Same old story for council

Lolita Harper

Same issue. Same councilman. Different address.

The City Council will review plans for another two-story addition

today after Councilman Chris Steel appealed an overwhelming Planning

Commission approval, saying the plans were

too big for the area.

Steven Dewan, who owns a modest house on Broadway, plans to again

bring with him a small army of supporters to City Hall to convince

council members this time to approve his designs for additional

space. His initial request had been denied by city Zoning

Administrator Perry Valantine. That denial was appealed by Councilman

Gary Monahan and given to the Planning Commission to rule on Dec. 30.

Planning commissioners gave a glowing recommendation to the

designs during the special meeting held during the holiday break so

the Dewans could have a definitive decision and not waste any more

money on the process. Commissioners said they understood that younger

families needed more space than 50-year-old architecture allow.

But that decision was appealed by Steel, bringing the tired issue

before the council.

“I think it’s really unfortunate that the Dewans’ remodel was

appealed,” said Planning Commission Chairwoman Katrina Foley. “I

think that their plans are sensitive to the neighbors, acceptable by

all of the relevant neighbors and are the kind of remodel that we

would like to see throughout the city.”

Her disappointment on the remodel issue was shared by council

members, who, at their last meeting, expressed frustration in having

to review so many remodel projects and said the city must tighten its

standards to stop the confusion and inconsistency.

Steel, who said he appealed the Planning Commission’s decision on

behalf of an opposing neighbor, said he was not only concerned with

second-story additions but “somewhat of a mansionization issue.”

Steel said he feared too many homeowners were proposing projects

that were well beyond the scale and size of the area houses.

The size of the Dewans’ home is inconsistent with its neighbors,

he said, and he thought the issue deserved another look.

Plans for the Broadway home involve remodeling the existing

1,200-square-foot, single-story home into a 2,143-square-foot, two-story home. The height is two feet lower than city standards

require and the second story covers only 33% of the first floor.

The neighborhood is made up primarily of single-story homes on the

front half of the lot, with garages next to the alley, a staff report

states. The Dewans’ addition would take up the space between the

house and the garage and the proposed second story would change the

view from the street.

The Dewans sent a packet of 56 letters, representing 45 households

within a 500-foot radius of their home, that supported their plans.

Most of the letters sounded something like one written by Susan

Beck reading:

“As a neighbor of the proposed addition at 439 Broadway, I would

like to let the city know that I have reviewed the plans and am in

favor of their project. I feel it would be a positive addition to the

neighborhood.”

Three opposing letters were received from two households on

Magnolia Street, the next street to the south of Broadway.

Residents Michael Hutchinson, Chiyo Matsubayashi and Richard and

Marilyn Tradewell said the proposed project was inconsistent with the

surrounding homes and adversely affected their privacy.

“This area must shun dense building to maintain its character and

environment,” the Tradewells wrote. “Higher elevations inevitably

block view, light, airflow, privacy and noise travels and bounces

differently.”

Hutchinson also spoke out at the Planning Commission meeting last

month and made mention to a possible “zoning overlay zone” being

considered by the City Council that would make uniform allowed

designs for second-story additions in a specific tract on the

Eastside -- the same tract the Dewans live in.

Hutchinson asked that the Dewans’ plan be put on hold until the

city makes a decision on the possible zoning change, but

commissioners reminded him they were required to rule according to

existing law, not possibilities.

* LOLITA HARPER covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at [email protected].