RESOLUTION NO. PC-2025-09
A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA RECOMMENDING CITY
COUNCIL DENIAL OF A GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT (PGPA- 24-0001), REZONE, MASTER PLAN (PMAP-24-0002), AND
TENTATIVE TRACT MAP N0. 1935'l FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF 40 RESIDENTIAL CONDOMINIUM UNITS
LOCATED AT 220, 222, 234, and 236 VICTORIA STREET ("VICTORIA PLACE")
THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA FINDS AND DECLARES AS FOLLOWS:
WHEREAS, a General Plan Amendment, Rezone, Tentative Tract Map, and Master Plan, was filed by Bundy-Finkel Architects, on behalf of WMC, LLC, requesting approval of the following: General Plan Amendment, Rezone, Master Plan, and Tentative Tract Map to facilitate the development of a 40-unit residential common interest development project located at 220, 222, 234, and 236 Victoria Street; WHEREAS, pursuant to Costa Mesa Municipal Code (CMMC) Section 13-83.63(a) and City Council Policy 500-2, a project screening is required for all residential development proposals within the RIOD, as well as for any privately-initiated General Plan Amendment;
WHEREAS, a screening provides awareness of the application to the community and gives the City Council an opportunity to offer comments on the merits and appropriateness of the proposed development before the applicant submits the formal planning application(s);
WHEREAS, a screening for General Plan Amendment (PSCR-24-0001 ) and RIOD was conducted by the City Council August 6, 2024, pursuant to the requirements of the CMMC Section 13-83.63(a) and City Council Policy 500-2; WHEREAS, a General Plan Amendment is required to modify the Land Use Element's maps, figures, text and tables to apply a RIOD zoning designation to the subject property, as the site currently has a land use designation of General Commercial, which does not allow residential development;
ATTACHMENT 11
WHEREAS, General Plan Amendment (PGPA-24-0001) requested the following revisions to the Land Use Element;
1. Figure LU-3 - apply the RIOD designation to the project site, without changing the underlying General Commercial land use designation
2. Figure LU-9 - amend text apply the RIOD designation to the project site
3. TableLU-16-updatetheNewportBoulevardRIODDensityColumnto117 units and total combined units to 478 units and remove the FloorArea Ratio section as FAR no longer applies to the RIOD
4. Figure LU-11: Residential Incentive Overlay: Newport Boulevard by revising exhibits to show the RIOD designation to the project site and revising allowable maximum residential units to 117 units and removing commercial square footage
WHEREAS, based on the proposed General Plan Amendment, a Rezone is requested to establish consistency between the General Plan and Zoning Code and apply the RIOD zoning designation to the subject project site, currently zoned C2 - General Business District, to facilitate the residential development while maintaining the underlying commercial zoning;
WHEREAS, the Master Plan (PMAP-24-0002) proposes a 40-unit residential development and is consistent with and meets the objectives of the General Plan as market-rate housing is encouraged and is compatible with the existing commercial and residential uses nearby;
WHEREAS, the applicant proposed to deviate from the following development standards: increased floor area ratio; reduced common use open space; increased building height; reduce side setback; reduced rear setback; omit landscape parkways; reduced parking; reduced garage space; and reduced parking space next to buildings; WHEREAS, Tentative Tract Map No. 1 935'l is a request to subdivide the property for future individual ownerships through the condominium subdivisions process; WHEREAS, the Planning Commission is the recommending body and the City Council is the final decision-maker for the Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, General Plan Amendment, Rezone, Master Plan, and Tentative Tract Map;
WHEREAS, a duly-noticed public hearing was held by the Planning Commission on June 9, 2025 with all persons having the opportunity to speak for and against the proposal; WHEREAS, on June 9, 2025, the Planning Commission recommended denial of the proposed project, citing concerns with discussed traffic impacts, public safety, and the appropriateness of applying the Residential Incentive Overlay District zone given the project's various deviations from the Municipal Code.
NOW, THEREFORE, based on the evidence in the record, the Planning Commission hereby RECOMMENDS City Council take the following actions:
1. Deny General Plan Amendment PGPA-24-0001 to modify the Land Use Element's maps, figures, text and tables to apply a RIOD zoning designation to the subject properly, as the site currently has a land use designation of General Commercial, which does not allow residential development; and
2. Deny request to rezone the project site by applying the RIOD zoning designation to the subject project site, currently zoned C2 - General Business District, to facilitate the residential development while maintaining the underlying commercial zoning; and
3. Deny Master Plan PMAP-24-0002 for a 40-unit residential common interest development; and
4. Deny Tentative Tract Map No. 19351 to subdivide the properties for condominium purposes.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that if any section, division, sentence, clause, phrase or portion of this resolution, or the document in the record in support of this resolution, are for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 9th day of June, 2025.
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Costa
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE )ss
CITYOFCOSTAMESA )
1, Carrie Tai, Secretary to the Planning Commission of the City of Costa Mesa, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution No. PC-2025-09 was passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the City of Costa Mesa Planning Commission held on June 9, 2025, by the following votes:
AYES: Harlan, Zich, Martinez, Klepack, Rojas
NOES: Dickson, Andrade
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
Costa Mesa Planning Commission
Resolution No. PC-2025-09