Planners give Kona Lanes hope

Deirdre Newman

The Kona Lanes bowling alley may be spared from demolition, as city

planners have recommended denial of the Segerstroms’ plan to build a

department store at the Mesa Verde Center because of incompatibility

with nearby homes.

On Monday, the Planning Commission will consider the

95,839-square-foot Kohl’s store, which would also replace the defunct

Edwards Theater and Ice Capades Chalet.

Planners urge a “no” vote because, they said, the height and mass

of the building, along with its distance from the homes, could harm

the adjacent neighborhood.

The Segerstroms maintain that the features of their project fall

within the criteria of the city’s general plan.

“By every conventional method, this is compatible and less

impactful as compared to what plans on the books would allow for,”

said Paul Freeman, Segerstrom spokesman.

City planners first reviewed the project in April 2002 and

identified several concerns, including having such a massive building

next to residential properties. The Edwards Cinema building there now

is only 17,926 square feet.

Planners are also apprehensive about following the precedent set

by the approval of two large buildings next to residential properties

-- Home Depot and the Target Greatland, both on Harbor Boulevard. In

both cases, the buildings’ truck loading areas have created code

enforcement problems.

The Segerstroms have addressed some of the planners’ concerns by

designing a heavily planted landscape buffer between the proposed

store and the homes. Based on neighborhood opposition, the landscape

buffer has been expanded, a 6-foot-wide pedestrian walkway in the

rear landscape area was added to provide easier access to the center

and limits were placed on truck deliveries, routes and store hours of

operation, Freeman said.

These changes won over the 10 homeowners who live closest to the

project, and they signed a petition supporting it, Freeman said.

Opposition remains, however, including from the Mesa Verde

Community Homeowners Assn.

Robin Leffler, a Mesa Verde resident, said she opposes the project

because she doesn’t feel it provides any value to the city.

“We don’t really need another retail store,” Leffler said. “The

loss of the recreation is sad. It was something that really benefited

the community, gave us a little focus, something to do. And the size

of that particular retail [store] is overly intense for this little

area.”

Commissioner Walt Davenport said he was taking a close look at the

project design and might not agree with the planners’ recommendation.