Rehearing set for 1901 Newport

Deirdre Newman

The longest rehearing request in Mayor Gary Monahans’ time on the

dais finally ended Monday with victory for the appellants.

Robin Leffler, representing Citizens for Responsible Growth, and

Councilman Allan Mansoor convinced the full City Council that there

was enough new information to warrant a rehearing on the high-density

condos at 1901 Newport Blvd.

The project calls for 161 upscale condos to be housed in four,

four-story buildings -- about 50 feet in height -- on property that

hosts the Spanish mission-style Newport Plaza building. It was

originally approved April 14.

Monday was the third time the council heard the request for the

rehearing. Both previous votes -- with only four council members

present -- ended in deadlock. This time, Councilwoman Libby Cowan

cast the decisive vote for a rehearing.

Cowan said Leffler made some valid points about the shade and

shadow the towering condos would create for residents behind the

project on Bernard Street. She also called for an independent review

of the environmental report to ensure its legality.

“Does [the report] meet the California Environmental Quality Act

requirements?” Cowan asked. “Do we have conflicting information in

there? Does this page say one thing and then 10 pages later say

something else?... I think the project has a lot of merit, but I do

think we [the city] need to make sure that we have done our due

diligence to make sure it meets the letter of the law.”

Leffler said she felt vindicated that the request was finally

granted.

“We’re pleased,” Leffler said. “It’s just one step in the process,

though. We hope it will result in some changes in the project so it’s

compatible with the neighborhood.”

Those changes include a decrease in project size so it won’t cast

as much shadow on Bernard Street properties, more parking and better

traffic circulation, Leffler said.

David Eadie of Rutter Development, which is developing the condos,

stood fast to his belief that no new evidence was presented.

“After listening and hearing the request for the third time, it

was evident to us that there’s been an argument over existing

evidence in the record, but there’s no new evidence and that’s the

threshold for voting for a rehearing,” Eadie said.

During her previous two presentations, Leffler presented a copious

amount of information that the citizen’s group considered to be new

on issues like the environmental report, privacy, parking and noise.

The Mesa Verde resident, who is a garden designer, brought

sun-sensitive flowers like gazanias to demonstrate what the group

considers to be contradictory information about shade and shadows in

the report.

Monday, a more concise Leffler showed up along with an attorney

the group hired -- Doug Carstens. Carstens pointed out that 17

residents who spoke at the meeting still had questions and concerns

about the project.

One of those was June McKenzie, who compared the high-density

condos to a large department store that the City Council rejected

earlier this year for the Mesa Verde Shopping Center.

“How did the city reject Kohl’s yet is willing to build a mammoth

project on a postage stamp?” McKenzie asked.

The council is expected to rehear the project at its July 7

meeting.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers Costa Mesa and may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at [email protected].