Commission defends Eastside homeowners

Despite a 3-1 ratio of support, the Costa Mesa Planning Commission

sided with opponents of an overlay zone that would have placed

construction limits on 140 Eastside homes. And that was the right

decision, a ruling that we hope the City Council upholds when it

reviews the proposal in April.

Homeowners deserve the right to the views that they purchased

into, but not at the expense of other homeowners’ rights. The

decision the commission made will not place such willy-nilly

restrictions on homeowners who should be able to expand their

1940s-era abodes within reason.

Homeowners should be able to draw up plans and continue to present

them to the zoning administrator for approval.

While Councilman Gary Monahan and the city were honorable in

trying to help a large group of homeowners preserve their

preferences, it wasn’t a sound plan.

The overlay zone proposed for the 140-home tract would have

limited construction to allow only one-story additions that don’t

exceed 14 feet in the rear 40% of the lot. Homeowners still could

have added a second story to the front of their properties.

There already exist restrictions on these homes, and they should

suffice. The zoning administrator and city officials are in the

business of doing what’s right to maintain the integrity of

neighborhoods. These aren’t the same employees who built areas of the

city that now need quite the overhaul.

These city employees will continue to make the right decisions. If

neighbors still disagree, they should band together to oppose such

projects that they deem too massive.

But it just seems as though this particular proposal is a

knee-jerk reaction that needs a cooler head. That’s how good planning

takes shape.