Planning commission approves 38 live‑work units at 960 W. 16th St.; vote clears deviations for separation and parking

The Costa Mesa Planning Commission on Feb. 10 approved a master plan (PMAP-24-0004) and tentative tract map (Tentative Tract Map 19345) that would allow the development of 38 live‑work residential units at 960 West 16th Street, authorizing departures from the Mesa West Bluffs Urban Plan for building separation and guest parking.

Staff said the project is categorically exempt from CEQA under the infill exemption and recommended approval subject to site-specific conditions, marketing requirements and CC&Rs to protect both workspace uses and residential expectations.

Nut graf: The commission voted 7-0 to approve the Intercorp Homes application after reviewing design changes the applicant made following a City Council screening session in June. Approved deviations allow a 6‑foot separation between buildings where the urban plan calls for 10 feet and a reduction in required guest parking supported by a professional parking study.

Senior urban planner Chris Yeager summarized the proposal as a 38‑unit, four‑story live‑work project on about 2.3 acres with a proposed density of about 16.5 dwelling units per acre (the urban plan permits up to 20). The developer proposed a floor‑area…