This corrects an earlier version of this story.
The Newport Beach Planning Commission voted 6-1 Thursday to approve a luxury condominium complex on a coastal bluff in Corona del Mar.
The Aerie, an eight-unit luxury condominium project on Carnation Avenue in Corona del Mar, has divided neighbors who live near the proposed project site.
Some residents believe the project will benefit the neighborhood, but others say the project will compromise the bluff, which is visible from Newport Harbor.
Plans for the condominiums have been scaled back significantly since the city council kicked the project back to the Planning Commission to be reworked in August, said Aerie developer Richard Julian.
“During the last six months, we have put a significant amount of effort to listen to the council’s recommendations and improved the designs,” Julian said.
Living space in the project has been scaled back by 25%, coastal views have been preserved, and the number of units in the project has been reduced from nine to eight, he said.
A number of Corona del Mar residents said they believe the project would only improve the neighborhood.
The Aerie would replace a 60-year-old apartment building that now stands empty.
“I take a boat down on the harbor and see this dilapidated building and think ‘why is it there?’” said Corona del Mar resident Wendy Webb, who supports the project. “Why are we objecting to something that would beautify our community?”
Other residents said the natural beauty of a coastal bluff is threatened by plans for the condominiums.
The large structure would dominate the bluff and alter the landscape of the neighborhood, a few residents said.
“This will result in a new and destructive precedent for the Carnation Avenue Bluff. We ask you to really look at this and hope you will abide by the law,” area resident Lisa Vallejo told the commission. Vallejo lives adjacent to the proposed project.
The condominiums would have private decks and pools for each unit and an elevator to take cars to underground levels. The developer originally planned a seven-story building on the spot, but has modified the plans to make the building six levels.
In other business, the Planning Commission was scheduled late Thursday to hear arguments over whether to revoke a use permit for a popular sushi restaurant after undercover police officer reportedly observed patrons drinking and using drugs in the parking lot of the restaurant.
