CHRISTIAN OUTREACH CENTER Costa Mesa Planning...

CHRISTIAN OUTREACH CENTER

Costa Mesa Planning Commissioners will consider a request tonight

from church officials to deviate from usual parking requirements for

their new place of worship on Harbor Boulevard.

Officials representing the Christian Outreach Center, slated to

move into a 1,954-square-foot space in the Commerce Park complex, are

asking for a conditional-use permit that would reduce the required

parking spaces from 25 to six.

Plans for the church, which currently has about 30 members, call

for a reception area, office space, sanctuary and restroom on the

first floor and a youth room, “clothing and food room” and restroom

on the second floor, according to a staff report.

Planners said they do not expect any parking problems because the

church services are planned when the other complex businesses are

closed.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Planners have recommended approval of the minor conditional use

permit.

BARNACLE BILL’S

The owner of a boat repair business is planning an appeal of a

previous denial by the Planning Commission to construct a deck for

boat detailing and storage.

In July, the Planning Commission denied a request to build a

detailing deck at Barnacle Bill’s boat repair service at 1609 Pomona

Ave., saying the view of the boats would not be properly shielded.

Commissioners also deemed the deck would create a traffic hazard.

Business owner Dan Zaccuri appealed the decision, saying the

proposed ramp would block visibility of the lower storage yard and

proposed additional decorative screening to shield people from the

view, a staff report reads.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Planning commissioners are expected to uphold their previous

denial.

GOLD COAST COUNSELING

Planning commissioners will hear a status report on a contentious

counseling center that garnered special attention from city leaders

after various neighboring businesses owners claimed the center’s

clients were scaring away customers.

Gold Coast Counseling Center went before both the Planning

Commission and the City Council after 20 years of providing

counseling to obtain a permit that was mistakenly not issued.

Planning commissioners approved the opening of a counseling center

in an industrial building at 2950 Airway Ave. Conditions were placed

on the facility, however, including a mandatory staff member to

supervise building and parking lot activities.

People with businesses in the same building asked the commission

not to support the center, saying the clients were a nuisance. They

said the counseling center’s patrons were often drunk and urinated in

the parking lot. One owner suggested the commission require a

security guard -- paid for by the owner of the center -- to supervise

the actions of the clients.

Councilwoman Karen Robinson appealed the commission’s approval but

was not supported by her colleagues, who upheld the decision.

According to a staff report, the counseling center has hired

security and seems compatible with the surrounding businesses. No

complaints have been filed with the city since April, the report

read.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Planning commissioners are expected to receive the report and file

it in public record.

-- Lolita Harper