Costa Mesa council to review appeal against proposed Westside event center

Plans for the Harper, an event and banquet center in Westside Costa Mesa, will go under the microscope Tuesday as the City Council takes up an appeal against the proposal.

The venue — which the Planning Commission approved in November — would be in an existing 6,461-square-foot building at 1618 Ohms Way. Uses would include private parties, weddings, receptions, exhibitions and corporate gatherings.

It would be part of Hospitality Collaborative, a catering and event collective that includes the Fig House, an upscale venue in Los Angeles.

Planning commissioners said they believe the Harper would be a vibrant addition to the Westside. The council on Tuesday will have the option to uphold, reverse or modify the commission’s approval.

At the heart of the appeal — filed by Ryan Warren with Bright Guard LLC “on behalf of several property owners” in a nearby business center at 711 W. 17th St. — is a concern about how the Harper could affect parking in the area, which already can be problematic.

“We are not anti-business but simply concerned business owners who feel that this area has severe parking and traffic issues — specifically on Pomona Avenue, Farad Street and Ohms Way,” Warren wrote in the appeal.

According to Costa Mesa city codes, a venue the size of the Harper requires 86 parking spaces. There are 15 spaces available on the project site — though 25 vehicles could be accommodated using valet parking.

Originally, Hospitality Collaborative proposed using shared parking at 729 and 1626 Ohms Way and 1609 Pomona Ave. and offering valet services to fulfill the requirement.

After the Planning Commission vote, however, the owner of 1609 Pomona backed out of the shared-parking agreement. Though Hospitality Collaborative has secured additional parking at two other sites — 705 and 722 Ohms — the project is still short by three spaces, according to a city staff report.

Should the council approve the venue, staff recommends including a condition requiring that any parking deficiency be addressed before building permits are issued. Free valet parking would still be required.

Tuesday’s council meeting starts at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 77 Fair Drive.

Some other noteworthy items on the agenda:

• Councilwoman Katrina Foley is asking her colleagues to consider naming the community center at Lions Park after Norma Hertzog, the city’s first female council member and mayor. Though crews demolished the Neighborhood Community Center in the park this year to make way for a new library, the existing Donald Dungan Library branch — also in the park — will be converted to a community center to replace it.
• Council members also are set to finalize their decision to reject a proposal from the Orange County Humane Society to develop an animal shelter at 642 Baker St. On Dec. 5, the council voted 4-1 — with Councilman Jim Righeimer opposed — to deny the plan, citing concerns about the quality of animal care the organization provides.

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