CORONA DEL MAR TODAY

Coastal Commission Staff: Aerie OK, Dock Plans Are Not

The Coastal Commission will discuss the proposed Aerie project at its meeting this month, with staff reports suggesting that the group should approve the planned condominiums but reject plans for docks.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday April 14 in Ventura County, and Aerie will be one of the first items on the agenda.

Newport Beach City Council voted 4-2 in July to allow Richard Julian to replace a 60-year-old apartment building with eight multi-million dollar units at Carnation Avenue and Ocean Boulevard. (Read our story here.)

More than a dozen neighbors have been vocally against the project, however, saying it would create a nightmare of construction noise, ruin coastal bluff and not fit into the neighborhood; read a story about “When Neighbors Collide” here.

The Coastal Commission staff reports were made public late Thursday afternoon; read them here and here.

The reports recommend the Commission reject a planned dock that would replace a 4-slip floating dock structure and with an eight-slip floating dock and guest side-tie, in spite of the Newport Beach Harbor Commission’s approval of the plan. (Read more here.)

“As proposed, the project results in the total placement of 19 dock support piles into the bay floor with a cumulative surface area of approximately 39.1 sq. ft.,” the report states. “These dock float guide piles constitute fill of open coastal waters.”

However, the staff reports did recommend that the Commission approve plans to demolish the existing apartment complex and single-family home to build the new condos — with special conditions. The special conditions deal with construction debris, run-off, long-term maintenance of a public water fountain, planing native non-invasive plans, having a leak detection system for a swimming pool, revising plans for a second-floor deck that blocks public views and requiring Coastal approval of future improvements.

The reports said the Commission received nine letters supporting the project and 17 letters in opposition, as well as a petition with more than 100 signatures. But the report said “staff finds the proposed development minimizes landform alteration, is consistent with the pattern of development in the area, and would result in less impact to the bluff than could otherwise occur…”

Julian said he was disappointed by the staff report.

“Obviously the efforts of the opposition have been successful in raising objections that we feel have no merit,” he said in an email. “We hope that we can clear up these misconceptions at the hearing. AERIE is the product of years of planning and joint efforts to give a muriad of benefits. I think that the staff was not made aware of this long history of concessions. We will work on this.”