ATTACHMENT 1
Resolution No. 2025-xx Page 1 of 9
RESOLUTION NO. 2025-xx
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
COSTA MESA , CALIFORNIA PROVIDING DIRECTION FOR
THE FAIRVIEW DEVELOPMENTAL CENTER SPECIFIC PLAN
DRAFT LAND USE CONCEPT, AND PROJECT DESCRIPTION
FOR PURPOSES OF ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA FINDS AND DECLARES AS FOLLOWS:
WHEREAS, the Fairview Developmental Center located at 2501 Harbor Boulevard is owned by the State of California and was formerly used as a state-run residential facility for individuals with developmental disabilities; and
WHEREAS, the residents of the Fairview Developmental Center main campus have been relocated; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of California’s acute affordable housing crisis, the State has prioritized the development of affordable housing in the disposition of the Fairview Developmental Center property; and
WHEREAS, on June 30, 2022, the State enacted Senate Bill 188, codified in Government Code Section 14670.31, establishing the framework for the planning and disposition of the Fairview Developmental Center site; and WHEREAS, on December 29 , 2022, pursuant to Government Code Section 14670.31, the Department of Developmental Services (DDS), Department of General Services (DGS), and the City of Costa Mesa entered into a formal agreement to plan for the future redevelopment of the Fairview Developmental Center; and WHEREAS, under this agreement , the City is responsible for managing the land use planning process, while the DGS is responsible for overseeing the property’s eventual disposition; and
WHEREAS, in September 2023, the City initiated the land use planning process and has since conducted multiple community outreach events to gather input on
Resolution No. 2025-xx Page 2 of 9
neighborhood design, vision and guiding principles, and identifying community priorities; and
WHEREAS, representatives from the City, DGS, and DDS have continued to meet regularly to coordinate planning efforts and ensure that the Fairview Developmental Center Specific Plan aligns with the intent of the enabling legislation and supports both State and City goals; and
WHEREAS, these goals include: the planning for the construction and operation of a California Office of Emergency Services Regional Emergency Operations Center; the development of DDS housing consistent with Government Code Sections 14670.36, 14670.31, and 14670.35(e), and the City’s adopted Housing Element objectives; and WHEREAS, it is essential that the Specific Plan include a land use framework and supporting policies that balance financial feasibility, State requirements —including provisions for affordable housing an d DDS housing—and community priorities such as open space and accessibility, in order to create a viable plan to guide future development; and
WHEREAS, in order to prepare a feasible Specific Plan and conduct environmental review pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the City must evaluate a version of the project that is both physically and financially viable; and WHEREAS, the Financial Feasibility Analysis served as a critical step in this process by evaluating whether each land use concept could offset the costs of demolition, infrastructure, DDS and affordable housing site preparation, while still generating a return sufficient to attract private investment—thereby ensuring the plan’s feasibility and ability to deliver key public benefits such as affordable housing, open space, and community amenities; and
WHEREAS, the results of the Financial Feasibility Analysis informed staff’s recommendation for a Preferred Plan and serve as a foundational element in the drafting of the Specific Plan; and
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WHEREAS, on May 27, 2025, the City conducted a Planning Commission Study Session to provide the Commission and the public with a comprehensive update on the FDC Specific Plan project, and to offer an opportunity for the Commission to review and discuss land use concepts and key plan components prior to making a recommendation to the City Council on a preferred land use plan; and
WHEREAS, on June 23, 2025, the City conducted a second Planning Commission Study Session to provide a comprehensive recap of the City and State roles in the Fairview Development Center (FDC) Specific Plan process to date, the findings of the Financial Feasibility Study, components of a Specific Plan, development realities of State housing laws, and environmental review; and
WHEREAS, on August 25, 2025, based on the updated recommendation and feedback provided by the public and City staff, the Planning Commission conducted a duly noticed public hearing with all persons having the opportunity to speak for and against the proposal; and
WHEREAS, on August 25, 2025, the Planning Commission adopted Planning Commission Resolution No. 2025- 17 recommending that the City Council affirm a recommended land use concept for the FDC Specific Plan for the purposes of environmental study; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the action being considered by the City Council is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines because the action is not a “project” pursuant to Section 15378(b)(5). The action involves an organizational or administrative activity of government that will not result in the direct or indirect physical change in the environment. Moreover, an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will be prepared for the Specific Plan in accordance with the CEQA Gui delines.
Direction on the preferred plan is used to help define the project description that will be studied under the EIR.
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Costa Mesa City Council hereby directs, based on the evidence in the record, that the project description, and draft preferred land use plan, included herein as Exhibit A, be used for the sole purpose of CEQA environmental review and that this direction does not commit the City to a specific course of action regarding the final Specific Plan.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Costa Mesa City Council does hereby find and determine that adoption of this Resolution is expressly for the purpose of scoping environmental review, as described in the staff report and supporting materials referenced in Exhibit A, and in compliance of all applicable federal, state, and local laws.
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 21st day of October, 2025.
