Costa Mesa commission denies Islamic group’s plan for new center

The Costa Mesa Planning Commission on Monday overturned approval for an Islamic group to open a religious center in a business park near John Wayne Airport, contending that the facility would place further stress on the area’s parking.

In December, the city zoning administrator approved the Ismaili community’s request for a new 6,000-square-foot center at 3184 Airway Ave., Suite J.

The Dec. 10 approval was called up for review the next day by Planning Commissioner Stephan Andranian, who said Monday that he felt the matter was important enough to merit a public hearing.

The Ismaili group has 140 to 210 members. Representative Nazim Karim said it wants a larger space in Costa Mesa because it has outgrown its facility on Skypark Circle in Irvine, about a mile from the Airway Avenue site.

Though the city administrator felt the JWA area has sufficient parking to handle the Ismailis’ peak crowds, Andranian and Commissioners Tim Sesler and Colin McCarthy disagreed. They voted in the commission’s 3 to 2 majority to overturn the approval.

“It would be a wonderful addition to Costa Mesa,” McCarthy said. “It just doesn’t fit here ... you can’t fit 15 pounds in a 10-pound box, and that’s what I’m concerned we’re doing here.”

The trio agreed with the dissent raised by neighboring businesses along Airway Avenue and Airport Loop Drive, as well as Berean Community Church, which operates at 3184 Airway, Suite A.

One of Berean’s pastors, Peter Kim, said his growing church has about 450 worshippers who already struggle to find parking.

Mike Howard, owner of two suites at 3184 Airway, said another religious group moving into Airway and needing a lot of parking spaces is “asking for trouble.”

Randy Schafer, who said the Ismaili community is in escrow to buy his suite, scoffed at the Berean church’s criticism. He accused the church of causing the area’s parking problems and violating parking rules.

Schafer also questioned why Berean cares about the Ismailis because, according to his real estate agent, who also represents Berean, the church is in escrow to buy a bigger space somewhere else.

Berean pastor Mark Lim contended that Schafer had misinterpreted the church’s parking standards. Lim did not deny that the church is looking to move.

“Finding a location for us is not going to be an easy task either,” Lim said. “[In the long term,] we can’t say whether we’re going to be moving.”

Commission Chairman Robert Dickson and Commissioner Jeff Mathews voted to uphold the Ismailis’ approval, agreeing with the administrator’s contention that the nearly 500 parking spaces within a five-minute walk of the proposed site would be sufficient.

Dickson pointed to an independent study corroborating the administrator’s position.

“I caution people just saying ‘This isn’t going to work,’” Dickson said.

The commission’s 3 to 2 denial leaves the Ismailis’ future in limbo. They can appeal the decision to the City Council. Karim said after Monday’s hearing that they will weigh their options in the coming days.