New-look Costa Mesa Planning Commission OKs banquet venue near JWA
During its first regular meeting in two months, Costa Mesa’s revamped Planning Commission on Monday greenlighted a proposal to develop a banquet facility in an industrial building near John Wayne Airport.
On a 3-0 vote, with Commissioner Jeffrey Harlan absent, the commission approved a request to renovate and convert a one-story, 11,164-square-foot building into an event venue that Rodgers Hospitality Inc. will operate.
Commissioner Carla Navarro Woods recused herself from voting on the application and was not present during the commission’s discussion.
She said Tuesday that she doesn’t have any personal connection to the project but recused herself “out of an overabundance of caution” due to her employment with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“The site venue was within our watershed,” she said.
The new facility, called FĂŞte, will be at 3101 Red Hill Ave., near Mariners Christian School.
The building was constructed in 1966, originally for electronic assembly, according to a city staff report. It is currently vacant.
The project entails updating the building’s exterior with new paint, window treatments, lighting and siding along the front entryway. The interior also will be updated to accommodate the banquet facility.
Other planned work includes slurrying and restriping the parking lot and retrofitting the restrooms with new fixtures to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
Once the venue opens, it will host events ranging from smaller breakfast or business meetings to large gatherings such as weddings and fundraisers. Alcohol, live entertainment and dancing could be provided during certain events.
The venue’s hours will vary depending on the event. A manager and small staff will work there during weekday business hours to meet with and book clients.
Discussion of the application Monday was brief, but some speakers said they had reservations about parking in the area.
“We are concerned that employees and patrons of the proposed banquet facility will attempt to park on our properties,” Joe Erickson, president of Myers-Erickson Properties Inc., wrote in an email to the commission. “We are also concerned that the alcohol served on the premises will lead to a wide variety of problems.”
Erickson wrote that Myers-Erickson “affiliated companies” own and manage other properties in the area.
Costa Mesa resident Cindy Brenneman said she supported the application but that parking can already be difficult in the area.
“Use caution on the parking, but I think it’s a great idea,” she said.
The project plan includes valet parking to accommodate large events.
Commission Chairman Stephan Andranian said the city should keep an eye on the parking situation to “ensure that neighboring properties aren’t negatively affected by this application.”
Commission reorganization
After taking their oaths of office, the four commissioners present voted to appoint Andranian as the panel’s new chairman and Byron de Arakal as vice chairman.
The votes were unanimous for de Arakal and 3-1 for Andranian, with Navarro Woods opposed.
Navarro Woods nominated Harlan as chairman but didn’t receive support for her motion.
Andranian was the only planning commissioner to reclaim his seat after the City Council last month vacated the terms of everyone on the planning, senior and parks and recreation commissions and carried out a new search for members. The panels were refilled last week.
De Arakal previously served on the parks commission.
Twitter: @LukeMMoney
