An unexpected airport issue temporarily grounded plans for five high-rise condominium projects in Costa Mesa last month.
While not a deal killer, the issue stands to slow down development for at least a few months.
Costa Mesa’s City Council was prepared to grant final approvals for the first of the five condo projects proposed for the area around South Coast Plaza.
Instead, the council found itself battling an airport agency over a last-minute rejection of the plans for the towers.
The week before the city hearing, John Wayne Airport’s Land Use Commission surprised the city and some developers by voting that the high-rise plans are “inconsistent” with the area near the airport.
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Rendering of Pacific Life building: would be tallest in Aliso Viejo |
The commission was vague in its reasoning, citing its discretion in protecting airport traffic patterns. Its decision contradicts previous findings it made in 2001 for the South Coast Plaza area, City Manager Allan Roeder said.
The seven-member commission reviews land use proposals near the airport and those that could have a potential impact on airport operations.
Proponents of the towers thought they had resolved any height or airport safety issues several months ago when the Federal Aviation Commission signed off on the project.
The FAA has caused delays for other local high-rise projects, most notably Maguire Properties Inc.’s 19-story tower at its Park Place campus in Irvine.
Several of the Costa Mesa towers will run as high as 315 feet, or about 25 stories. In all, about 1,500 homes in nine towers are in the works for the area between South Coast Plaza and the new Henry and Ren & #233;e Segerstrom Concert Hall.
The Irvine office of Chicago’s Fifield Cos. was expected to have the first approval. It plans two 25-story towers with 250 homes at the current site of the Lakes Pavilions shopping center.
Costa Mesa’s City Council is contesting the airport commission’s decision, with a January vote on the matter expected. The council can overturn the decision with a four-fifths vote, after a 45-day review period. Until then, any development approvals are on hold.
“The bottom line is, it is just a recommending agency,” said Kimberly Brandt, principal planner for the city. “The city can override the decision. But it is causing a delay.”
Fifield’s towers now are expected to break ground in the summer, factoring in the latest delay, said Tim O’Brien, senior vice president for the developer.
Design plans for the tallest office building in Aliso Viejo were unveiled earlier this month.
Irvine-based Ware Malcomb was awarded the design of the nine-story Aliso Viejo tower planned for Newport Beach-based Pacific Life Insurance Co.
Ware Malcomb is doing architectural and interior design services for the steel-framed building, which will total about 246,000 square feet. The development includes an adjacent six-level parking structure
Aliso Viejo-based Parker Properties LP is developing the tower at its Summit Office Campus, the 1 million-square-foot complex off the San Joaquin Hills (73) Toll Road. Snyder Langston of Irvine is the general contractor for the project.
The project is due to break ground early next year and should finish in 2008. The ground for the project is currently being packed. Hence the big pile of dirt toll road drivers might have seen at the site the past several months.
Life insurer Pacific Life, Orange County’s largest private company, plans to move as many as 1,000 workers to the tower, comprising about half of its local work force. It will keep its headquarters in Newport Center.
Panasonic Building Sells
ING Clarion, a New York-based real estate investment firm, bought a research and development building in Lake Forest for $14.3 million, or about $200 per square foot.
The 71,656-square-foot property is used by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.’s Panasonic Aviation Corp., for its in-flight entertainment business.
The building is at 26111 Enterprise Way, part of Lake Forest’s 200-acre Pacific Commerce Center.
Clyde Stauff and Michael Hartel, both of Colliers International, represented both ING and the seller, Lake Street Advisors.
