Environmental study launched for Kohl’s store

Lolita Harper

City Council members on Monday approved a contract to study the

traffic and environmental effects of a proposed department store that

would demolish the popular bowling alley Kona Lanes on Harbor

Boulevard.

The council voted 3 to 1 to award the $59,000 contract to LSA

Associates for the study of a 95,000-square-foot Kohl’s store on

Segerstrom-owned property. Councilman Gary Monahan was absent, and

Councilman Chris Steel dissented, saying he wanted the study to

include the possibility of a skateboard park and the bowling alley.

“I think we can do a whole lot better,” Steel said.

Renovation plans for the southern half of the Mesa Verde Shopping

Center, where Kona Lanes and the empty Ice Chalet and Edwards movie

theater sit, call for all three buildings to be replaced by Kohl’s.

A series of studies must be conducted to evaluate how the

development will affect traffic, air quality, noise and neighbors

before it can be considered for council approval.

Don Lamm, the assistant city manager, told council members that

alternative ideas for the site were welcome but not appropriate for

the study at hand.

“You don’t have the right to tell them to keep Kona or Ice Chalet

until it comes down to approval,” Lamm said. “Then you can vote their

project up or down.”

Mayor Linda Dixon and Councilwoman Karen Robinson said they would

also like to see recreational use at the site but understood the need

to analyze only what was being proposed by Kohl’s, as required by

state law.

City Manager Allan Roeder said the council simply did not have the

authority to ask the applicant to do studies for things that are not

included in the proposal.

Kohl’s has deposited the cost of the study, plus 10% to cover

internal costs of administering the contract, a staff report shows.

If the project is ultimately rejected, the department store could

submit another proposal or the Segerstroms could find another tenant

to develop a different facility or business.

“Whether you are for or against this project, [the information in

this study] is what everyone needs to make a decision,” Lamm said.

C.J. Segerstrom & Sons officials have said the project is the

second phase of the overall rehabilitation of the Mesa Verde center.

The northern end of the center is anchored by a Vons and has a Sav-On

Drug, Starbucks Coffee, Boston Market and Hollywood Video.

Segerstroms officials reevaluated the center’s use after both the

Edwards company’s bankruptcy and the closure of Ice Chalet. Attempts

were made to replace the movie theater and ice skating rink -- a

community fixture and training ground for Olympic athletes for 30

years -- but no similar tenants were found, officials said.

* LOLITA HARPER covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at lolita.harper@latimes.com.