Building spared for now

The Mariners Medical Arts Center will avoid the wrecking ball and any other construction for the time being, Newport Beach city officials said Friday.

The building at 1901 Westcliff Drive — designed in 1963 by architectural giant Richard Neutra — was planned to be demolished by its owner in an effort to construct a new three-phase building project, the first phase of which could have started as early as this month after a building permit was recently issued.

But after local architects and community members protested the project, city officials looked into documents referencing the building and new construction. After doing so, they decided to put a suspension on the building permit.

“After it came to my attention, I started looking into the whole genesis of this whole project going back to 2004,” Newport Beach Planning Director David Lepo said. “And I don’t think the [California Environmental Quality Act analysis] was adequate.”

Under the California Environmental Quality Act, before construction can begin, an initial study must be done to determine environmental effects, which can include historical significance; it can also include a building designed by a noted architect with a certain style — such as Neutra.

The Mariners Medical Arts Center, which spans three adjoining buildings, contains offices for dentists and other medical practitioners. The building’s owner, Venture Realty Group, will now have to make a deposit for that study to be done. Venture Realty Group did not immediately return phone calls.

Construction was also stopped because a city traffic-phasing ordinance — a rare ordinance — is outdated and calls for a new study to determine the effects on traffic and costs associated with transportation infrastructure.

One was done in 2004 for the property; the owners had 24 months to get building permits and proceed with construction, but time ran out, Lepo said.

Now, both a California Environmental Quality Act and a traffic phasing ordinance must be completed before construction may be considered — a victory for those who had been speaking out to save the building.

But it doesn’t mean the building is safe.

The California Environmental Quality Act would still have to determine construction would cause a significant impact. If that happens, another survey to determine historical significance would have to be done. That survey would determine if this particular structure is significant in terms of architectural history or unique to a particular architect or genre, Lepo said.

Even in the event that happens, city officials could still determine construction would have an off-setting economic benefit and OK a building permit.

“The point is that the public and decision makers that are charged with saying yea or nay are fully informed,” Lepo said.

DANIEL TEDFORD may be reached at (714) 966-4632 or at daniel.tedford@latimes.com.