SENIOR VILLAGE Planning commissioners will take...

SENIOR VILLAGE

Planning commissioners will take another look at a requested

project extension from the owner of Newport Senior Village after

suspending previous decisions because of resident allegations of

mismanagement.

Edna Nunn, a resident of the 71-unit senior housing center,

opposed the owner’s request for an extension on his proposed

expansion plans at the last meeting because she claimed there is poor

maintenance and tenant abuse at the current facility. Planning

commissioners asked staffers to investigate the allegations before

they would render a decision.

Ronald Berggren, the owner of the senior center at 2072 Newport

Blvd., was given a conditional-use permit last year that allowed him

to demolish the apartments on a parcel to the south of his property

to expand his existing 71-unit building by 20 units. Berggren was

unable to close escrow on the adjacent apartment complex where he had

planned for construction and asked for an extension for his project.

According to a staff report, planners researched Nunn’s

allegations of poor security and building code violations and found

no evidence to support them. Planning staffers also checked with the

police department and building code division to see if any other

reports of mismanagement were reported and there were none, the

report reads.

Nunn’s allegations of discrimination and harassment are outside of

the city’s scope of influence but can be reported to the Federal Fair

Housing Act for proper recourse, planners suggested.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The commission is expected to approve the proposed extension,

while warning Berggren to make sure he abides by pertinent fair

housing laws.

SANTA ISABEL PROJECT

The owner of a large Eastside lot has resubmitted a scaled-down

housing project that calls for four, two-story homes on a

27,800-square-foot lot after city leaders told him his previous

proposal was too dense for the single-family area.

Owner Fharad Khosravi had originally submitted a proposal for five

single-family houses at 258 Santa Isabel but was unanimously turned

down by both the Planning Commission and the City Council, which

refused to grant him a deviation from the city’s new lot size

requirements.

Councilwoman Karen Robinson said Khosravi had “done a nice job” on

the project but that the proposed lots were simply too small for the

neighborhood. She encouraged him to return with 6,000-square-foot

lots.

Khosravi has, as his new plans call for two lot sizes at 6,203

square feet and the other two at 6,366. The houses are configured

around a common driveway and only two would face the street, a staff

report reads.

WHAT TO EXPECT

When they denied the project initially, council members

acknowledged that some type of multi-unit project would take the

place of the existing apartment complex but wanted to make sure the

single-family houses were large enough to fit with the surrounding

Eastside neighborhood. Because the proposed lots have reached the

6,000-square-foot benchmark, planning commissioners are expected to

approve the project.

WENDY’S LATE NIGHT

Wendy’s restaurant’s recent “late night” campaign has hit a snag

with at least one Costa Mesa resident, as an Eastside man is

appealing the city’s recent approval of longer hours at the fast food

chain.

Neighbor Robert Small, who lives behind the busy 17th Street fast food stop, wants the Planning Commission to reconsider the city

zoning administrators decision to allow Wendy’s drive-through window

to stay open until midnight daily, saying the noise from people who

are out that late is too much to bear.

The drive-through window is currently open until 11 p.m. but the

fast food chain asked for an extension until 1 a.m. to draw business

from late night crowds. Zoning administrator Perry Valantine

authorized the midnight benchmark as a compromise.

According to a staff report, planners do not think an additional

hour of business would create too much noise, since the coffee shop

next door also stays open until midnight. Wendy’s dining room closes

at 10 p.m. and the late night traffic would only be in the

drive-through, located at the front of the site, the report reads.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Planning commissioners are expected to approve the one-hour

extension.

MONTE VISTA PROJECT

An Eastside property owner will ask the Planning Commission to

consider plans for three, two-story houses on a 15,159-square-foot

lot.

Joe Cefalia, the owner of 373 Monte Vista Ave., has proposed

construction of three single-family homes each with an average lot

size of 3,990 square feet, according to a staff report. Each home

would have three bedrooms, a bonus room and a two-car garage.

The plans are subject to design review but meet all applicable

city codes, the report reads.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The Planning Commission is expected to approve the project.