Council approves Jamboree plan for 70-unit affordable senior housing at Costa Mesa Senior Center site

Costa Mesa City Council on Tuesday approved a package of entitlements and agreements to allow Jamboree Housing Corporation to develop a 70-unit senior affordable housing building on part of the Costa Mesa Senior Center parking lot.

Senior planner Victor Mendez described the proposal as a Spanish-revival style, three-story building with podium parking and ground-floor amenities. "The project proposes 35 low income and 34 very low income units for seniors," Mendez said during his presentation.

Under the approved plan the existing senior center building remains in place. The city-owned 2.66-acre site will be subdivided so Parcel 1 retains the senior center and Parcel 2 will be developed with the housing project. The building will provide a total of 133 parking spaces (59 in a podium structure and 74 surface spaces). Project documents say a maximum of 40 podium spaces will be assigned to residents and 19 of the podium spaces will be reserved for senior center use during business hours.

Council considered a master plan with a density bonus and four concessions that Jamboree requested to make the development financially feasible under state density-bonus law. Concessions included reduced open-space and front-yard setbacks and an allowance for reduced parking stall width adjacent to structural columns.

On financing and city support, staff said the city will offer a 99-year ground lease at $1 per year, defer and waive about $700,000 in city permit and impact fees (structured as a repayable loan), and could commit up to $1.5 million in HOME funds through a competitive application process. County Supervisor Katrina Foley announced county support that will bring several million dollars in county grants and 35 project-based vouchers. "The county is investing in this project: $2.5 million from Mental Health Services Act funds, $3.5 million from the Orange County Housing Finance Trust, $7.5 million from Continuum of Care and 35 project-based vouchers," Foley said.

City staff and the applicant said they had coordinated a construction mitigation and parking management plan intended to preserve senior center access during construction. Jamboree representatives described shuttle and valet strategies and agreements with nearby properties to supplement parking needs during peak times; they also committed to keeping roll-up parking gates open to serve the senior center during business hours.

Council members asked detailed questions about parking, access and long-term financial arrangements. Mayor Stevens and other members pressed the developer and staff on how refinance proceeds would be handled if the project later paid off loans; city legal counsel and the applicant said the ground-lease and DDA include a revenue-sharing mechanism that gives the city 50% of net refinance proceeds after defined deductions and investor obligations are met.

Multiple community members and service providers spoke in support, including Supervisor Katrina Foley, representatives from countywide homeless-services partners and local advocates; several residents and senior-center users also praised the proposal and asked staff to protect senior center access during construction. All councilmembers voted yes; the motion implementing the planning commission recommendations and approving the DDA, ground lease, master plan/density bonus, tentative parcel map and proposed city financial assistance passed 7-0.

Construction is expected to take about 22 months if financing is secured. The project will keep all units affordable for at least 55 years under the affordable housing agreement.