Tustin council narrowly approves limiting uses at Wellington Plaza to office activities

The Tustin City Council voted 3-2 on Tuesday to amend the Downtown Commercial Core specific plan so Wellington Plaza (505–515 E. 1st St.) would be limited to general and professional offices, photography studios and tutoring facilities.

Principal planner Raymond Berrigan told the council the amendment is a minor text change affecting only Wellington Plaza, a multi-owner office-condominium complex, and summarized the site’s review history, including a 2020 council denial and subsequent planning commission consideration. Staff recommended adoption of ordinance 15 65 approving Specific Plan Amendment 2024-44 to align permitted uses with the property’s historical office character.

Owners of Wellington Plaza spoke in favor. Jaime Murad, a member of the Wellington Plaza Condominium Association board, said the property has functioned as office condominiums since 1979, is held by about 40 owners, and its governing documents reflect that long-standing use. Ian Carter, president of the Wellington Plaza Association, described the site’s layout and argued the buildings are not suited for typical retail or commercial tenants, telling the council the configuration and unit sizes make it “an office complex — it can't be anything but an office complex.”

Opponents on the dais framed the issue differently. Councilmember Fink said he viewed the request as largely a private matter, arguing the association’s CC&Rs and private legal remedies are the appropriate responses and warning that council intervention could set a precedent for repeated rezoning requests. In contrast, supporters said the amendment would provide clarity and a city-level enforcement backstop if a problematic tenant sought permission under broader zoning.

After debate, the motion to approve staff’s recommendation passed on a 3-2 roll call; the clerk recorded that the motion passed three-two with Mayor (title) and Councilmember Fink dissenting. The council’s action will limit the specific-plan uses available to existing buildings at Wellington Plaza; municipal staff will implement the ordinance if the council’s procedural steps are complete.

The public hearing attracted no in-room public speakers on the item after the applicant presentation. The council’s approval resolves a multi-year application history that has included earlier planning commission reviews and a prior council denial in 2020. If future owners seek a change, they would need to pursue the normal amendment process, city staff said.