COSTA MESA CITY COUNCIL WRAP-UP

Here are a few items the council considered Tuesday:

GENERAL PLAN CHANGES

The council agreed that four zoning change applications met the criteria to move forward, which means developers can continue to plan their projects and will eventually go before the planning commission and then the council for approval.

The proposed changes involve a lot line adjustment for the Midas shop at 1944 Newport Blvd.; zoning for residential development on a 6.8-acre Monrovia Avenue parcel that was the former headquarters of Eaton Industries; a change from industrial to commercial zoning on West 17th Street to replace a warehouse, office building and Quonset huts with a 102,000-square-foot home improvement store; and residential zoning to build condos where industrial buildings now stand at the corner of Placentia Avenue and West 17th Street.

WHAT IT MEANS

More planning will be done on the four projects, and the council will later vote on whether to grant the necessary zoning changes.

HIGH-RISE STUDY

The council voted to hire Culbertson, Adams and Associates Inc. of Aliso Viejo to do an environmental study of five proposed high-rise condo projects planned near the Orange County Performing Arts Center. The report will explore any expected environmental effects of the projects, which are within a mile of each other and could add traffic to the area.

Although the environmental report covers all five projects, each would be considered separately by the planning commission and council. Public comment can be made on the report, which is expected to be done in March.

WHAT IT MEANS

The city will spend $391,094 on the environmental study but will be reimbursed by the developers of the five high-rise projects.

CONTINUED ITEMS

Discussions were lengthy on several issues, and the council has a rule that it must vote on whether to take new business items after midnight. Because the meeting ran so late, council members opted to postpone several items, including a request from Councilwoman Katrina Foley to form a safe streets committee, changes to the agreement with Newport-Mesa schools that governs athletic field use, and changes to the procedures for appealing and rehearing council decisions.

WHAT IT MEANS

The council will discuss the items at one if its two January meetings.

IF YOU GO

* WHAT: Next Costa Mesa City Council meeting

* WHEN: 6 p.m., Jan. 10

* WHERE: Council chambers, City Hall, 77 Fair Drive

* INFO: (714) 754-5221 or www.ci.costa-mesa.ca.us

-- Compiled by Alicia Robinson