ON THE AGENDA Here are a few...

ON THE AGENDA

Here are a few of the issues the commission will consider tonight.

MUSEUM EXPANSION

The commission will consider a change to the general plan to

increase the square footage permitted at the Newport Sports Museum,

which is at 100 Newport Center Drive.

Museum officials want approval to expand by 1,550 square feet to

enclose a 780-square-foot patio for a new interactive museum area.

They also are seeking retroactive approval for an already-built,

770-square-foot, second-floor addition constructed without proper

approvals and permits. Finally, they are looking to expand into 3,500

square feet of space currently occupied by another tenant.

If all the expansion is approved, it will result in total museum

area -- including display area and offices -- of about 9,871 square

feet. The City Council would also have to approve the general plan

amendment.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Planning staff members are recommending approval.

YACHT CLUB PARKING

The commission will consider allowing the increase of on-site

parking from 122 to 129 spaces at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club and

the maintenance of 100 boats in the outdoor dry boat storage area.

The application is related to the operation of the club, whose site

plan and on-site parking provisions have significantly deviated from

operations in the early 1970s.

The required number of parking spaces was not being provided, a

control gate at the main entry to the parking lot had been installed

without approval, and the dry boat storage area within the property

was about twice the size authorized by a permit for the yacht club in

1969.

Also, since that time, the club has opened to the public,

increasing its use and resulting in increased parking demand that

can’t be accommodated on-site.

On Jan. 7, yacht club officials filed an application to legalize

the changes to the site plan, to reduce the on-site parking spaces

from 122 to 95 spaces and to maintain dry storage boat capacity up to

200. The club didn’t accompany its application with a professional

parking study or a parking management plan, as suggested by planning

staff members.

After receiving public comments at the June 17 meeting, the

commission continued this issue, as requested by the club, to enable

it to conduct a parking study/management plan. The club has now

submitted a revised site plan and a parking management plan.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Planning staff members recommend approval of the request, as long

as the revised site plan and the parking management plan are put into

place. They also recommended some extra conditions on the club’s

operation.

-- Compiled by

Deirdre Newman