Appeals court backs merger of two lots

The 4th District Court of Appeal in Santa Ana this week backed a couple’s quest to merge two lots in Corona del Mar so they could build a house on the newly expanded property.

The project has been tied up for years in a series of appeals by Newport Beach and a lawsuit, but on Monday, the appeals court reaffirmed the city’s decision to approve the merger, which created a single lot of about 13,500 square feet on Ocean Boulevard.

John and Julie Guida demolished the two homes that sat on the properties with the intention of building a single home, but since their original proposal in 2011 to the Planning Commission, neighbors have argued that the plan is incompatible with the rest of the area.

The City Council approved the merger in 2012, but opponents sued, arguing among other things that the project needed more-stringent environmental review and violated zoning requirements by lowering density in the neighborhood.

Neighbors also complained that the new home would encroach on their ocean views even though it would abide by a private deed restriction limiting the construction to one story.

However, an Orange County Superior Court judge ruled last year that the city acted appropriately, and Monday, the appeals court agreed.

Lawyers representing the Guidas and the plaintiffs did not return calls for comment Tuesday.

— Jeremiah Dobruck

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck