Costa Mesa Planning Commission Wrap-Up

WHAT HAPPENED: The Planning Commission postponed a decision Monday on

a proposal to change the city’s sign ordinance, which was originally

adopted in 1974.

WHAT IT MEANS: Commissioners wanted to give businesses more time to

respond to the proposal and wanted more information about window

displays.

The commission discussed the ordinance at a meeting April 23, when it

directed the city’s staff to determine if the changes are allowed by

California’s business code.

The proposed changes would prohibit new signs with animation or moving

messages, require street addresses to be posted on free-standing signs or

on the building, and limit the number of signs allowed on businesses.

The ordinance was last revised in 1995 after a two-year process

involving a committee that reviewed the sign ordinance, the Planning

Commission, City Council and city staff.

VOTE: 5-0 to continue

WHAT HAPPENED: The commission approved a proposal to replace an

existing Exxon-Mobil service station with a new one at 3006 Harbor Blvd.

The new station would include a 3,615-square-foot convenience store, a

6,544-square-foot fueling canopy and a 1,152-square-foot self-serve

drive-through carwash.

The station now includes four fuel pump islands and a small

convenience store underneath an existing canopy, as well as five parking

spaces.

The original proposal, submitted in January, was revised April 30 to

provide more parking. If the project is approved, the gas station will

have 15 parking spaces.

WHAT IT MEANS: The commission approved the proposal with the condition

that the architecture of the new canopy, store and carwash is compatible

with the adjacent Costa Mesa Square, which contain Target Greatlands.

Although she said she is not against the project, Commissioner Katrina

Foley opposed the proposal because she wants the station to share a

driveway with Costa Mesa Square.

Other commissioners, including Commissioner Katie Wilson, said the

commission could not make requirements of the Costa Mesa Square developer

as part of the gas station proposal because there are separate developers

involved.

“In an ideal world, we would require shared access because that makes

the most sense, but there is just no way to do that,” Wilson said.

WHAT THEY SAID: “I think it’ll be a traffic nightmare if there isn’t

shared access,” Foley said. “If you’re on Baker going toward Harbor and

you drive into the gas station and then want to go to Target, you’d have

to go back out onto Harbor, go several feet past the credit union and

back into the Target driveway, which I think will create unnecessary

congestion. It just seems silly. I think [a shared driveway] can be

done.”

VOTE: 4-1 to approve, Foley dissented