Former commissioner receives leadership award

The state chapter of the American Planning Assn. recently chose a Costa Mesa project and former planning commissioner to receive first-place awards, after they received similar awards locally in May.

The proposed North Costa Mesa high-rise projects, a cluster of eight residential towers, were given the outstanding planning implementation award; and seven-year planning commissioner and civic volunteer Bruce Garlich received an award for distinguished leadership in planning.

The high-rise projects would add more than 1,200 new residential units as well as office and retail space near the Orange County Performing Arts Center. Garlich served on the Planning Commission for seven years before he resigned in January for health reasons, and he also completed the police and fire departments’ citizen academies and serves on the Costa Mesa Senior Center board.

The state awards will be given at a conference in San Jose in October. The winners now become eligible for national planning awards from the association. The last time the city received a state planning award was for the Triangle Square shopping center in 1993.

— Alicia Robinson