The Ocean Beach Project Review Committee has a huge agenda with four projects before it, this Wednesday, July 19th. The review panel – a sub-committee of the OB Planning Board – has projects on Voltaire, Sunset Cliffs, Narragansett and the controversial Abbott and Muir condo project to take up, and on which to make recommendations to the full board. The full board meets Wednesday, August 2nd. The review panel meeting takes place at the OB Recreation Center, 4726 Santa Monica Ave., and begins at 6pm.
2150 1/3 Abbott St. – Controversial Project Downgrades to 3 Condos
Number 4 on the agenda, but by far the most controversial project, is the permit to build 3 residential condos for a total of 6730 square feet, on that large, empty 7500 square foot lot at the intersection of Abbott and Muir.
Original design of condos at Abbott and Muir – but with 4 condos. The new plans have only 3 condos.
This is one of the most controversial projects ever to come before the review panel and the full board – because the 2-story project has been before the full board or the review panel 3 or 4 times, each time getting rejected or postponed. The project originally called for 4 condos, and was continually rejected by OB planners for violating OB’s floor-area-ratio. Now, it looks like the developers have figured out they can only build three condos on the lot.
In June of 2015, the developers appeared before the Project Review panel and requested a variance around the floor area ratio. This was denied 8 to zip. (See details here.)
When the project came before the full OB Planning Board in September 2015 – the board took on the issue of developers requesting variances to the FAR because they complied with the City’s “green program”, tabling their decision on the project until after the board had determined its own standards.
Philip Covington’s project returned to the OB planners in May of 2016, and again the FAR exceeded OB’s standards, and again the board tabled its decision to allow Covington time to come up with a new design that would meet with the board’s approval – and recommendation. Apparently, he has, for the original 4 condos has been dropped to three, hopefully to meet the FAR.
We have not seen the new design, but expect it will look like the old design, minus one condo.
4921 Voltaire Street – Demolition and Build
Inn at Sunset Cliffs
This is a permit to demolish the existing structure of 756 square feet – now boarded up – and construct a mixed-use building with 2 dwelling units on the .08 acre lot. The ground floor commercial retail space will be 800 square feet, and the project includes 2 second story residences, each 1260 square feet, with a 2000 square foot roof deck. The project plans parking lifts to meet parking requirements.
Inn at 1370 Sunset Cliffs – “After the Fact” Deck Fix
The project proposes the “after the fact” replacement of the deck surface with a 6 inch thick concrete mix over coated rebar, along with proposals of other amenities at the Inn, a 24-room hotel on the cliffs.
5018 Narragansett – Demo and Remodel of 2 Units
The 3rd project permit on the agenda is the demolition and remodel of 2 single story units, with a second story addition on each of them, on a .08 acre site. According to the developer, this will add a net increase of 953 square feet to each unit.
Here’s the official agenda:
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