PLANNING COMMISSION STAFF REPORT
SUBMITTED TO: Planning Commission
SUBMITTED BY: Jennifer Villasenor, Director of Community Development
PREPARED BY: Joanna Cortez, Principal Planner
SUBJECT:
title
ZONING MAP AMENDMENT NO. 19-001/TENTATIVE TRACT MAP NO. 16295/CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT NO. 19-003 (PEARCE AND GREEN CONDOS)
REQUEST:
ZMA: To rescind Precise Plan of Street Alignment No. 80-1 to remove existing paper streets over existing private easements. TTM: To permit a one-lot subdivision of an approximately 1.23-acre lot for condominium purposes. CUP: To permit the development of 18 attached, three-story residential condominiums at 33 feet in height, and the construction of 6 ft.-6 in. high walls within the 15-foot front yard setback for private yards along Pearce Drive.
LOCATION:
4861 Pearce Drive, 92649 (northwest corner of Pearce Dr. and Green Ln.)
body
APPLICANT/
PROPERTY
OWNER:
Brian Sassounian, Harbour Cove, LLC., 21190 Beach Blvd., Huntington Beach, CA 92648
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
That the Planning Commission take the following actions:
A) Find the proposed project categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3), Section 15303, Class 3 and Section 15332, Class 32 and
B) Approve Zoning Map Amendment No. 19-001, Tentative Tract Map No. 16295, and Conditional Use Permit No. 19-003 with suggested findings and conditions of approval (Attachment No. 1).
end
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
A) Recommend denial of Zoning Map Amendment No. 19-001, and deny Tentative Tract Map No. 16295, and Conditional Use Permit No. 19-003 with findings for denial; or
B) Continue Zoning Map Amendment No. 19-001, Tentative Tract Map No. 16295, and Conditional Use Permit No. 19-003 and direct staff accordingly.
PROJECT PROPOSAL:
Zoning Map Amendment (ZMA) No. 19-001 represents a request to rescind Precise Plan of Street Alignment (PPSA) No. 80-1 to remove existing paper streets over existing private easements.
Tentative Tract Map (TTM) No. 16295 represents a request to permit a one-lot subdivision of an approximately 1.23-acre lot for condominium purposes.
Conditional Use Permit (CUP) No. 19-003 represents a request to permit the development of 18 attached, three-story residential condominiums at 33 feet in height, and the construction of 6 ft.-6 in. high walls within the 15-foot front yard setback for private yards along Pearce Drive.
The project site is located on an approximately 1.23-acre lot located on the northwest side of Pearce Drive and Green Lane. The site currently has a two-story single-family residence with garages and a two-story four-plex with garages which are proposed to be demolished. There is also a vacant portion of the site that was previously developed with residential structures.
The proposed site layout consists of four detached buildings:
• One building with two attached units
• One building with four attached units
• One building with five attached units
• One building with seven attached units
Of the 18 units, four units are two bedrooms and den with attached two-car garages and 14 units are three bedrooms and an entertainment room with an attached two-car garage. The units vary in size (2,415 sq. ft.-3,205 sq. ft.). Access to the site includes ingress/egress driveways at Green Lane along the east of the site and at the alley along the north (formally Hideaway Circle). The ZMA to rescind the 1980 PPSA will remove paper streets and allow vehicular access within the site to be reconfigured over existing private access easements (Attachment No. 6).
ISSUES AND ANALYSIS:
Subject Property And Surrounding General Plan Designations, Zoning And Land Uses:
|
LOCATION |
GENERAL PLAN |
ZONING |
LAND USE |
|
Subject Property: |
RM (Residential Medium Density) |
RM (Residential Medium Density) |
Single- and Multi-Family Residential |
|
North, South (across Pearce Drive), and East (across Green Lane) of Subject Property: |
RM |
RM |
Multi-Family Residential |
|
West of Subject Property: |
RM & OS-P (Open Space-Parks) |
RM & OS-PR (Open Space-Parks and Recreation) |
Multi-Family Residential and Park |
General Plan Conformance:
The General Plan Land Use Map designation on the subject property is RM (Residential Medium Density). The proposed project is consistent with this designation and the goals and policies of the City’s General Plan as follows:
A. Land Use Element
Goal LU-1: New commercial, industrial, and residential development is coordinated to ensure that the land use pattern is consistent with the overall goals and needs of the community.
Policy LU-1A: Ensure that the development is consistent with the land use designations presented in the Land Use Map, including density, intensity, and use standards applicable to each land use designation.
Policy LU-1C: Support infill development, consolidation of parcels, and adaptive reuse of existing buildings.
Policy LU-1D: Ensure that new development projects are of compatible proportion, scale, and character to complement adjoining uses.
