Residents object to report on store, office project

Andrew Glazer

COSTA MESA -- A report predicting the impact of a home furnishings store

and office complex to the Halecrest/Hall of Fame neighborhood lacks

crucial information, nearly a dozen residents told the Planning

Commission at Monday’s meeting.

The residents said the report failed to disclose that the building might

block snowcapped mountain views from homes there. And the neighborhood’s

streets could become noisier with increased truck traffic.

Not to mention, said one homeowner, the building’s yellow-and-blue color

scheme may clash with the earthy tones of nearby homes.

“Those colors are very, very, very bright,” said Eloise Ott, who lives in

the Halecrest/Hall of Fame neighborhood near the site of the proposed

IKEA store. “The bright yellow ... well it’s sort of tacky. But being of

Swedish decent, I don’t really want to criticize the color scheme.”

State environmental laws require the developers, C.J. Segerstrom & Sons,

to revise its report based on the information the public requested at

Monday’s hearing.

The two-volume report already contains five pounds of data and diagrams.

The proposed 93-acre project would be located between Fairview Road and

Harbor Boulevard, just north of the San Diego Freeway. The developer’s

plans call for the IKEA store and 2 million square feet of office space.

The city originally designated the land for homes and industries. But the

Segerstroms are asking the city to make exceptions for the project.

A Segerstrom spokesman said the developers would complete the updated

report in three to five weeks.

The Planning Commission is scheduled to vote on the project at its

meeting May 22.