Port Theater applies for conditional use permit

The New Port Theater — which opened briefly as a cafe in May before city officials shut it down — has applied for a conditional use permit that would allow eating, drinking, live entertainment and dancing, according to a city memo.

“The requested hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily,” the city memo states. “A conditional use permit approval is also necessary to reduce the required parking through the approval of a parking management program because the subject property does not provide on-site parking.”

The landmark theater located at 2905 E. Coast Hwy. opened in April for the Newport Beach Film Festival. It then closed for restoration work to be completed.

In May, the theater’s concessions opened as a coffee shop during morning hours. But because no movies were being shown at the time, the cafe was not in compliance with the theater’s permits, and the cafe was closed after a complaint was made to city officials.

The permit question will go before the city’s Planning Commission, said Mayor Nancy Gardner.

--Amy Senk, Corona del Mar Today