Target opening bodes well for city coffers

Jennifer Kho

COSTA MESA -- Despite a pending claim alleging city misconduct in the

planning process, a new Target Greatland store has opened on the old

Fedco site on Harbor Boulevard.

“I’m very pleased,” said Councilman Joe Erickson. “It’s a large,

modern store centrally located in Costa Mesa and I think it will do very

well. I think the city and Target worked well together to make a store

that fits in with the neighborhood and I’m hopeful that it will be very

successful and contribute to our tax base.”

The store differs from other Targets because of a huge selection and

better customer service, including 22 checkout lanes, Erickson said.

“It’s competing more with Costco and other warehouse-type stores,” he

said.

The site, at 3030 Harbor Blvd., has been vacant since last year’s

Fedco closing. That store consistently had retail sales figures among the

top 10 in the city, said City Manager Allan Roeder.

The city has not estimated revenues for the new Target store, and

Roeder said he doubts it will match Fedco’s sales.

“It is certainly nice to have the site occupied and to have sales tax

dollars coming in from the site starting next year,” he said. “Property

tax money will also be coming in, which will benefit not only the city

but the school district as well. I think it is a nice addition to the

area.”

But one resident, Al Morelli, disagrees. He has filed a claim against

the city alleging that the City Council intentionally shielded the

project from public review by failing to conduct additional public

hearings on minor changes made after the council approved the project in

April.

Roeder and Mayor Gary Monahan have repeatedly denied the charges and

pointed out that the project, which complied with city codes from the

start, never required a public hearing.

“I think it was pretty clear at public hearing that a vast majority of

concerns had been addressed, even though not all of Mr. Morelli’s

concerns had been addressed,” Roeder said. “I don’t know that I’ve ever

seen a project that everyone universally supported.”

Residents had concerns about noise, the store’s loading and unloading

dock and the garden center, Roeder said. A long-running disagreement

between neighbors and Fedco had been that Fedco operated a forklift

outside the store.

Target Greatland satisfied residents’ concerns by installing a large

sound-buffering wall, agreeing not to use a forklift or other noisy

machinery outside, and including more landscaping than Fedco had,

Erickson said.

Neighbors and shoppers this week said they are happy the store has

opened.

“Everything’s OK with Target,” said Rachel Moreno, a resident living

on College Avenue behind the store. “They put it in a perfect place and

it’s very convenient for us. We haven’t had any noise or traffic problems

or anything.”

Michael Walsh, a Newport Beach resident shopping at the store, said

the developer did a great job on the exterior.

“I think this is a good location,” he said. “I’m very pleased to have

a Target here in Costa Mesa.”