Planning commission recommends approval of 142-unit Bear Street housing project, sends item to city council

The Costa Mesa Planning Commission on July 14 voted 5-0 to recommend that the City Council approve a 142-unit ownership residential development at 3150 Bear Street, after a two-hour public hearing that drew more than a dozen speakers who voiced concerns about traffic, parking and building height.

Staff and the applicant said the project would replace the existing Trinity Broadcast property with 20 detached homes and 122 stacked townhome units for a total of 142 ownership units, including seven deed-restricted very-low-income units under the state density bonus program. "The project includes approximately 93,000 square feet of on-site open space with an approximate 13,000 square feet of additional off-site open space," said Chris Yeager, senior planner for the city.

The commission’s recommendation asks the City Council to adopt a mitigated negative declaration (MND) and to approve a package of entitlement actions: a general plan amendment to change the site from General Commercial to High-Density Residential, a rezone from the AP (Institutional and Recreational) district to R-3 (multi-family), design review, a tentative tract map to allow individual ownership, and a density-bonus entitlement that yields a 20% bonus tied to the seven very-low-income for-sale units. The motion to approve was made by Commissioner Martinez and seconded by Commissioner Andrade; the vote carried 5-0.

Why it matters: the project would add for-sale “missing middle” housing in a part of the city largely built with single-family homes and smaller residential complexes. Supporters and two commissioners emphasized the homeownership opportunity. "We quite simply need more housing," Commissioner Martinez said in support of the recommendation. Supporters also noted the applicant’s inclusion of a community benefit payment and open-space improvements.

Key project features and approvals - Units and affordability: 142 ownership units total — 20 detached single-family units along the south and east property lines and 122 stacked townhome units across eight four-story buildings. The applicant proposes seven very-low-income for-sale units (about 5% of units) to qualify for the density bonus. - Density bonus and waivers: The applicant requests concessions/waivers under California’s density bonus law for standards including front setbacks, minimum lot areas for detached units, maximum building height (to allow up to four stories / about 52 feet for stacked townhomes), and private open-space dimensional standards for stacked units. - Open space and park benefits: Staff said the project provides roughly 93,000 square feet of on-site open space and about 13,000 square feet of additional open space covered by a maintenance agreement. The applicant will provide a one-time community benefit payment of $250,000 to the city designated for Shiffer Park improvements; parkland dedication is not proposed and park impact fees will apply. - Circulation and safety: The proposal includes a new signalized intersection on Bear Street and a pedestrian gate adjacent to an emergency gate on Olympic Avenue; staff said the pedestrian gate would be open during Shiffer Park hours (sunrise to sunset) and the gate plan must be approved before implementation. A transportation memo prepared for the project concluded the development would generate fewer than 50 peak-hour trips above existing base conditions and therefore did not require a full traffic impact analysis; staff and the transportation manager said the new signal will include current city signal treatments, including leading pedestrian intervals. - Parking: The project includes 319 on-site parking spaces; staff said density-bonus calculations require 236 spaces for the proposed unit mix, so the project proposes more than the minimum required under the density bonus calculations. The CC&Rs would include provisions requiring the HOA to manage visitor parking, towing enforcement, annual affidavits that garages are used for vehicle parking, and voluntary garage inspections to verify parking availability. - Environmental review: Staff prepared a mitigated negative declaration with mitigation measures for geology/soils, cultural and tribal resources, transportation/VMT, hazards/hazardous materials and biological resources. The project received comments from Caltrans and the Department of Toxic Substances Control; staff said responses were provided and the MND is before the commission for adoption.

Public comment and commissioner concerns More than a dozen residents spoke during the public hearing. Common concerns included increased traffic on Bear Street and surrounding local streets, on-street parking overflow into adjacent neighborhoods, the height and massing of the four-story stacked buildings adjacent to single-family backyards, and safety related to the proposed pedestrian gate. Public commenters said permit parking on neighborhood streets would not solve the perceived overflow issue.

Representative comments included: John Fraser, a long-time resident, who said, "I vehemently oppose the pedestrian access to Olympic" because of parking and neighborhood impacts. Several residents asked that taller buildings be reduced in height and asked for clearer disclosures of the waivers and concessions that would be granted. Supporters of the project — including some callers on Zoom — said the product creates entry-level for-sale housing and that stacked flats provide a pathway to homeownership in Orange County.

Applicant presentation and responses Vanessa (Meritage Homes), the applicant’s representative, described Meritage’s product history and stated the developer’s intent to provide for-sale missing-middle housing and energy-efficient, all-electric homes. The applicant’s team said they conducted community meetings, prepared a marketing and affordability plan in coordination with a nonprofit partner for the restricted units, and that park- and pedestrian-related design elements were revised in response to council and staff feedback.

Commissioner questions and staff clarifications Commissioners asked about driveway widths (staff said fire access standards require wider driveways), tree retention and replacement (the applicant proposes to retain certain trees along the Bear Street slope and to plant approximately 186 new trees), the difference between concessions and waivers under state density-bonus law (waivers are related to objective development standards needed to physically accommodate units on the site; concessions are cost‑reducing changes), and why some project design features appear as conditions of approval. Staff clarified that project design features incorporated into the project must remain in place for the environmental analysis to stand and may be reflected in conditions for enforcement.

Formal action The planning commission voted to adopt the mitigated negative declaration and to recommend that the City Council approve the general plan amendment, rezone, design review, tentative tract map and density bonus for the 3150 Bear Street project, including the conditions of approval as revised by staff; motion by Commissioner Martinez, second by Commissioner Andrade. Vote: Harland — yes; Rojas — yes; Klipak — yes; Andrade — yes; Martinez — yes (carried 5-0). The commission noted this is a recommendation; the City Council will consider the item at a future meeting and the public will have another opportunity to comment.

What’s next This recommendation will be transmitted to the City Council for final action; staff and the applicant indicated the ALUC (Airport Land Use Commission) review at John Wayne Airport is scheduled for the week following the hearing. The City Council will consider the MND and entitlements at a future meeting; the commission chair reminded the public that the council hearing offers another opportunity to provide comment.