COSTA MESA CITY COUNCIL PREVIEW

RESIDENTIAL STANDARDS

Proposed residential development standards are up for final City

Council approval tonight.

The standards, which received initial approval June 4, will require

minimum lot sizes of 3,000 square feet and average lot sizes of 3,500

square feet, if finalized.

The council voted for the requirements after initially approving

standards a month earlier that would have required minimum lot sizes of

4,000 square feet, with average lot sizes of 4,500 square feet throughout

a development..

Councilman Chris Steel proved the swing vote as he changed his stance

to the smaller lot-size requirement after the owners of the El Camino

Shopping Center said the new requirements would kill their plans to

convert the center into houses.

Councilwoman Linda Dixon voted against the revised standards.

In addition to the required lot sizes, the standards also will mandate

larger driveways, more off-street parking, more landscaping and a more

extensive review process for new developments and major remodels.

WHAT TO EXPECT: The council is expected to give the proposed new

standards final approval. Dixon is expected to vote against them because

she is in favor of the larger lot-size requirement.

FAIRVIEW PARK

The council will consider accepting $194,000 from the California State

Coastal Conservancy for improvements to Fairview Park and also to spend

$194,000 of city money for the improvements.

While a final work plan is still being negotiated, the money could be

used for a 60-car parking lot, pedestrian and multipurpose trails, a

picnic area, erosion control, irrigation and landscaping, grading and

vernal pool restoration.

On Sept. 5, the council decided that one of its goals is to eliminate

the need for the parking lot, and eliminating the lot is not expected to

jeopardize the state grant, according to the staff report.

The planned width and makeup of the trails were also changed at the

September meeting after dozens of residents expressed their concerns

about how wide the paved trails would be.

Pedestrian trails will be three and four feet wide and constructed of

native materials. The multipurpose trails will be made of asphalt, rather

than concrete.

WHAT TO EXPECT: The council is expected to approve the grant and to

negotiate to reduce or eliminate the parking lot.