CITY OF COSTA MESA
NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY
DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
FOR THE
FAIRVIEW DEVELOPMENTAL CENTER
SPECIFIC PLAN (SCH No. 2025101405)
The City of Costa Mesa (City), as Lead Agency, has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Fairview Developmental Center Specific Plan (proposed project). The Draft EIR has been prepared in conformance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (Public Resources Code Section 21000 et seq.) and the State CEQA Guidelines (California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 15000 et seq.). This Notice of Availability has been issued to notify interested parties that the Draft EIR is available for public review and comment. The City is requesting comments on the Draft EIR from responsible and trustee agencies, interested public agencies, organizations, and the general public.
PROJECT LOCATION: The Fairview Developmental Center Specific Plan (FDCSP) covers approximately 95 acres of the Fairview Developmental Center (FDC) at 2501 Harbor Boulevard in Costa Mesa, Orange County (project site). The project site is owned by the State Department of General Services (DGS) and it is located west of Harbor Boulevard and is surrounded by the Costa Mesa Country Club to the east, south, and west and residential uses owned and operated by California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) uses to the north. The Southern Regional Emergency Operations Center (under construction) is southwest of the project site within the former boundaries of the FDC.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The proposed project is a specific plan that would guide the development of a mixed-income, mixed-use community on the project site, pursuant to the requirements of State Government Code Section 14670.31. The proposed project is intended to facilitate housing development that would meet a significant portion of the City's Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), including a minimum of 2,300 dwelling units, while ensuring that resident needs are met with commercial services, open space amenities, and public safety infrastructure. The Draft EIR analyzes a maximum development scenario that includes up to 4,000 dwelling units, 35,000 square feet of nonresidential uses, and a minimum of 14 acres of publicly accessible open space. A 15-acre portion of the site would continue to be retained by the State for DDS to develop new housing for the developmentally disabled.
The proposed project would include two primary access points: one at Fair Drive and Harbor Boulevard on the northeast portion of the project site (existing), and a second access road is planned as a new street connecting to an existing intersection at Harbor Boulevard and the Harbor Shopping Center Driveway at the southeast portion of the project site (proposed). An emergency-only access would be retained on Merrimac Way, which is a privately maintained road (existing). The new secondary access road would require construction of the roadway through the adjacent golf course and would involve reconfiguration of up to six holes to maintain course operations while meeting circulation and emergency access requirements, which encompasses approximately 45 acres. Additionally, the proposed project includes the Shelley Circle Trail, which would begin on-site along the east side of the project site and extend along the site's perimeter to connect with Tanager Drive off-site.
POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: The Draft EIR determined that the proposed project would result in potentially significant impacts related to the following environmental topics: air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, geology and soils, greenhouse gas emissions, hazards and hazardous materials, noise, transportation, and tribal cultural resources. In addition, the Draft EIR describes and evaluates project alternatives that may reduce or avoid any identified significant adverse impacts of the project. Topics that could not be mitigated to less than significant include air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, and greenhouse gas emissions.
PUBLIC REVIEW PERIOD: The Draft EIR is available for a public review period commencing on May 14, 2026, and ending on July 1, 2026. In accordance with the State CEQA Guidelines, if you have any comments pertaining to the environmental analysis in the Draft EIR, please provide your comments during this time. Please submit all comments in writing so that they are received no later than July 1, 2026, at 5:00 pm. Respondents and commenters should indicate a contact person for your agency or organization and send your written comments to:
Attn: Melinda Dacey, Principal Planner
City of Costa Mesa
Economic and Development Services Department
77 Fair Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Melinda.Dacey@costamesaca.gov
DOCUMENT AVAILABILITY: Electronic copies of the Draft EIR and all documents referenced therein are available for download on the City's website at: https://www.costamesaca.gov/government/departments-and-divisions/economic-and-development-services/planning/environmental-notices-and-reports
Also, all materials are available electronically at the State Clearinghouse via the CEQAnet Web Portal (https://ceqanet.opr.ca.gov/) by searching the project's State Clearinghouse Number: 2025101405.
Hard copies of the Draft EIR are also available for public review at:
City of Costa Mesa Development Services Department, at 77 Fair Drive, 2nd Floor, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Mesa Verde Library, 2969 Mesa Verde Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Costa Mesa/Donald Dungan Library, 1855 Park Avenue, Costa Mesa, CA 92627