Goal LU-4: A range of housing types is available to meet the diverse economic, physical, and social needs of future and existing residents, while neighborhood character and residences are well maintained and protected.
Policy LU-4A: Encourage a mix of residential types to accommodate people with diverse housing needs.
The proposed development is consistent with the land use designation and will continue the land use pattern of multi-family residential uses in the surrounding area. The project site is comprised of multiple small lots on the west side of Green Lane and north of Pearce Drive. The 1.23-acre site is predominantly vacant with an existing single-family residence and a four-plex near the southeast corner of the site. The PPSA was originally implemented to plan for development over small lots with multiple owners and over existing 20-foot-wide private access easements. This plan would require the construction of wider public streets over existing easements to ensure access to all lots within this tract. The proposed project will consolidate 20 parcels to construct a cohesive one-lot subdivision for 18 residential condominiums. The new development will maintain existing access easements and will be improved and configured in a manner that ensures that all lots have adequate pedestrian and vehicular access. The ZMA to rescind the PPSA does not change the land use designation of the site. The project site supports infill development, as the project is located on an underutilized lot with dated residential buildings that will be demolished with the construction of the proposed 18-unit project. In addition, the proposed project is compatible in proportion, scale, and character with the surrounding neighborhood because there are similar attached multi-family units to the north, east, and south of the site. The condominium project will provide a mix of housing types to meet the diverse economic, social, and housing needs of the community.
B. Housing Element
Goal 1: Maintain and enhance the quality and affordability of existing housing in Huntington Beach.
Policy 1.1: Preserve the character, scale, and quality of established residential neighborhoods.
Goal 2: Provide adequate housing sites through appropriate land use, zoning and specific plan designations to accommodate Huntington Beach’s share of regional housing needs.
Goal 3.1: Encourage the production of housing that meets all economic segments of the community, including lower, moderate, and upper income households, to maintain a balanced community.
The project is consistent with the Housing Element because it will enhance the quality of the existing multi-family residential neighborhood and the project is subject to the HBZSO inclusionary ordinance that requires ten percent of the units to be affordable, which can be satisfied through the provision of units onsite, off-site or through in-lieu fees. The applicant is proposing to pay in-lieu fees, which will be used toward affordable housing needs in the community. The project will also preserve the character, scale, and quality of the existing neighborhood because it involves the construction of 18 attached condominiums that are similar to the surrounding multi-family residential units, meets the zoning code requirements for the proposed product type, and complies with the density limits of the General Plan land use and zoning designations.
C. Circulation Element
Goal CIRC-1a: The circulation system supports existing, approved, and planned land uses while maintaining a desired level of service and capacity on streets and at critical intersections.
The ZMA to rescind the 1980 PPSA will remove paper streets and allow vehicular access within the site to be reconfigured over existing private access easements. The new development will maintain existing access easements and develop a private street which will be maintained by the project’s homeowner’s association; therefore, this PPSA is no longer needed to provide circulation to the surrounding area. Additionally, rescinding the PPSA does not conflict with the requirements of the City’s Master Plan of Arterial Highways (MPAH).
Zoning Compliance:
Tract Map/Site Layout/Compatibility
A one-lot subdivision for condominium purposes allows the property owner to sell each unit individually with common interest in shared areas such as the common open space, landscaping, driveway, and guest parking spaces. The Tentative Tract Map (TTM) is consistent with the proposed General Plan and zoning designation. It complies with required minimum lot size and width. The proposed subdivision will result in a density of 14.63 units per acre, which is less than the allowable density of 15 dwelling units per acre of the Residential Medium Density land use designation. The proposed density would be compatible with surrounding multi-family developments. The design of the subdivision or the proposed improvements will not cause serious health problems or substantial environmental damage or substantially and avoidably injure fish or wildlife or their habitat because the site has previously been disturbed and is void of any wildlife habitat. The design of the subdivision or the type of improvements will not conflict with any existing easements, including the three 20-foot-wide access easements that run through the site. The project will provide improved sidewalks and pavements along Pearce Drive and Green Lane as a part of this proposed tentative tract map.
Access to the site is available at the two-way driveway approach at Green Lane and the alley to the north connected by a 25-foot wide, two-way private road serving the whole project and existing homes along Pearce Drive. Open parking spaces are located on the east side of the private road and between the driveways of Units 1-7.
Precise Plan of Street Alignment (PPSA)The PPSA for this area was intended to plan private streets over existing private easements to provide access to all of the interior lots (Nos. 85-144 of Tract 184) within the general area. In 1981, after recommendation from the Planning Commission, the City Council approved the plan to require larger 33-foot-wide street sections to allow for two 12-foot travel lanes plus one eight-foot parking lane upon the existing 20-foot-wide private easements and have the adjacent property owners construct the necessary public improvements to develop standard street sections (Attachment No. 5).
Since approval of this PPSA, this area has not been developed any further and the majority of it is now under one ownership with this project. The applicant proposes to consolidate the majority of the smaller parcels to create a one-lot subdivision with private streets and public easements to the City for vehicular access. The 33-foot private streets of the past PPSA would make much of the property undevelopable with unnecessarily wide streets that only dead end into a public park (Wieder Park) at the west end.
Rescinding this PPSA will make the land within this area more developable as the requirement for 33-foot standard street width is no longer needed with the subject area. The project’s proposed tract map (to consolidate all of the associated small lots) is granting 24-foot-wide public access easements to the City for vehicular and emergency access. The two remaining undeveloped lots (No. 131 and 132) will still have a 20-foot public easement for vehicular access.
The project includes four buildings ranging between 2-7 units. The buildings are three-stories which are compatible with other surrounding residential development. Most of the units are oriented towards the centrally located walkway or the internal road of the development. The building comprised of two units is proposed with their backyard walls along Pearce Drive buffered by four-foot wide landscaping and new curb and sidewalk. The Green Lane frontage includes 15 feet of landscaping and upgraded street improvements.
Conditional Use Permit
The 18 three-story residential condominium project complies with the requirements of the RM zoning district of the HBZSO. The construction of 18 three-story residential condominiums, 33 feet in height, and 6 ft.-6 in. high walls within the front yard setback for two private yards (along Pearce Drive) is permitted subject to the approval of a conditional use permit by the Planning Commission.
The project complies with front, side, and rear setbacks, height, minimum parking requirements, and open space. The three-story project proposes a contemporary design with building volumes that are articulated with variation in wall planes to reduce building mass. The building facades incorporate a variety of building materials and colors to provide visual interest, including stucco, siding, and stones and metal accents. New landscaping and new site improvements are also proposed on the site. Each unit provides at least 50% of the minimum requirement of private open space on the first and second floors through patios and balconies. The decks located on the third floor provide additional private open space and are a common feature in new development. They are designed to be oriented away from other units, similar to single family development, and complement the streamlined design of the project while complying with height requirements. Furthermore, the project proposes two-car garages for each unit, seven uncovered spaces, and nine open guest spaces. Nine of the units have 2-car driveways that provide additional parking but do not count towards meeting code because tandem parking is not allowed to satisfy requirements for multi-family units. A breakdown of required and proposed parking is provided below:
|
|
Required Parking |
Proposed Parking |
|
Two Bedrooms |
2 spaces per unit x 4 units = 8 spaces |
8 spaces (two-car garages) |
|
Three Bedrooms |
2.5 spaces per unit x 14 units = 35 spaces |
28 spaces (two-car garages) + 7 uncovered spaces = 35 spaces |
|
Guest |
0.5 space per unit x 18 units = 9 spaces |
9 open parking spaces |
|
Total |
52 spaces |
52 spaces |
Wall Heights within Front Yard Setback
The proposed 6 ft.-6 in. high block wall within the required 15-foot front yard setback along Pearce Drive is proposed for two units and allowed by the HBZSO with approval of a conditional use permit. These privacy walls are proposed primarily at six feet in height with three pilasters and cap adding six inches to the overall height. The walls within the front setback are designed to provide ground floor open space and privacy for the units served. Each proposed backyard patio area is setback from the public right-of-way by four feet of landscaping. Similar requests for similar multi-family developments have been approved; however, at lower heights. Some examples include:
|
Project |
Wall Height |
Setback |
|
Georgia Townhomes (910 Georgia Street) |
43 in. high privacy walls |
3 ft. front setback in lieu of 15 ft. |
|
Holly Triangle Townhomes (19070 Holly Lane) |
43 in. and 6 ft. high privacy walls |
Varying 3 ft.-6 in. to 5 ft.-6 in. front setback in lieu of 10 ft. |
|
Airport Circle Townhomes (16911 Airport Circle) |
44 in. high privacy walls |
5 ft.-6 in. front setback in lieu of 15 ft. |
Staff is recommending that the proposed privacy walls be modified and reduced to a maximum height of 44 inches in lieu of 42 inches allowed by code. In addition, staff is recommending the privacy walls should be treated with smooth stucco and concrete cap to match the buildings. This combined with the four-foot landscape setback proposed between the wall and sidewalk softens the appearance of the wall and enhances the streetscape, while still providing privacy. Additionally, these patio walls will only encroach into approximately 23% of the project’s street frontage. The configuration provides for a varied setback along the street frontage, in accordance with the City’s Urban Design Guidelines, and a green-space buffer adjacent to the sidewalk.
Affordable Housing
Projects that propose three or more units are subject to providing affordable housing per Section 230.26 of the HBZSO which requires that a minimum of 10 percent of new residential construction be affordable housing units. Developers of residential projects may pay an in-lieu fee instead of providing the units onsite. The applicant proposes to pay an in-lieu fee for two units to satisfy the affordable housing requirement.
Park and Recreation Fees
New residential developments proposing a tentative map are subject to parkland fees, per City Council Resolution No. 2012-66. Currently, attached dwelling units require $13,385 per unit and the applicant will be required to pay that amount in full prior to building permit final.
Urban Design Guidelines Conformance:
The Huntington Beach Urban Design Guidelines contain guidelines specific to multi-family residential development. The project conforms to the objectives and standards contained in the Guidelines. The project complies with general design objectives providing high quality architectural and landscape design in massing and scale with existing residential developments surrounding the project site.
There is no particular architectural style requirement for multi-family residential developments; however, the focus is on developing a high-quality residential environment. The project creates visual interest along the street frontage and an aesthetic that enhances the existing neighborhood with its contemporary architectural design while maintaining a sense of harmony with the surrounding buildings. The project provides building facades that contain variation in wall planes and a mix of colors and materials such as stucco, wood siding, stone, and metal accents. The project incorporates enhanced landscaping and a variety of trees, provides functional spaces for open space areas and private yards, and maintains high quality architectural design.
Environmental Status:
The proposed project will not have any significant effect on the environment and is categorically exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15332, Class 32 In-Fill Development Projects, because the project is characterized as in-fill development meeting the conditions described below:
a) The project is consistent with the applicable general plan designation and all applicable general plan policies as well as with applicable zoning designation and regulations.
b) The proposed development occurs within city limits on a project site of no more than five acres substantially surrounded by urban uses.
c) The project site has no value as habitat for endangered, rare or threatened species.
d) Approval of the project would not result in any significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality.
e) The site can be adequately served by all required utilities and public services.
An expanded and detailed Notice of Exemption has been prepared (Attachment No. 8), which will be filed with the County of Orange to demonstrate the project meets the conditions listed above.
Additionally, the project will not have any significant effect on the environment and is exempt from the provisions of the CEQA pursuant to section 15303 of the CEQA Guidelines, because the project includes the construction of a wall, ancillary to a proposed multi-family residence, within a residential area.
Finally, the project request to rescind the PPSA for this area will not have a significant effect as it is covered under section 15061(b)(3) of CEQA due to the fact that the general plan is not changing or affected by this project nor are there impacts to the access easements of this site. Adequate vehicular and emergency services access will be provided.
Design Review Board:
The Design Review Board reviewed the design, colors, and materials of the project at a special meeting on June 26, 2025 and March 26, 2026 and recommended approval with modifications to incorporate additional enhancements to the design of the homes, including reducing the height of the backyard walls for the two homes facing Pearce Drive to 60 inches (five feet). Staff is still recommending to the Planning Commission a maximum height of 44 inches in the suggested conditions of approval, which would be consistent with other approvals.
Other Departments Concerns and Requirements:
The Departments of Community Development, Public Works, and Fire have reviewed the project and identified a list of code requirements (Attachment No. 7) applicable to the project.
Public Notification:
Legal notice was published in the Huntington Beach Wave on April 16, 2026, and notices were sent to property owners of record and occupants within a 500 ft. radius of the subject property, individuals/organizations requesting notification (Community Development Department’s Notification Matrix), and applicant.
Application Processing Dates:
|
DATE OF COMPLETE APPLICATION: |
MANDATORY PROCESSING DATE(S): |
|
March 13, 2026 |
ZMA/TTM/CUP - May 13, 2026 |
SUMMARY:
Staff recommends that the Planning Commission approve the proposed project based on the following:
§ The project will not generate significant environmental impacts in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act.
§ Consistent with the General Plan Land Use and zoning designations of RM (Residential Medium Density).
§ Complies with the provisions of the Huntington Beach Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance.
§ Compatible with surrounding uses with respect to height, setbacks, onsite parking, and architecture.
§ Consistent with the City’s Urban Design Guidelines for multi-family residential development.
§ The project contributes to the City’s housing stock, including affordable housing as required by existing City requirements, thereby assisting to achieve the City’s overall housing goals.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Suggested Findings and Conditions of Approval for Zoning Map Amendment No. 19-001, Tentative Tract Map No. 16295 and Conditional Use Permit No. 19-003
2. Site Plan, Floor Plans, Elevations, and Tentative Tract Map No. 16295 received and dated March 16, 2026
3. Vicinity Map
4. Project Narrative Received and Dated September 15, 2025
5. Precise Plan of Street Alignment (City Council Resolution No. 4996)
6. Draft Resolution to Rescind City Council Resolution No. 4996
7. Code Requirements Letter dated September 23, 2025 (for informational purposes only)
8. California Environmental Quality Act Notice of Exemption