What Costa Mesa is about to decide

Costa Mesa posted two agendas for this date: a closed session at 4:00 PM and the regular City Council and Housing Authority meeting at 6:00 PM, both in the City Council Chambers, 77 Fair Drive. Public hearings begin at 7:00 p.m. under Resolution No. 05-55. These are pending decisions from the posted agendas — not outcomes. Every item links to the official record.

Sources: regular meeting agenda (PDF) · closed session agenda (PDF) · Legistar: regular meeting · Legistar: closed session

🏗 Fairview Developmental Center: the ordinance comes up for adoption

• Ordinance No. 2026-08. Staff recommends the council adopt the ordinance titled “An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Costa Mesa, California, Adopting the Fairview Developmental Center Specific Plan (FDCSP) and Amend Sections 13-20, 13-28, 13-30, Chapter V, Article 7, and Add Chapter XVIII ‘Specific Plans’ to Title 13 of the Zoning Code, and Amend the Zoning Map to Change the Zoning Designation of the 110 Acre Fairview Developmental Center (FDC) Site Located at 2501 Harbor Boulevard to Refer to the 95 Acre FDCSP and Change the Remaining 15 Acres to Institutional and Recreational (I&R).” The item is listed under Old Business. Old Business Item 1
• What is attached. The ordinance (labeled “Final w Edits” in the attachment list), the FDC Specific Plan hearing draft as Exhibit A, the zoning code amendments as Exhibit B, and the existing and proposed zoning map amendments as Exhibit C. The agenda itself does not describe the edits. The introduction of this ordinance was on the council’s September 15 agenda, covered in our brief on that meeting. Old Business Item 1

🏠 Public hearing: the Ohio House sober living appeal

• What is being appealed. The item is titled an appeal of the Planning Commission’s decision to uphold the Economic and Development Services Director’s decision to deny a Reasonable Accommodation request “to deviate from certain requirements of the Zoning Code to operate a sober living home,” operated by the Ohio House at 115 East Wilson Street, Units A through E. Public Hearing Item 1
• Staff is not asking for a decision on the merits. The recommendation is to “hold a hearing on the appeal for the limited purpose of remanding this matter to the Community Development Director to reconsider the Reasonable Accommodation request, in light of anticipated revisions to the City’s Reasonable Accommodation procedures that would more closely align with those of the most recently adopted California Code of Regulations applicable to housing” — and to notice a subsequent hearing for October 20, 2026 “to reconsider the denial of the CUP in light of the Director’s decision on the Reasonable Accommodation request.” Public Hearing Item 1
• The paper trail. Attachments listed include the request for Reasonable Accommodation and its denial, an appeal of the denial labeled 2019, the denial of a second Reasonable Accommodation request, vicinity and separation maps, plans, “Founders’ Letters,” a Planning Commission resolution labeled 2025, Planning Commission minutes, and an appeal labeled 2025. Public Hearing Item 1

A wording difference in the posted agenda: the item’s title names the “Economic and Development Services Director” as the official whose denial was upheld, while the recommendation would remand the matter to the “Community Development Director.” Both appear in the source document; Council Brief prints both and does not resolve them. The same three Ohio House court cases are on the 4:00 PM closed session agenda (below).

🚦 Streets: school-zone speed limits and “Fair Drive For All”

• New school-zone speed limits. Staff recommends the council adopt proposed Resolution No. 2026-xx “establishing new prima facie speed limits within school zones in the City of Costa Mesa as permitted by the California Vehicle Code, California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, and California Assembly Bill 382.” The agenda does not state the proposed speeds or name the schools; those are in the attached resolution. New Business Item 2
• Fair Drive design contract. The council is asked to award a Professional Services Agreement to Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. for professional engineering design services for the Fair Drive Circulation Improvements — “Fair Drive For All” project (Federal Project No. CML-5312(112)) — for a period of three years, “with the option for two (2) one-year renewal,” in an amount not to exceed $863,000, plus a ten percent contingency of $86,300 “for any unforeseen costs or additional services that may be required by the project.” New Business Item 3

🛰 A drone purchase and a park design

• Three docking stations and a drone. Staff recommends approving the purchase of three drone docking stations and one Skydio X-10 drone, “including service and software,” through a cooperative agreement with Omnia Contract No. 3544-21-4615 in the amount of $292,144.59 for a term of two years, plus a contingency of $7,855.41 for unforeseen costs. The agreement would be with Axon Enterprise, Inc. (Skydio Inc.). The agenda does not say which department would operate the equipment or how it would be used. New Business Item 4
• Open parcel next to Shalimar Park. The council will review, and is asked to approve, the conceptual design plan “for the proposed improvement project adjacent to Shalimar Park, located at 778 Shalimar Drive.” Two expansion concepts (Option 1 and Option 2) and a proposed final conceptual design are attached. The agenda gives no cost. New Business Item 1

