neighborhood row” between the Stehliks’ lawyer, Eugene Gratz, and

Irvine Cove residents at a City Council meeting. Baglin said he was

surprised to see how much work the house still needed for completion

of its plans, which the 2002 listing description called “one of the

most detailed and unique homes.”

“It sure didn’t look close to being done when I went out there,”

Baglin said. “Some of the wood was starting to get stained. You start

to see the nice-looking wood get grayish when it hasn’t been taken

care of.”

Sgt. Jason Kravetz said the police department has an investigator

working with the Costa Mesa, Anaheim, Santa Ana and Laguna Beach fire

departments, along with an investigator from the home’s insurance

company to determine who and what caused the fire.

Gratz had no comment, but his secretary said on his behalf that he

didn’t know anything except that there was a fire at his client’s

house.

Anyone with information about the fire should call Det. Andy Peck

at (949) 497-0370.