Bayview project approved

June Casagrande

A senior affordable housing complex at Lower Bayview Landing will be

built, the California Coastal Commission decided Wednesday.

The 7-4 commission vote to approve the city’s permit request means

that work should begin within six months to build 120 apartments for

low-income seniors near the Newport Dunes on Jamboree Road near Coast

Highway. Construction is expected to take about a year, meaning the

project should be done mid-2005.

“Needless to say, I’m pleased that it finally went through,” Mayor

Steve Bromberg said.

The project encountered an obstacle earlier this year when

environmentalist Jan Vandersloot reported that several sites on the

property appeared to qualify as wetlands. While the battle over the

project is now history, bitter feelings over the fight could linger.

Bromberg had accused environmentalists led by Vandersloot of using

the wetlands issue as a bargaining chip to assure that a park planned

for the adjacent Upper Bayview Landing site met their concerns.

Vandersloot and others stood firm on their position that their

environmental concerns were legitimate.

In July, Coastal Commission staffers seemed to be siding with

environmentalists. Some staff members ruled that several features on

the site constituted wetlands and, as a result, the city was sent

back to the drawing board to come up with a project that made room

for the wetlands.

The city responded by scaling down the project from 120 to 150

units, changing the way the buildings were situated on the site,

agreeing to build and maintain a wetland area on the site and to

leave a portion of the bluff above at its current height.

Vandersloot said Wednesday that he was pleased with the commission

vote.

“I think it was a good decision,” he said.

City officials are still trying to learn whether the project can

be exempt from state Prevailing Wage laws, which could mean about

$500,000 in added labor costs.

The apartments will be available to low-income seniors. About two

dozen of the units will be set aside for moderately low-income

households: individuals who earn less than $31,700 or couples who

earn less than $36,300. About 95 of the apartments will be available

to individuals who earn less than $26,450 or couples brining in less

than $30,250.

“I’m very happy that it’s over,” said Dennis Baker, spokesman for

environmental group Earth Resource Foundation, which has supported

the project with safeguards to prevent the city from changing

important details of the plan at a later date. “I look forward to it

happening.”

Developer the Related Cos. is taking names of people who would

like to attend a presentation on the project after construction has

begun.