_____________________________
John Stephens, Mayor
ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM:
________________________ _____________________________ Brenda Green, City Clerk Kimberly Hall Barlow, City Attorney
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STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) ss
CITY OF COSTA MESA )
I, BRENDA GREEN, City Clerk of the City of Costa Mesa, DO HEREBY CERTIFY that the above and foregoing is the original of Resolution No. 2025 -xx and was duly passed and adopted by the City Council of the City of Costa Mesa at a regular meeting held on the ___day of _____, 2025, by the following roll call vote, to wit:
AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereby set my hand and affixed the seal of the City of Costa Mesa this ___day of _____, 2025.
___________________________
Brenda Green, City Clerk
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EXHIBIT A
Recommendation on the environmental scope of study on the FDC Preferred Plan
95 Acre Property Boundary
• 2,300 Dwelling Units Minimum (per Housing Element)
• 4,000 Dwelling Units Maximum
• 35,000 square foot Commercial maximum – flexible location – could be standalone or in mixed-use configuration in any building • 12 acres minimum dedicated publicly accessible open space (plus improvements and impact fees)
• 2 access points from Harbor Boulevard
• (Off-site) Partial golf course reconfiguration due to secondary access road
Land Use Development Minimum Development
Maximum
Residential1
• Very Low Income 575 units2 -
• Low Income 345 units -
• Moderate Income 690 units -
• Above Moderate Income 690 units -
Total Units4 2,300 units minimum 4,000 units maximum
Commercial 10,000 sf minimum 35,000 sf maximum
Public Open Space3 12 acres minimum No maximum
NOTES:
1. The definition of Very Low, Low, Moderate, and Above Moderate-income categories is defined in Section X of the City’s Housing Element.
2. Very Low=income units shall include 200 Permanent Supportive Housing Units in accordance with State Code Section 14670.31. Housing developed on-site by DDS may count towards meeting this requirement.
3. Public Open Space includes areas planned for possible use of the following, including but not limited to: public parks, trails, plazas, and other types of open spaces available to the general public. It does not include private and common open space that is considered an on-site amenity for housing and is primarily accessible by the residents of the housing development.
4. Total units include the residential development within the 15-acres of land retained by DDS.
5. The Project also includes the construction of a secondary access on the southeast corner of the site that would run through the golf course. This would require the reconfiguration of up to six holes.
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Conceptual Land Use as of 7/24/2025
Specific Plan Designations:
Residential. The Residential land use category is intended to allow for a wide range of housing types, including two-and-three story walk-up townhomes, courtyard or motorcourt products, stacked flats, and buildings up to 12 stories in height. This category is also intended to satisfy the City’s 6
th Cycle RHNA obligation for the FDC property in terms of providing Very Low, Low, Moderate, and Above Moderate-Income Housing.
The Residential category will also allow for a range of senior living options including independent and assisted living. Public and private recreational uses, daycare, and community and neighborhood-serving amenities will also be allowed.
This category also includes approximately 15-acres of property to be retained by the State Department of Developmental Services (DDS) for the development of housing for the developmentally disabled (Very Low Income), and housing for moderate and above moderate households.
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Commercial. The Commercial land use category is intended to allow for neighborhood- serving retail and service uses in either a stand-alone or mixed-use configuration, including restaurants, coffee shops, small grocery and retail stores, pharmacies, studio and fitnes s facilities, and small office uses, including medical office, in either a mixed- use or stand- alone configuration. Ancillary community supporting uses, such as day care, are also allowed.
Publicly Accessible Open Space. The Open Space category is intended for various parks and open space uses that are open to the general public, including neighborhood parks, recreation centers and cultural facilities, smaller pocket parks, and trails for pedestrians and bicyclists. Flexibility in the final location and configuration of publicly accessible open space is provided in the Specific Plan.
Minimum Specific Plan Provisions to Carry out the Preferred Land Use Plan:
• The Plan (italics represent items in addition to items in the heading parenthetical). o Land Use Plan (including permitted land use categories such as housing/affordable housing, commercial, community amenities, etc.) Allow community amenity uses (library, school, etc.)
o Mobility and Circulation (including roadway and network layout, street sections, bicycle, and pedestrian path and access requirements, etc.) Secondary access acquisition process (City-owned land), including community engagement
Construction phasing of “backbone” paths and streets
o Open Space (including minimum required open space, types of open space permitted and possible locations for open space, recreational amenities, dedications, fees to be paid, construction and maintenance responsibilities) Require State/General Plan designated amount of open space Use Open Space requirements as a lever to achieve additional affordability or publicly-available amenities
Accommodate active sports fields that are open to the public, with the uses to be determined by the City’s Park Master Plan Golf course reconfiguration and improvement requirements, including phasing
Pedestrian connection to Fairview Park
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o Infrastructure (including infrastructure requirements for the plan such as water, storm drain, sewer and drain utilities for both master development and individual project development)
Construction phasing of “backbone” infrastructure
o Public Services (including additional requirements for public services such as police and fire facilities, as well as storm drainage to accommodate the need of additional residents and services)
Construction phasing to ensure public services are available to service future residents
• Administration and Implementation
o Review processes, including applications and decision bodies Future development
Specific Plan amendments
o Monitoring requirements
o Development impact fee provisions