Planning Commission delays vote on Target store

Andrew Glazer

COSTA MESA -- The Planning Commission voted late Monday night to delay

approving a new Target store after about 10 residents complained that the

current plans would bring traffic and noise pollution to their Halecrest

neighborhood.

Residents spent three hours telling the commission they did not oppose

the store itself, but had objections to some of the plans. The commission

will continue the hearing on March 11.

“I felt there were some unresolved issues that needed to be worked out,”

said Walt Davenport, chairman of the commission.

Al Morelli, who owns two homes on Shamrock Lane next to the site of the

shopping center, and City Councilwoman Linda Dixon called for the

hearing.

Because it conforms to city codes, staff members said, the Planning

Commission was not required to discuss the 17-acre project -- which

developers said will include a drive-through restaurant and several

smaller stores.

Both Dixon and Morelli said they welcome a new Target store at 3030

Harbor Blvd. However, they both agreed that the enormity of the project

merited public discussion before the commission.

Morelli said the project’s developer, Dayton Hudson Corp., did not

address Halecrest homeowners’ concerns -- even after it held three

meetings with residents last year.

“Those meetings were very controlled,” he said. “They did not give people

a chance to speak up.”

Morelli and his attorney, Simone Wong-Easum, prepared a 51-page document

detailing their uneasiness about the planned project. The store, as

planned, will flood the homes of nearby residents with noise of slamming

car doors and chirping alarms, according to the report.

In the document, Morelli recommended developers leave a 20-foot buffer

zone between Target and adjacent homes. He also said the developer should

construct a berm and plant trees there to block car noise.

However, commissioners did not receive copies of Morelli’s highly

technical report until Friday. And city planning staff had neglected to

inform Morelli and his attorney about a previous Planning Commission

study session.

“We would’ve prepped them about our issues if we went to the study

session,” Wong-Easum said. “And I’m not a city planner. I could’ve used

the extra time to bring myself up to speed.”

Davenport said he read the entire document over the weekend.

“I had more than enough time with it,” he said.

Morelli spent more than an hour and a half Monday night outlining his

report for the commissioners.

“I’m sure they didn’t have time to read it,” he said. “I had to cut a few

items short.”

Jeffrey S. Haber, an attorney for Dayton Hudson Corp., said he welcomed

further discussion about the project.

“We look forward to responding to any questions from the commissioners,”

Haber said.