Three cities want to make it easier to replace commercial buildings with housing in key spots, inspired by the thousands of homes approved for Anaheim’s Platinum Triangle earlier this week.
Officials in Santa Ana, Costa Mesa and Fullerton said they want to streamline the development process and spare developers from intensive environmental studies in certain areas.
Instead, the cities would do one overall study that developers could draw from, as Anaheim did around Angel Stadium of Anaheim.
Other changes are planned. Santa Ana and Costa Mesa are considering special optional zoning,again, following Anaheim’s lead,to allow for housing.
Similar changes in Anaheim have lured developers in droves to the Platinum Triangle, an 820-acre area between the Santa Ana (I-5) Freeway and the Santa Ana River. In recent months, developers have proposed 7,500 condominiums and apartments there.
Last week, Anaheim OK’d Lennar Corp.’s plan for 2,681 homes, including high-rise condominiums, in a triangle development dubbed A-Town.
Costa Mesa likely is furthest along among other cities.
It is looking at four sites totaling about 650 acres, according to R. Michael Robinson, assistant development services director for Costa Mesa.
Three of the sites are between the Costa Mesa Golf Course and Superior Avenue. The fourth site is between Bristol Street and the San Joaquin Hills (73) Toll Road.
Santa Ana is eyeing a 145-acre site along Fourth Street between the 5 Freeway and Tustin Avenue, according to Karen Haluza, a principal planner with the city.
The city also is considering special zoning a few blocks away downtown to allow for transforming commercial and other buildings into condominium lofts, Haluza said.
Fullerton hopes to partner with a developer on planning for a 35-acre area around its downtown train station, according to Robert Zur Schmiede, executive director of the city’s redevelopment agency.
For more on this story, see the Oct. 31 edition of the Business Journal.
