Inside CITY HALL

Jennifer Kho

WHAT HAPPENED: The Planning Commission on Monday extended Sebastian

Valente’s conditional-use permit to construct and operate Car Gallerie, a

new and used car dealership.

Because of financial difficulties, Valente was not able to obtain

building permits for the project before his conditional-use permit

expired. Plans were originally approved in April 2000.

WHAT IT MEANS: Valente will be able to build a dealership including a

5,380-square-foot showroom building, a 4,046-square-foot service building

with a 393-foot loft and a 3,098-square-foot covered display

structure.The dealership also is allowed a 15-foot landscape setback

rather than the 20-foot setback normally required.

WHAT THEY SAID: “It was just a standard course of business,”

Chairwoman Katrina Foley said. “They had already done the grading and

their conditional-use permit expired just before they were pulling their

[building] permits.”

VOTE: 3-0, with Commissioner Bill Perkins absent. Commissioner Katie

Wilson resigned last week, and her position has not yet been replaced.

WHAT HAPPENED: The commission postponed a decision on whether to allow

Beacon Bay Enterprises to subdivide property at 2059 Harbor Blvd.,

previously Beacon Bay Auto Wash, into two lots.

Beacon Bay Enterprises also is requesting permits to use the Harbor

Boulevard half of the lot for vehicle sales and the Charle Street half of

the lot for outdoor vehicle storage. The proposal calls for primary

access through Charle Street.

WHAT IT MEANS: The commission will review the proposal again at its

next meeting, July 9.

City staff has recommended that the commission deny the subdivision

because of the proposed primary access on Charle Street.

The west side of the street is housing, not commercial use, and future

commercial uses on the rear half of the property would generate traffic

on Charle Street that would be a burden on the residents, according to

the staff report.

City staff is recommending that the commission approve the vehicle

sales and outdoor vehicle storage, provided that the business closes off

its Charle Street driveways and uses only Harbor Boulevard for access.

VOTE: 3-0, with Perkins absent.

NEXT MEETING:

WHAT: Costa Mesa Planning Commission meeting

WHERE: Costa Mesa City Hall, 77 Fair Drive

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. July 9

INFORMATION: (714) 754-5245