Costa Mesa City Council wrap-up

Here are some of the decisions made at Monday’s Costa Mesa City

Council meeting:

CECIL PLACE

WHAT HAPPENED:

Council members refused to rehear a request to build two additional

houses on an unusually large lot on the Eastside.

The owners of the 18,000-square-foot property in the 200 block of

Cecil Place, Michael Schrock and Fritz Howser, were not present at the

meeting and did not send their lawyer to argue for a rehearing.

Schrock and Howser, who are business partners, were denied a rezone

petition on Nov. 19 that would have allowed them to build two houses

behind an existing two-story house on Cecil Place.

A written request for a rehearing was filed with the city before

Monday’s meeting and claimed the council failed to comply with state and

municipal codes, as well as state law.

Donald Lamm, the deputy city manager, said he believed there was no

new evidence from the applicant that would necessitate a rehearing.

WHAT IT MEANS:

Schrock and Howser have exhausted their options with the city to build

the new development under small-lot requirements. Schrock said the next

step is to submit an application to divide the large lot. Unlike the

previous proposal, this application does not allow the city to scrutinize

the design or architecture of the houses being built. It only draws lines

to divide the property, he said.

Each lot will be about 6,400 square feet, and Schrock will reduce the

backyard of the existing house to 20 feet to accommodate the larger lots.

Once divided, each lot will be considered low-density residential use --

or R-1 zoning -- and can be built without design approval.

VOTE: 4-0; with Monahan abstaining

WHAT WAS SAID:

Mayor Libby Cowan implied the request for the rehearing filed by

Schrock and Howser was not complete.

“Did they even outline the laws or codes they claim we failed to

comply with? This is just a one-page letter,” Cowan said.

HOME RANCH

WHAT HAPPENED:

The council finalized both the development agreement and rezoning

petition for the Home Ranch project.

Both aspects of the project were included in the council’s endorsement

of the development Nov. 19 but were considered tentative because they

require first and second readings.

The 15-year development agreement locks in benefits for the city while

giving developer C.J. Segerstrom & Sons rights to build on the property.

The city negotiated $2 million for local schools, $200,000 for the

Huscroft House, $8.6 million in traffic projects, a $5-million sales tax

guarantee and the preservation of the Segerstrom family home and barn,

located on the former lima bean fields.

The Home Ranch project will house a flagship Ikea, 192 homes and a mix

of industrial and commercial land use on 93 acres north of the San Diego

Freeway. Plans for the project -- specifically Ikea and commercial land

use -- did not conform with the general plan. The rezoning petition will

allow the Segerstroms to build differently than designated in the 1990

general plan.

WHAT IT MEANS:

If the Home Ranch project survives the challenges against it, the city

will be able to collect the community benefits offered in the development

agreement and the Segerstroms can start building their project.

VOTE: 4-1; with Karen Robinson voting against adoption

* Compiled by Lolita Harper

NEXT MEETING

* WHAT: Costa Mesa City Council meeting

* WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Dec. 17

* WHERE: Costa Mesa City Hall, 77 Fair Drive

* INFORMATION: (714) 754-5223