Proposed Cannabis Store Near Recovery Center Rejected in Costa Mesa

Costa Mesa Civic Center and City Hall in Costa Mesa, Calif., on Nov. 16, 2020. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

A new retail cannabis store was denied a location at 2001 Harbor Boulevard on Nov. 28 after a 4–2 vote by Costa Mesa’s Planning Commission, with commissioners Russell Toler  and Diane Russell dissenting, and commissioner Jon Zich absent.

The denial comes after commissioners raised concerns about the location of a counseling center, which, in part, treats those with substance abuse, near the proposed store’s desired location.

“It just doesn’t make sense to put a retail storefront that is essentially selling a drug … immediately adjacent to a counseling center where people are recovering from the abuse of said product,” Commission Chair Byron de Arakal said during the meeting.

A file photo of a cannabis sample. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Arakal said the denial will likely get appealed, which would give the Costa Mesa City Council an opportunity to revisit the city’s ordinance that only prohibits such pot shops near K-12 schools, playgrounds, homeless shelters, and youth centers.

Commissioner Diane Russell, who also voted against the denial, said she did so because the counseling center has not expressed concern about the issue.

“Even though they were notified, we haven’t heard anything from them to indicate that they see it as a problem,” she said.

Representatives of the cannabis store in question, South Coast Safe Access, said they mailed notices to all property owners within 500 feet, and a public notice was published once in a local newspaper, of their intention to open.

The representatives also said they held an open house in early November where about a dozen people attended showing support.

But Commissioner Jimmy Vivar, who made the motion to reject the proposal, said he thought sufficient outreach efforts were not made and had concerns because the open house was held on a Monday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

“The [open house] was held during rush hour and on an inconvenient day,” he said.

Sofia Chavez, who lives adjacent to the proposed location, said in a letter to the commission submitted as public comment that a cannabis shop there would be detrimental to the community.

“Why right next to a residential area?” she wrote. “Does the applicant not understand how this would affect our residents who do not need to be surrounded by the presence of marijuana daily?”

Plans for another cannabis store at 1072 Bristol Street were also rejected by commissioners earlier this year. Several complaints were made from neighbors regarding the store’s proximity to residential neighborhoods with children, contributing to the denial.