Harper’s Cove smaller lot sizes win Costa Mesa council approval
The Costa Mesa City Council on Tuesday approved a pre-zoning ordinance that would allow a planned Eastside development to have smaller lot sizes than some neighbors wanted.
The 13-home tract, preliminarily named Harper’s Cove, was finalized to have 6,000-square-foot lot-size minimums, in accordance with citywide standards for single-family home neighborhoods.
Councilwoman Wendy Leece dissented on the 3-1 vote, contending that the tract should have larger 7,200-square-foot minimum lot sizes. Councilwoman Sandy Genis was absent.
The larger dimensions would have been in accordance with the minimums that the neighborhood, officially known as Santa Ana/Colleen Island, already has because it is unincorporated county land.
“It is kind of a gem,” Leece said. “We should keep it that way.”
Harper’s Cove is a roughly 2-acre plot of undeveloped land within Santa Ana/Colleen. Costa Mesa is working to annex the nearly 14-acre neighborhood, which has about 150 residents. The county is asking cities to annex so-called unincorporated “islands.”
Residents critical of the project contend it would put the needs of the Harper’s Cove developer, Newport Beach-based Meadows Asset Management, ahead of their wishes.
Colleen Place resident Jonathan Fletcher said he was “literally speechless” at the council’s decision, which he argued “stinks of undue influence.”
Mayor Jim Righeimer said Harper’s Cove is a low-density, quality project, adding that the seven homes there that would abut eight Colleen Place homes are planned to have generous rear setback spacing.
That spacing exceeds both city and county standards, he said, and it’s what residents there have asked for.
Righeimer said because some Santa Ana/Colleen residents have “illegal rooms” and “add-on garages” that back up to their property lines, they have had concerns about any development next door.
“That is absolutely untrue,” Fletcher said from his seat.
Righeimer accused him of “disturbing the meeting” because he was interjecting after the public comment.
“Then I’ll walk out,” Fletcher said in response. “Don’t lie to these people.”
He then left the council chambers.
