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Home My WebLink AboutPH-3 - 26-170 - Request Letters - 3/17/2026ATTACHMENT 4 Friday, February 6th, 2026 Planning Commission Economic & Development Services Department City of Costa Mesa 77 Fair Drive Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Re: Request to Include [2821 Bristol Street / APN 418-181-11] as a Housing Element Site in the Next General Plan Amendment Dear Economic & Development Services Department Staff and Honorable Planning Commissioners, I am writing to formally request that the parcel located at 2821 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa,. CA 92626 Assessor’s Parcel Number 418-181-11, be evaluated and included as a Housing Element site in the City of Costa Mesa’s next General Plan Amendment. The inclusion of this site as a Housing Element site would allow us to deliver new housing units for the community. The subject parcel is well-situated to advance the City’s housing objectives while aligning with Costa Mesa’s broader planning goals. Its location, surrounding land use context, access to public transportation, major highways, proximity to employment centers and services, and ability to support residential development make it a strong candidate for inclusion in the City’s Housing Element site inventory. I respectfully request that City staff incorporate this parcel as a Housing Element site in the upcoming General Plan Amendment and provide guidance on any additional information required to support its consideration. I would welcome the opportunity to meet with staff or present additional analysis regarding the site’s suitability. Thank you for your time, consideration, and continued efforts to thoughtfully plan for Costa Mesa’s future. I appreciate the City’s collaborative approach and look forward to working constructively with staff and the Planning Commission. Sincerely, McQuin & Thomas Cole Baron Partners, Pack Baron Companies 2292 North Batavia Ste C Orange, CA 92865 714-323-7547 mab@packbaroncompanies.com tcb@packbaroncompanies.com inm 910 February 10, 2026 City of Costa Mesa Michelle Halligan, Senior Planner Economic & Development Services Dept 77 Fair Drive Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Re: Subject 424-241-11, 610 W. 18'h St. Costa Mesa Dear Michelle Halligan, The Costa Mesa Women's Club received a letter from you informing us that our Property has been identified as an Opportunity Site in the Housing Element Sites Inventory. We had no previous notification and were surprised, and confused, as to why our property was considered as a site that could be developed as residential or mixed-use projects. Based on the map of the Opportunity Sites, the Women's Club is the only property affected in the neighborhood block that we are located in. On Monday, Feb. 9'h, we attended the Costa Mesa Planning Commission Public Hearing to get a better understanding of this situation. It is extremely hard to vision high density housing being viable at this location. Our organization has been around since 1910. We have owned this property for more than 75 years. We are a non-profit organization and have been honored by the City of Costa Mesa numerous times by the City of Costa Mesa, most recently in 2025. We provide resources for other Costa Mesa Non-Profits, including Women's Journey Foundation, other service organizations within Costa Mesa and most importantly to the local community. We have over 100 members who passionately believe in the mission of our Women's Club. We respectfully request that our property be removed from the Housing Element Inventory list. Please send us a written confirmation that you have received this letter. Women's Club contact regarding this matter is: Sandra Scheafer, 3327 California St, Costa Mesa 92626 Phone 714 267-2724 Email sandivvscheafer@gmail.com. You may also call President Gay Royer, 949-887-5992. Sincerely, Sandra Scheafer, Director Costa Mesa Women's Club www.coxcastle.com Los Angeles | Orange County | San Francisco Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP 3121 Michelson Drive, Suite 200 C Irvine, California 92612-5678 P: 949.260.4600 F: 949.260.4699 Tim Paone 949.260.4655 tpaone@coxcastle.com January 30, 2026 Mayor John Stephens Mayor Pro Tem Manuel Chavez Council Member Jeff Pettis Council Member Andrea Marr Council Member Loren Gameros Council Member Mike Buley Council Member Arlis Reynolds c/o Carrie Tai Director of Economic and Development Services City of Costa Mesa 77 Fair Drive Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Sent by Email to: Carrie.Tai@costamesaca.gov Re: CJS Properties in Housing Element Mayor Stephens and Members of the City Council: As you know, C.J. Segerstrom & Sons (“CJS”) has deep roots in the City of Costa Mesa. The City and CJS not only have significantly benefited from each other’s continued success, but also have a demonstrated history of cooperation to further that success. It was with that cooperative spirit that CJS agreed to the City’s request that fourteen properties owned by CJS (the “CJS Properties”) be identified “Housing Element sites” with mixed-use overlays as part of the City’s Housing Element update process. CJS’s cooperation relied on the City’s assurance that these overlays would not jeopardize existing zoning designations, but instead would give CJS the option to pursue residential uses if and when consistent with CJS’s business planning. Standing alone, the Housing Element as adopted by the City Council in 2022 reflected that assurance. Through no fault of the City, however, changing circumstances have lessened that assurance. Since 2022, new State housing laws have continued to proliferate, with the prospect of more to come. Both the City and the State’s Department of Housing and Community Development (“HCD”) have had to adapt not only to evolving State housing laws, but also to court decisions interpreting those laws, often with unexpected results. Concurrently, the City has been working to reconcile the various implications of Measure Y, Measure K, the “Neighborhoods Where We Mayor Stephens and Council Members January 30, 2026 Page 2 All Belong” program, planning for the Fairview Developmental Center, and HCD’s rezoning requirements. As a result, the risk of “unintended consequences” has become significant. Unlike many landowners, CJS is neither in a hurry to develop its properties nor, at this time, focused upon residential development of the CJS Properties. To the contrary, the common reputational and economic interests of CJS and the City are to a significant degree tied to CJS’s thoughtfully planned and highly successful commercial development. While these shared interests do not preclude residential development in the future, CJS is not ready to commit the CJS Properties to residential development at this time, whether directly or inadvertently. As we have communicated since before the holidays, it has become clear that sooner or later CJS will need to request the removal of the CJS Properties from the Housing Element. Therefore, CJS is formally requesting the City to take all actions necessary to remove the CJS Properties from the Housing Element. Please reach out to either me or Justin McCusker if you have any questions or if there are further steps which CJS must take to facilitate the near-term removal of the CJS Properties from the City’s updated Housing Element. Thank you. COX, CASTLE & NICHOLSON LLP By: Tim Paone Partner cc: Costa Mesa City Manager Cecilia Gallardo-Daly Costa Mesa Planning Commissioners HE Site No. CJS Site ID 134 Harbor Associates 136 Harbor Associates 137 Home Ranch 138 Home Ranch 198 Home Ranch 139 Town Center 140 Town Center HE Site No. CJS Site ID 141 Town Center 205 Town Center 145 South Coast Plaza 146 South Coast Plaza 147 South Coast Plaza 203 US Post Office 204 US Post Office