New restaurant OK’d for former gas station site in Costa Mesa
A parcel of land in Westside Costa Mesa is set to go from gas station to gastropub after the Planning Commission approved plans for a new restaurant there.
Commissioners voted unanimously Monday to approve a conditional use permit for the restaurant, Public Trade, which is planned for the site of a former auto service station at 2145 Placentia Ave.
Building permits to convert the station to a restaurant were issued in December. The permit approved by the commission Monday allows the restaurant to operate from 9 a.m. to midnight daily and serve alcohol past 11 p.m.
The commission’s decision is final unless appealed to the City Council.
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Public Trade will offer a “good selection of American fare,” said Brett Engstrom, who represents the property’s owner, Ronda Dubar.
“I think it’s the right fit for the neighborhood, and we hope to be a good part of the neighborhood,” Engstrom said.
The restaurant will be in a stand-alone building at the corner of Placentia Avenue and Victoria Street. The space is 1,155 square feet with a 545-square-foot outdoor dining patio.
“I think it’s a great project and it’s overdue for this area,” Commissioner Colin McCarthy said. “It’s going to perk up that corner that we all drive by so much.”
Still, some nearby businesspeople said they were concerned about the parking situation on the site.
Per city code, a restaurant the size of Public Trade is required to have 17 parking spots. Sixteen spaces will be provided on the property, but the code allows for a credit of one space if a bike rack is provided, which will be required at Public Trade.
Tracy and Becky Jones, who own neighboring property at 2131 Placentia Ave., told the commission they were worried that customers or employees of Public Trade could clog the lot at their property, where their business, Ironfinder Inc., and another tenant, Care Ambulance, are located.
“We are very concerned about a restaurant without adequate parking being opened, as we know our property will be used for overflow parking, which may impact the accessibility for Care Ambulance,” according to a letter the Joneses submitted to the commission.
Commission Chairman Robert Dickson said conditions of the permit approval require the restaurant to stay on top of any possible parking problems.
Should parking become an issue, the restaurant would be required to take “whatever operational measures are necessary to minimize or eliminate the problem,” such as providing onsite valet parking service or acquiring additional parking, planning documents state.
The conditions also require signs to be installed advising Public Trade patrons that they are not allowed to park in adjacent lots.
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