Inside CITY HALL

Compiled by Jennifer Kho

WHAT HAPPENED:

The City Council agreed Monday to end the moratorium on small-lot

single-family housing developments.

The council in June approved the moratorium on new two-story additions

in all residential areas in the city while it worked on the new housing

development codes.

The moratorium was extended in December until June 4, but according to

the staff report, the moratorium is no longer needed because the council

on June 18 adopted new codes that went into effect Wednesday.

WHAT IT MEANS:

Developers will be able to submit applications for new single-family

developments, which must comply with the new standards.

VOTE: 5-0 to end the moratorium

WHAT HAPPENED:

The council approved the Commonwealth Partners part of the Town Center

project.

Commonwealth Partners is one of the developers of the Town Center

project, which seeks to transform South Coast Metro into a

pedestrian-oriented Theater Arts District bordered by Bristol Street,

Sunflower Avenue, Avenue of the Arts and the San Diego Freeway.

Collaborating on the project with Commonwealth are the Orange County

Performing Arts Center and South Coast Partners, which owns South Coast

Plaza.

The South Coast Partners and the Center’s portions of the project were

approved earlier this year, but Commonwealth’s part has been held up

mainly because of disagreement about the length of time the developer

must maintain Isamu Noguchi’s California Scenario sculpture garden.

The council gave preliminary approval July 2 to a development

agreement for Commonwealth Partners’ portion of the Town Center project.

The agreement, under intense negotiation for months, requires the

developer to provide $200,000 for Theater Arts District improvements, to

make excess parking available to the public and to require Commonwealth

to maintain California Scenario for 50 years.

VOTE: 3-2 to approve. Councilwomen Linda Dixon and Karen Robinson

dissented.

WHAT HAPPENED:

The council upheld the Planning Commission’s decision to permit an

oil-change business to open on the southwest corner of Bristol Street and

Paularino Avenue.

The property was formerly a Shell service station.

WHAT IT MEANS:

Oil Stop, an oil-change business, will get a permit to open on Bristol

but will work with city staff to change its landscape plans.

The council voted to replace proposed palm trees with other trees.

Dixon said she does not believe the project is compatible with the

surrounding properties.

VOTE: 3-2, Dixon and Robinson dissenting

WHAT THEY SAID:

Cowan said she believes the project is compatible with the area.

“It is replacing a gas station and is surrounded by auto services,”

she said. “I think this is a case where we are trying to go in and deal

with a particular application when it is well within the rights of the

property owner to make changes.”

NEXT MEETING:

* What: Regular City Council meeting

* Where: City Hall, 77 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa

* When: 6:30 p.m. Aug. 6