Marina starts from scratch on long-delayed senior community.

Rim Job: Miguel Vasquez of Coastal Rim Properties might give up ambitions to develop a senior community in Marina after the council vote to seek smaller project proposals. “I can’t say we’d submit again,” he says. Photo by Nic Coury.

Marina starts from scratch on long-delayed senior community.

By Rebecca Robinson

Thursday, October 13, 2011

The Marina City Council voted 3-2 Oct. 11 to scrap plans for the Cypress Knolls senior community and seek new proposals for a project on less than half the initial footprint. 

“In today’s economic condition, big projects don’t seem to be working,” said Councilmember David Brown, who voted in favor of the start-from-scratch motion by Frank O’Connell.  

“We don’t want another Dunes or Marina Heights,” added Mayor Bruce Delgado, referring to two large city projects that have been slow-moving and stalled for years. 

The decision ends a years-long competition between Santa Ana-based Coastal Rim Properties and Salinas-based Peninsula Housing Partners for the deal to develop a 772-unit project on 188 blighted acres.  

The council voted 3-2 Aug. 24 to move ahead with Coastal Rim, but then Brown, the swing vote, asked the council to reconsider. 

The two developers may submit proposals for a 400-home project on 90 acres. But while Peninsula Housing is willing, it’s unclear if Coastal Rim is in. “It’s been a long, trying process,” said developer Miguel Vasquez.  

The city put the project to bid in October 2009, got plans from Coastal Rim and Peninsula Housing in March 2010, and held public hearings before suspending the process for six months so the FBI could investigate bribery allegations. City staff estimate it will take until spring 2012 to select a new developer at a cost of $145,000.  

That’s on top of the nearly $870,000 the city’s spent on Cypress Knolls since April 2008, when it severed its ties with initial developer Front Porch.  

“I don’t believe we have $200,000 per year to be spending on blighted land,” said Councilmember Nancy Amadeo, who along with Jim Ford voted to move ahead with Coastal Rim. Added Ford: “We need to get this project off the ground.”