Costa Mesa council approves 142‑unit Bear Street housing project after parking and pedestrian‑gate concessions

The Costa Mesa City Council on Aug. 5 approved entitlements for a 142‑unit residential development at 3150 Bear Street, voting 6‑0 to authorize the general plan amendment, rezone, design review, tentative tract map and density bonus for the site.

The project, proposed by Meritage Homes, includes 142 ownership units — 122 stacked flats/townhome units and 20 detached single‑family units — and seven units restricted to very‑low‑income buyers. Meritage also proposed a one‑time $250,000 community benefit payment for improvements at nearby Shiffer Park.

City staff and the developer emphasized the project’s responses to earlier Planning Commission feedback: added sidewalks, reoriented buildings to reduce impacts on nearby houses and a proposed signalized entrance at Bear Street. The developer’s presentation listed about 93,500 square feet of on‑site open space and additional off‑site open space in an existing Bear Street maintenance agreement. Staff said the project generates fewer than 50 net peak‑hour trips compared with the existing use and that traffic fees will be assessed when building permits are pulled.

Why it matters: The site is in a Measure K corridor identified for additional housing capacity. Supporters said the development delivers for‑sale “missing middle” housing and homeownership opportunities for working households in a city with high housing costs. Neighbors and other residents raised sustained concerns about traffic, on‑street parking spillover, and a planned pedestrian gate providing a path from the project to Olympic Avenue and the adjacent neighborhood.

Public comment was extensive and sharply divided. Dozens of residents who live around Shiffer Park and in the adjacent Lifestyles neighborhood said the project’s design — particularly tandem garages, limited guest parking and a potential pedestrian gate — would push overflow parking onto local residential streets, endanger children walking to the park and reduce privacy for existing homeowners. Other residents and housing advocates said Costa Mesa needs more for‑sale units and urged the council to approve the entitlements so local residents and younger families can buy homes in the city.

How council resolved the dispute: Council accepted several staff and applicant commitments during the hearing. Meritage agreed to remove the proposed pedestrian gate at Olympic Avenue in response to neighbor objections. The project as proposed supplies 319 parking spaces on site (staff said 236 spaces were required under code), including about 35 guest spaces; many of the remaining parking stalls are in tandem garages. As a condition of approval the council required the project’s Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs) and HOA enforcement measures to include garage‑use rules and annual HOA affidavits certifying garage use and allowing voluntary garage inspections to verify compliance. The council also gave staff direction to require the HOA to contract for towing enforcement to address illegal overnight parking.

Council also added engineering and monitoring conditions. The vote package requires the developer to fund a signalized entrance with a marked crosswalk to improve pedestrian access to Shiffer Park and directs public works staff to work with the applicant to integrate pedestrian safety features at the Bear Street crossing — for example, leading pedestrian intervals, tighter curb radii, directional curb cuts and a pedestrian refuge island where feasible. The council asked staff to monitor neighborhood parking after project occupancy; if sustained parking complaints occur staff may require additional measures, including temporary gate locking or other access controls tied to further study. The council also directed transportation staff to study traffic calming and enforcement opportunities in the nearby Triangle neighborhood and to return with options.

Numbers and specifics: The council approved a 142‑unit ownership project with seven very‑low‑income units, about 93,500 square feet of on‑site open space plus roughly 13,000 square feet of off‑site open space within the existing maintenance area; the applicant committed $250,000 for Shiffer Park improvements. The project proposes 319 parking spaces on site (staff said 236 would be required by code) with roughly 35 guest stalls. The townhome portion is about 120 feet from the nearest existing house, staff said.

Action taken: Mayor Pro Tem Manuel Chavez moved to approve staff’s recommendation with the removal of the Olympic pedestrian gate; Councilmember Jeff Pettis seconded. The motion carried 6‑0. The council’s action included the mitigated negative declaration, the suite of land‑use entitlements (general plan amendment, rezone, design review, tentative tract map, density bonus) and the conditions described above.

Next steps: With council approval the project moves toward final permits and the building permit stage. Staff will administratively track required traffic and park mitigation fees and the city will monitor the neighborhood for parking impacts after homes are occupied. The applicant and city staff will coordinate design details before construction to implement the pedestrian‑safety engineering measures and the Shiffer Park improvements the developer pledged.

For now, neighbors who opposed the gate and expressed worries about parking left the hearing with the developer’s concession on the gate and with council commitments to additional engineering and monitoring. Supporters said the approval represents a meaningful step to increase for‑sale housing in Costa Mesa.