INSIDE CITY HALL

WHAT HAPPENED: The Planning Commission agreed to allow Learning Tree

University to operate a nonprofit education and training facility in an

industrial building at 3160 and 3170 Pullman St.

The issue had been continued three times because of unresolved parking

disputes. Planning staff had recommended the commission deny the

university’s request.

WHAT IT MEANS: The university reached a last-minute agreement with its

property owner, giving the commission confidence that the location now

has adequate parking for the school’s operations, Commissioner Katie

Wilson said.

WHAT THEY SAID: “I think this is another resource that people will

certainly take advantage of,” commission Chairman Walt Davenport said.

VOTE: 5-0 to approve

WHAT HAPPENED: The commission determined that the Q-Club Billiards

& Cafe has complied with modified permits that were approved in August.

The commission postponed a review Dec. 14 to allow the landlord, Mark

Les, to try to resolve differences between the cafe and other tenants,

including the Dancers in Motion dance studio, which filed a complaint

against the cafe.

Complaints from neighboring tenants were that Q-Club Billiards & Cafe

patrons would smoke outside of the club and use loud and abusive

language.

The business is allowed to have a small smoking area in back of the

cafe but is not allowed to serve food or alcohol there. It also must

supervise the area to keep noise down.

The owners applied for permission to create an outdoor dining patio

and to sell hard liquor but withdrew that application after the

commission received several complaints in August about customers smoking

and loitering in front of the cafe.

WHAT IT MEANS: Since the December hearing, Q-Club Billiards & Cafe has

reported that food sales made up an average of 58% of its sales from

January 2000 to October.

That percentage fills a requirement that quarterly food sales at the

establishment must exceed alcohol sales.

According to a staff report, the extent of the problems between the

club and other tenants has been reduced, and Bob Michna, an adjacent

bookstore owner, said loud and abusive language has diminished.

No further action is planned.

WHAT THEY SAID: “The owner has gone above and beyond in trying to

resolve the tenant dispute that started this whole thing,” Wilson said.

VOTE: 5-0 to determine that the cafe has complied with permits.

WHAT HAPPENED: The commission accepted public comments on the

revised Home Ranch draft environmental report but did not ask questions

or take any action.

Home Ranch, a 90-acre project that had been scheduled for Planning

Commission review in June, has been redesigned to add housing, as well as

reduce building heights and the square-foot density of the proposed

office space.

The modified proposal for the site, a lima bean farm bordered by the

San Diego Freeway, Fairview Road, Harbor Boulevard and Sunflower Avenue,

calls for a 17-acre Ikea furniture store, 950,000 square feet of office

space and 464 homes.

Copies of the draft environmental report for the revised Home Ranch

development proposal are available at City Hall, 77 Fair Drive; the Mesa

Verde Library, 2969 Mesa Verde Drive East; and the Costa Mesa Library,

1855 Park Ave.

WHAT IT MEANS: The commission is collecting public comments on the

adequacy of the draft environmental report.

Commissioners were not scheduled to make any decisions on the project

and will continue to accept public comments on the project until Friday.

WHAT THEY SAID: “There were a lot of residents in the audience but

fewer spoke than I had anticipated,” Wilson said. “Some of the common

concerns they had were the line-of-sight studies and pollution, including

runoff, noise and air quality. There were also concerns about traffic,

which we expected. There will be some serious issues we have to look

closely at, and everybody knows that.”

NEXT MEETING

WHAT: Planning Commission regular meeting

WHERE: Costa Mesa City Hall, 77 Fair Drive

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Feb. 26

INFO: (714) 754-5245