College administration facility approved

Next year, Coast Community College District officials will be able to trade up from 10 modular buildings at Adams Avenue and Pinecreek Drive to a new 58,000-square-foot administration facility.

Costa Mesa Planning Commission members on Tuesday voted 4-0 to approve the building’s master plan.

Commissioner Bill Perkins abstained because he lives across the street from the project at 1370 Adams Ave.

Bundy Finkel Architects will design the new building, which is expected to be constructed by late 2007.

Wendy Shih, the city’s associate planner, requested that the college district work with city staff on any future parking problems posed by the project.

The administration building will be one story high and will have 152 parking stalls.

“The proposed site configuration will allow for 152 cars, which, though it is under the city standard for a typical office building, will provide more than adequate parking for the district’s current and anticipated 100 employees, as well as the projected additional 50 guests,” Shih said.

The building will be on 13.78 acres. More than three acres will be leased in the future to a compatible development, Shih said.

Commissioner Eleanor Egan said the district may need those three acres for parking space.

Shih said that if any problems arise, the college district has agreed to work with the city to solve them.