Mixed-use project for Mariners Mile on ice

Plans for a mixed-use project proposed for Mariners Mile are hitting the brakes — at least until May, so city staff can return before the Newport Beach City Council with answers to questions about parking requirements, density bonuses and compliance of the overall project with the city’s general plan.

The proposed project initially received approval by the Planning Commission in February, but was pulled for further consideration by Mayor Brad Avery in March after Avery said he heard from residents that said they were concerned about the possible impacts of the project, which is one of several major developments expected to come down the line for the 1.3-mile stretch of Pacific Coast Highway.

The council decided on a 4-1 vote at its regular meeting Tuesday that it will review the project at 2510 W. Coast Highway during its May 25 meeting. Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Muldoon cast the lone dissenting vote. Councilmen Duffy Duffield and Noah Blom recused themselves prior to consideration of the item.

The area was pinned previously for revitalization efforts by the city in 2011, but residents expressed significant concerns that left a potential master plan for the area up in the air. Mariners Mile stretches between Newport Boulevard and Dover Drive.

This is the first mixed-use development project to come to the area since the city’s last general plan update in 2006.

The 2510 W. Coast Highway project would replace an existing marine facility at 2510 and 2530 W. Coast Highway with a development that would include three stories with 35 residential units and a one-story 11,266-square-foot boutique auto showroom. Of those 35 units, about three would be designated low-income.

Principal planner Matt Schneider said at the February Planning Commission meeting that the facility was established in 1960, but later expanded into the property on 2530 W. Coast Highway in 2001.

Public comment Tuesday night was dominated by members of the Coalition to Protect Mariners Mile and residents living in the nearby Newport Heights neighborhood concerned about the obstruction of views from John Wayne Park, traffic, safety and the precedents being set forth by the 2510 project for later developments to come.

Residents asked the council to continue the project instead of voting on its fate Tuesday, with many arguing that they were pro-development but that they did not feel the proposed project was reflective of the surrounding area or character of Mariners Mile and, more broadly, Newport Beach as a whole.

Several requested that story poles be staked around the property so people could more easily gauge the heights and scope of the project.

Applicant Mark Moshayedi, who owns the property, said his team and city staff have been working on the project for two years. He said the project was in compliance with all the directives and constraints given to them thus far by the city of Newport Beach.

“All we’ve tried to do as a developer is to follow the rules that are set by the city of Newport Beach and the plan, as we’ve worked with the city for two years, you can ask your staff … we’ve tried to stay compliant,” Moshayedi told the City Council.

Moshayedi and Manouch Moshayedi purchased eight acres of Mariners Mile from Ardell Investment Co. in 2016.

The council members primarily grappled with the Housing Accountability Act, a senate bill passed in 2017 that prohibits local jurisdictions from rejecting housing developments that comply with local planning regulations unless they are proven to be a danger to public health or safety.

They also listened to residents’ concerns centering on building heights — particularly the potential for their views to be destroyed — traffic issues and parking.

“This [Housing Accountability Act] is complicated. It’s hard. There’s no question it’s meant to be, well — it’s actually meant to be easy. It’s meant to be ‘Approve the housing,’ right? That’s what the state’s trying to tell us to do,” said Councilman Will O’Neill.

“We’re trying to analyze this within our own standards and I think that’s appropriate to do and every city council should try to do that, but we should do it right,” he said.

Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber.