Costa Mesa council approves 2,300-unit plan for Fairview Developmental Center site

Center that calls for 2,300 housing units on roughly an 80-acre state-owned campus. The plan designates 920 of those units for qualified low-income tenants, adds commercial space and public open space, and leaves many design and implementation details to a later development selection process.

• 920 units set aside as affordable housing for qualified low-income tenants.
• 35,000 square feet of commercial space described in the draft environmental impact report as suitable for stores, restaurants, coffee shops, fitness studios and childcare.
• 25 acres of publicly accessible open space for parks, plazas, walking and biking trails, recreation centers and picnic areas.

No developer has been chosen. The approved plan sets land use, unit counts and general amenities but leaves architecture, specific housing formats and builder selection to later stages. That means housing layout, building heights and on-site urban design are still undetermined.

Why the council reduced the unit count

Commission had considered a plan that would have allowed as many as 4,000 units on the site. Council members opted for a lower cap of 2,300 units, in part to avoid a secondary access road that would have bisected the city-owned Mesa Linda golf course at the Costa Mesa Country Club.

However, the approved 2,300-unit cap could grow if a developer secures state density bonuses. Density bonuses are awarded when projects include enough affordable units to meet statutory thresholds.

Context: state housing mandates and local need

Local housing affordability pressures informed council comments. An estimated half of Costa Mesa residents pay more than 30% of their income on housing, a point cited by Councilmember Arlis Reynolds in support of pursuing affordable units on the site.

• Environmental review (a draft EIR has been prepared) identified the intended commercial mix and public open-space uses but left design specifics open.
• The final unit count can increase if developers use state density bonus provisions tied to deeper affordability commitments.

• Selection of a developer and the project proposal they submit, which will define housing types, design and phasing.
• Whether a future proposal seeks density bonuses and how many additional units that would add.
• Any changes proposed to Mesa Linda golf course access if a developer later requests an access road that crosses the course.

Costa Mesa's council approved a large, mixed-use reuse plan for the former Fairview Developmental Center that includes a significant affordable housing component and public amenities, while leaving major design and implementation decisions for the developer selection phase. The decision responds to state pressure to plan more housing but does not by itself meet the city's full state-mandated housing target.