Planning commission studies 1,050‑unit “Hive Live” proposal at 3333 Susan St.; public hearing set for June 9

Planning commissioners on Tuesday heard a study‑session presentation about Hive Live, a proposed three‑phase residential development at 3333 Susan Street that would replace the existing HIVE creative office campus and the former LA Chargers training facility.

The project team and City staff described a proposed 1,050‑unit development with three five‑story buildings, a small retail component and an environmental impact report (EIR) underway. Senior Planner Chris Yeager told commissioners the application package includes a general plan amendment (industrial park to a mix of urban center commercial and high‑density residential), a zone change, a North Costa Mesa specific‑plan amendment, a tentative parcel map to enable phasing, a density‑bonus agreement and a request for a development agreement. Yeager said the draft fiscal analysis prepared by RSG Inc. and reviewed by the city projected a net revenue to the city of roughly $347,000 over a 28‑year forecast period after build‑out.

Why it matters: the site is inside the area covered by the North Costa Mesa specific plan and Measure K; the application would permit the conversion of an office/industrial campus to a high‑density residential center adjacent to the rail trail and IKEA Costa Mesa. Staff characterized the evening as a study session and noted a full public hearing and more detailed materials will return to the Planning Commission on June 9, followed by Airport Land Use Commission and City Council hearings if the project proceeds.

What staff and the applicant described

- Program and phasing: Yeager summarized the master plan’s three phases (identified as Innovator, Explorer and Eco‑enthusiast). Phase 1: 315 units, 3,692 square feet of retail and 538 parking spaces (5 stories; max height 73 ft. 3 in.). Phase 2: 346 units and 572 parking spaces (5 stories; max height 77 ft. 6 in.). Phase 3: 389 units and 643 parking spaces (5 stories; max height ~77 ft.6 in., stepped down to 4 floors where the project faces single‑family homes on Susan Street). Total proposed parking: about 1,756 spaces (roughly 1.65 spaces per unit). Yeager said the applicant provided a parking study by LLG and a traffic and circulation analysis; the traffic work found no significant impacts to signalized intersections and modeled the project’s trips for 2028 build‑out.

- Affordable housing and density bonus: the applicant requests a density bonus; Yeager said the project includes a minimum 10 percent affordable income units (which staff described as 105 low‑income units to be preserved for 55 years) and therefore receives a 20 percent density bonus. Staff said the project does not match the exact mix set out in the City’s housing element (which shows a different distribution of very low, low and moderate units for the site) and that the City would make a “no net loss” finding because the housing‑element buffers remain adequate for some categories.

- Public realm and open space: the master plan shows paseos and a publicly accessible plaza in the southeast corner that would be open during business hours, a pedestrian paseo connecting to the rail trail, wrapped parking garages with residential units around them, and more than 300,000 square feet of combined public and private open space (paseos, landscaped perimeters, plaza, and residential amenities).

- Entitlements and timelines: staff said development‑agreement negotiations are ongoing and the DA terms will be presented as bullet points at the public hearing; any final DA would be adopted later by City Council. Yeager also said the draft EIR concluded project impacts can be mitigated to less‑than‑significant levels for topics such as air quality, biological and cultural resources and transportation; a final EIR will be released after public comments and further study.

What commissioners and the public focused on

Commissioners pressed staff and the applicant on parking design (waivers for compact stalls and vertical obstructions), the relationship between the proposed parking supply and trip generation, the housing‑element unit counts and the distribution of affordability, parcel zoning choices (why the southern parcel is proposed as a commercial planned‑development district while the northern parcels are planned residential), inclusion of density‑bonus concessions in the specific‑plan language, and the status and likely timing of the development agreement.

During public comment several residents expressed concern about traffic, the amount and timing of affordable housing, and restricted hours and access at the rail trail adjacent to the site. Multiple speakers urged more publicly accessible open space and questioned whether the project delivers community benefits commensurate with its scale.

Formal action

After discussion the commission voted 7–0 to receive and file the study‑session presentation and set the matter for a public hearing on June 9. Motion by Commissioner Martinez; second by Commissioner Dixon. The public hearing will include the applicant’s materials, the DA terms (as available) and the City’s EIR materials.

Where it goes from here

Staff said the project will return to the Planning Commission on June 9 as a public hearing item; a conformity determination from the Airport Land Use Commission is scheduled for June 19; City Council hearings would follow. Staff and the applicant repeatedly told the commission the DA negotiations are “ongoing” and that they expect to supply the Planning Commission with DA terms before the public hearing.

Ending note: the presentation generated extended technical and policy questions from commissioners and a mix of supportive and critical public comments. Commissioners asked for additional materials (final parking and traffic reports, clarified housing counts and DA bullet points) to arrive with the public‑hearing packet so they can review details before the June 9 hearing.