HomeMy WebLinkAboutExhibit A_Project Description
1600 Dove Street
Project Description
The Picerne Group Inc. (“Applicant”), applicant of the proposed project at 1600 Dove Street in
the City of Newport Beach (the “Property”), hereby submits the following project description
to the City’s Community Development Department.
The 1600 Dove Street Project (“Project”) is a proposed 6-story apartment building comprised
of 249 residential units, podium level amenity space, a leasing office, roof-top common space,
a quarter acre park, and 472 parking spaces within an on-grade parking garage with two
subterranean levels. Residential units within the Project will include a mix of studios, one-
bedroom units, and two-bedroom units ranging from 515 square feet (“sq. ft.”) to 1,469 sq. ft.
The Project is located on 2.49 acre site at the corner of Dove Street and Dolphin Strike Way.
The current use is a 60,675 sq. ft., 4-story office building with a surface parking lot. The
Property is currently zoned Planned Community ("PC")-11 and is situated in the Residential
Overlay, and is designated as Mixed Use Horizontal 2 (“MU-H2”) under the City’s General
Plan. The Project proposes a General Plan Amendment to obtain additional density allocated to
the Airport Area (Statistical Area L4).
The Project’s base density consists of 166 units (139 units from the conversion of the office
building to residential and 27 additional units allocated to the Airport Area (Statistical Area
L4), which are sought via a General Plan Amendment). The Project qualifies for a 50% density
bonus (83 units) in exchange for providing the necessary level of affordable housing. Of the
249 total units, 199 will be market rate units and 50 will be affordable units. The 27 additional
base units referenced above will not constitute a “major amendment” for purposes of Section
423 of the City’s Charter.
Under the State Density Bonus Law (“SDBL”),1 the Project is entitled to a 50% density bonus,
three (3) concessions/incentives,2 and unlimited waivers from development standards that
would physically preclude construction of the Project at the density sought.3 Applicant is
requesting the following four (4) development waivers for the Project consistent with
Government Code Sec. 65915(e)(1):
1. General Plan Park Dedication Requirement: Pursuant to General Plan Policy LU 16-
15.13, a public park equal to 8 percent of the gross land area of the total development, or a
minimum one-half-acre, whichever is greater, shall be provided. This requirement would
mandate a one-half-acre park on the 2.49 acre project site. The General Plan allows a
waiver of its park dedication requirement where it can be demonstrated that the
development parcels are too small to feasibly accommodate the park or inappropriately
located to serve the needs of local residents. Here, the 2.49 acre Property is too small to
1 Gov. Code §§ 65915 et seq.
2 Gov. Code § 65915(d)(2)(C).
3 Gov. Code § 65915(e).
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accommodate a half-acre park and physical construction of a 249 dwelling unit residential
structure. Applicant therefore requests a waiver of the General Plan Policy LU 16-15.13
public park dedication requirement.
2. PC-11 Development Standards Deviation (30-foot Street Setback): PC-11 development
standards require street setbacks of 30 feet from the property line. A 30-foot setback would
substantially reduce the Project’s development footprint, making it infeasible and
impossible to support the proposed 249 dwelling units. Applicant therefore requests a
waiver of the PC-11 30-foot setbacks as follows: (1) Dove Street – 15’ to the building and
10’ to balconies, (2) Dolphin Striker Way – 8’ to the building, (3) Martingale Way and
Dolphin Striker Way Cul-de-sacs – 8’ to the building.
3. PC 11-Development Standards Deviation (Building Height): PC-11 development
standards limit building heights to 55 feet. Given the constraints imposed by the street
setbacks, the perimeter road, and the utilities required to serve the Property, imposition of
the 55 foot height limit would physically preclude the development of the proposed 249
dwelling units. The proposed building height is 85 feet.
4. Newport Beach Municipal Code Private Open Space: Newport Beach Municipal Code
Section 20.18.030 (Table 2-3) requires a minimum of 5% of the gross floor area of each
unit to be set aside as private open space with a minimum dimension of 6 feet. The Project’s
studio dwelling units are unable to achieve these minimum private open space standards
given their size and location. Therefore, Applicant requests a waiver from this private open
space requirement with respect to the studio dwelling units since adherence to this
development standard would physically preclude the Project as proposed.
In addition, Applicant requests the following concession/incentive under SDBL and Newport
Beach Municipal Code Section 20.32.050: allow for a range of affordable unit sizes that does not
proportionally reflect the range of unit sizes provided in the project as a whole, as required by
Newport Beach Municipal Code Section 20.32.070.A. The range of affordable unit sizes will be
reflected in the Project’s Affordable Housing Implementation Plan (“AHIP”). Consistent with
Newport Beach Municipal Code Section 20.32.050, this concession/incentive (1) is necessary in
order to make the housing units economically feasible; (2) would not have a specific adverse
impact (as defined in Government Code Section 65589.5(d)(2)) upon public health and safety or
the physical environment, or on any real property listed in the California Register of Historical
Resources; and (3) would not be contrary to State or Federal law. Reducing both the long-term
rental subsidy costs associated with larger unit sizes and the project’s development fees will
result in identifiable and actual cost reductions in affordable housing costs at the Project.4
Applicant reserves the right to request additional waivers and use remaining
concessions/incentives.
4 Gov. Code § 65915(k).