13 new 2-story homes approved for Eastside Costa Mesa
Thirteen new homes are coming to Eastside Costa Mesa after the Planning Commission voted unanimously Monday to approve the plans.
The project by Irvine-based Melia Homes calls for construction of 13 two-story single-family homes on a vacant 2.1-acre lot at 22nd Street and Santa Ana Avenue.
The proposed Craftsman/Spanish-style homes would have four or five bedrooms and at least four bathrooms and range from 2,740 to 3,719 square feet, not including the garages.
None of the houses would be more than 26.5 feet tall.
The Planning Commission’s decision is final unless appealed to the City Council.
“I think this is a fantastic development,” said commission Chairman Robert Dickson. “It’s going to be a great addition to that area.”
Chad Brown, vice president of planning and development for Melia Homes, said he sees the project as a “nice crown jewel.”
Opportunities to build projects like this don’t come along very often on the Eastside, Brown said Tuesday. “So we’re taking steps to make sure we’re doing it properly, correctly and in the best interests of everyone.”
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A few speakers Monday said they were worried that the project could snarl traffic on surrounding streets.
Some also raised concerns about lot sizes on the site, an issue that has been brought up repeatedly. The lots for the Melia project range from 6,006 to 6,863 square feet.
The land is part of the Santa Ana/Colleen Island annexation that brought 14 acres of unincorporated Orange County into the city in 2014.
Under county standards, the minimum lot size for single-family homes on the property was 7,200 square feet. The Costa Mesa City Council instead set the floor at the city’s standard 6,000 square feet, a decision that drew the ire of some nearby residents.
“We would love to have 10,000-square-foot lots behind us so that we all have those big buffers, because that’s what we all bought into,” longtime area resident Liz Parker said at Monday’s commission meeting.
Still, Parker credited Melia Homes for being willing to work with the community on the project.
The company held informational meetings for neighbors on March 2 and April 21 and, based on those meetings, agreed to provide additional on-street parking and to modify one of the home’s windows to provide extra privacy for a neighbor on 22nd Street.
“They came and listened to our concerns,” Parker said. “Is it perfect? No.”
Brown said the company hopes to have models open in a little less than a year.
The homes are expected to be priced at $1.2 million to $1.5 million, though the prices will be driven by market forces, Brown said.
Twitter: @LukeMMoney
