No time limits

Barbara Diamond

Despite the objections of Montage Resort & Spa neighbors and an irate

councilwoman, the City Council voted 3-2 after nearly two hours of

testimony to lift a two-year time limit on a conditional use permit

granted Feb. 1 for the resort’s employee off-site parking.

“I am mad,” said Councilwoman Jane Egly, whose motion, seconded by

Councilwoman Toni Iseman, to remove the item from the agenda was

voted down. “This is a second bite of the apple.”

On Feb. 1, the council approved a conditional use permit requested

by Montage for off-site employee parking across the highway from the

resort on what is called the Bubble Lot. However, the permit had a

two-year limit, , a condition Development Department Director John

Montgomery did not recall ever before being imposed.

“I can understand why they [Montage] came back after we put a

two-year limit on the CUP,” Mayor Elizabeth Pearson-Schneider said.

“We’ve never done that before.”

Conditional use permits are granted for specific uses, with

conditions that must be adhered to by the applicant. The permits end

when the use ends, but they can be revoked for violations of the

conditions.

“I am not happy with this [being] in front of us again,”

Councilman Steven Dicterow said. “I tried to craft a CUP to solve the

problem but I didn’t do a perfect job.”

Dicterow -- the proponent of the unusual, limited-term conditional

use permit -- supported the revisions.

Dicterow said city staff came up with better language than his,

which eliminated the need for the two-year time limit.

“It gives us the control I wanted,” Dicterow said.

Staff recommended approval of the revisions requested by resort

management.

Montage and Athens Group consultant Carol Hoffman said

modifications to the original permit were requested because the

two-year limit without provisions for landscaping and water quality

improvements was inconsistent with the resort’s vision, and did not

provide for permanent off-site parking.

“I want the landscaping; that’s why I am in favor of this,”

Councilwoman Cheryl Kinsman said.

Resort management did not ask council to remove the requirement

for a parking study in 2006 to determine if the 56-space lot was

adequate to park their employees and keep their vehicles off of city

streets while they are working.

“If the study shows more parking is needed, we would provide it,”

Hoffman said.

Iseman said that 56 spaces are not enough. Currently the hotel has

56 spaces in the Bubble Lot, and another 72 in the leased Linear Lot

to the south, which the resort would like to buy.

Neighbors say the parking lots do not solve the problem of

employees parking on residential streets.

“Montage employees are still parking on Ocean Vista, Wesley, in

Lang Park, in public lots and the Aliso Creek Shopping Center,”

Driftwood Drive resident Terry Sehi said. “The resort is always

cordial and nice when we speak, but their actions are different.”