This should be another quick meeting of the Planning Commission, with only one item on the Regular Agenda.

R.D. Olson has submitted a Concept Plan and is asking for approval of a Design Review and Conditional Use Permit to develop a 196,000 square foot commercial area located between Microcenter and the 55 Freeway.  The proposal includes development of a Fairfield Inn & Suites, a Residence Inn as well as a restaurant and retail area.

Tustin currently has no hotels of the type proposed. That has left visitors with the option of either staying at one of several local motels, some of which are of a dubious nature, or staying in a neighboring city. The closest hotels of this type are in Santa Ana and Irvine. The Embassy Suites comes to mind here.

The hotel complex will make a great addition to the area. Both hotels sport modest accommodations with exercise rooms, meeting rooms and the usual amenities of mid-priced hotels. It should make an attractive venue for both business and casual visitors looking to stay off hotel row in Anaheim or Irvine. The Restaurant and retail area will be a plus (not that Tustin lacks in great restaurants). Let’s not forget the construction jobs and permanent jobs this project will generate.

If you want to drudge through all 178 pages of the staff report you can find it here. Of course, after reading it, you may wonder why certain members of our Community Development Department are wasting their time as city employees when they are clearly cut out for public relations (see page 14).

That’s it. I am sure Elizabeth Binsack will want her staff to give a full report which could extend the meeting for some time. But, we think this is a worthwhile project as long as her department doesn’t throw any unnecessary roadblocks in their way. Oh yeah, free building permits, Elizabeth?