OCC Swap Meet to shrink by half

Lolita Harper

COSTA MESA -- Orange Coast College officials have agreed to cut the

campus swap meet in half after city leaders determined the weekend event

was violating the school’s agreement with the city.

College officials released a statement to swap meet vendors Tuesday

announcing that beginning May 4 and May 5, the OCC Swap Meet will go to a

“Sunday only” operation, which complies with the 1984 agreement with the

city.

“Our conditional-use permit is up for renewal this year,” the

statement reads. “We will be discussing with the city a way that OCC can

hold the swap meet in the most beneficial manner to all.”

College officials were unavailable for comment because of spring

break.

Councilwoman Libby Cowan, who started the city study that found the

swap meet was violating the agreement, said she was impressed with the

college’s cooperation. City and college officials met last week to

discuss the results of the study, which discovered the swap meet was

operating with an excess of about 200 vendors and an additional day of

operation not authorized by the city.

“I felt as though the city made no other request except that [swap

meet] comply with the conditional-use permit, and the college officials

very willingly agreed,” Cowan said.

Cowan asked city staff members to research the swap meet in November

after she noticed an increase in weekend traffic on Fairview Road. The

city Planning Department checked the original permit and found it allowed

for about 275 vendors to participate in a Sunday swap meet. Officials

found about 400 vendors at the swap meet both weekend days.

Peter Naghavi, the city’s manager of transportation services, said his

department also conducted traffic studies of the area and results showed

a great deal of traffic around the swap meet’s entrances.

Naghavi said too many vendors created a lack of space on the grounds,

which resulted in poor traffic circulation in the parking lot. That

congestion spills onto city streets, backing up Fairview Road for blocks.

“Of course, they are not the only ones,” Naghavi said. “We have the

[Farm] Sports Complex and the fairgrounds that also contribute to the

traffic problems. But the swap meet is one of the major ones.”

Mesa Verde resident Patty Ferguson said she was upset the swap meet

would be cut down.

“I’m unhappy. Those are people’s jobs they are cutting,” Ferguson

said.

Ferguson also worried the cut would stifle funding for “extras” on the

campus -- specifically the concert series.

OCC spokesman Jim Carnett said the money from the swap meet supports

various programs, such as performing arts, but it was not clear if any of

them would be in jeopardy.

The swap meet permit is up for renewal in April. In that process, the

city will present evidence that the swap meet violated previous

conditions but would also note subsequent cooperation to correct the

problem, officials said.

Cowan said college representatives made no indication during the

meeting last week that they would ask permission to operate on Saturdays

and with more vendors.