Council rules against condo sales without changes

Developer Barry Saywitz can’t subdivide and sell off any of the 12 apartments he owns at 577 and 579 Victoria St. unless he knocks down three of the units, the Costa Mesa City Council decided Tuesday.

Saywitz planned to renovate the units and sell them as condos, but the planning commission in April said he could only sell nine units and had to eliminate the other three because the complex didn’t have enough parking. He appealed to the council, pointing out his project doesn’t require any rules to be waived.

“This council in its ultimate wisdom put an overlay [zone] here to encourage lot combinations, and if we build or allow these to individually be converted to a compromise type of product, we’re going to limit the ability for these other lots to combine,” Councilman Eric Bever said. “I think when the market comes back it’ll make sense and this’ll get done.”

Saywitz said it doesn’t make business sense for him or anyone to build something completely new on the parcel.

The council voted 3-2, with Councilwomen Linda Dixon and Katrina Foley dissenting.

— Alicia Robinson