City council denies Catalina Village project
By Garth Meyer Past 4:15 a.m. Wednesday morning at city hall, in the tenth hour of a city council meeting, representatives voted to stop a proposed 30-unit, mixed-use housing project and revamp of six existing buildings, including the former Catalina Coffee Co. The appeal of planning commission approvals, brought by City Councilman Todd Loewenstein on behalf of constituents, was based on concerns about traffic levels, a “co-living” model for some of the apartment units, environmental mitigation and what the Coastal Act does or does not permit in the Coastal Zone. The meeting featured testimony from two planning commission members, speaking on their own behalf against the project. Tuesday was the last of a maximum five public meetings on the subject, which meant the council had to decide that night, or the next morning as it turned into. The proposal, named “Catalina Village” was brought forth by Jason Muller, founder and CEO of Beach City Capital. It would include restoring a version of Catalina Coffee Co. and a “beer tasting room” next door with 50 outdoor seats, and remodeling a former Masons’ hall into four residential units on the second floor (above a picture/art framing…
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