💼 Contracts and grants on consent

• Engineering staff support. Amendment No. 2 to the Professional Services Agreement with Kabbara Engineering for on-call Public Works/Engineering staff support services, “increasing the compensation limit by $300,000, for a total not-to-exceed amount of $600,000.” Consent Item 6
• Emergency generator design. A two-year Professional Services Agreement with Ayres Associates of Burbank for architectural and engineering design services for the Emergency Generator Replacement Project, in an amount not to exceed $124,283, plus a ten percent contingency of $12,428. Consent Item 8
• Senior mobility grant application. A resolution (No. 2026-XX) authorizing staff to apply to the Orange County Transportation Authority for an Enhanced Mobility for Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities (EMSD) grant to support the city’s Senior Mobility Program, and authorizing “the City’s commitment for a grant city match of 20% not-to-exceed $89,760 should the City be awarded the EMSD grant for a grant period from July 1, 2027 through June 30, 2029.” The agenda does not state the grant amount being sought. Consent Item 9
• Final map, 3150 Bear Street. Approval of the final map for Tract No. 19334 and authorization for the City Engineer and City Clerk to sign it. The agenda does not describe the development. Consent Item 5
• Community center roof. Acceptance of the work performed by C.I. Services, Inc. on the Norma Hertzog Community Center Roof Replacement Project (City Project No. 25-05), filing of the Notice of Completion, and release of retention monies and bonds on the schedule listed. A “Final Cost” attachment is listed; the agenda itself states no amount. Consent Item 7

⚖ Closed session at 4:00 PM: five lawsuits and a property negotiation

• Three Ohio House matters under Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1): City of Costa Mesa v. Ohio House LLC (Orange County Superior Court, Case No. 30-2020-01146835-CU-OR-CJC); City of Costa Mesa v. Ohio House, LLC, a California limited liability corporation; Richard Perlin, Nancy Perlin, Dolores Perlin, and Brandon Stump as individuals (Orange County Superior Court Case No. 30-2018-01006173-CU-OR-NJC); and Ohio House, LLC v. City of Costa Mesa (United States District Court, Central District of CA, Case No. 8:19 cv 01710 DOC (KESx)). Closed Session Items 1–3
• Disability Rights California case. Disability Rights California, a California non-profit corporation v. City of Costa Mesa, Cecilia Gallardo-Daly, City Manager, and Costa Mesa City Council, Orange County Superior Court, Case No. 30-2026-01581983-CU-WM-CJC. The agenda does not describe the subject of the case. Closed Session Item 4
• The state’s case against the city. People of the State of California, ex rel, Rob Bonta, California Department of Housing and Community Development v. City of Costa Mesa, Orange County Superior Court, Case No. 30-2026-01583941-CU-WM-CJC. Closed Session Item 5
• A property negotiation at 3303 Hyland Avenue (APN 139-032-11) under Government Code Section 54956.8. City Manager Cecilia Gallardo-Daly is the agency negotiator; the negotiating party is Lisa Kolieb, Partner with Akerman LLP; under negotiation are price and terms of payment. Closed Session Item 6
• The public may address the council before the closed session only on the items on the closed session agenda. The regular meeting agenda lists a City Attorney closed session report after roll call.

🪑 Also on the agenda

• A proclamation for Walktober 2026. Presentations Item 1
• Routine consent: waiving the full reading of ordinances and resolutions; the reading folder — receiving and filing claims from Yasmin Baksh, Carol Molina, Johnny Mosham, Rasheed Mumtaz, Rolando Teran and Grygoriy Tolmachov and authorizing staff to return and/or reject any and all claims; and the minutes of the regular meeting of September 15, 2026. Consent Items 1, 2, 4
• Warrant Resolution No. 2761 would be approved, with summary check registrations dated 8-27-2026, 9-3-2026 and 9-10-2026 attached. The agenda states no total. Consent Item 3
• Council roster as printed on the agenda: Mayor John Stephens, Mayor Pro Tem Manuel Chavez, and Council Members Andrea Marr, Arlis Reynolds, Loren Gameros, Jeff Pettis and Mike Buley.

Council Brief summaries are produced from official public records by our automated newsroom and reviewed before publication. Items are described as posted; the council may amend, continue, or remove items at the meeting. Spot an error? hello@councilbrief.com — we publish corrections.