The Costa Mesa Planning Commission on Monday received an outreach update for "Neighborhoods Where We All Belong," the city’s program to implement the housing element and Measure K rezoning requirements. Planning staff and consultants reported on community engagement completed in Round 1 and described the schedule for drafting rezoning strategies, objective design standards and CEQA analysis.

Advanced Planning Manager Anna McGill and consultants from Dudek and Kearns & West summarized outreach activities conducted over the summer and early fall: a citywide open house, three place‑based workshops (Harbor/Newport, Westside and North Costa Mesa/Sobeca), focused discussions, pop‑up events, and a bilingual online survey. Consultancies reported roughly 550 participant touchpoints across events and more than 250 survey responses; staff said a detailed outreach summary with raw data and an appendix will be posted to the project website.

Consultants emphasized the program’s statutory drivers: the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) for Costa Mesa in this cycle is 11,760 dwelling units, and staff noted the housing‑element rezoning must account for that figure plus an implementation buffer, yielding a planning target cited in the presentation as 17,042 units. The rezoning work will identify sites and update zoning to allow residential development consistent with HCD guidelines; Measure K requires a community visioning process be completed as part of any rezoning of Measure K sites.

Panelists described next steps: Round 2 will present draft zoning and objective design standards for multifamily and mixed‑use development, and staff said they are preparing CEQA analysis to support the rezoning. Commissioners asked for clarity on the timeline (staff expects a study session Dec. 8 and draft materials early next year), what forms rezoning would take (overlays, base‑zone changes or a combination), how the city can address parking given recent state law changes, and how outreach will reach a broader cross‑section of residents. Several commissioners urged clearer messaging about the scale of change and stronger outreach to underrepresented groups; one commissioner suggested targeted pop‑ups and partnerships to increase participation.

The commission voted 7–0 to receive and file the outreach report; staff will return in Round 2 with draft rezoning strategies, objective standards and additional outreach plans.