Newport Beach Planning commission meeting preview

Here are some items the commission will consider today.

BEL MARE SIGNS

Developers of the Bel Mare shopping center will ask for approval of the signs and landscaping they’d like to use when the center is built. Bel Mare is planned on eight parcels in Mariner’s Mile between the McDonalds and Dover Drive.

The 56,000-square-foot center is expected to open in 2008 and will include a drugstore, high-end specialty shops and restaurants.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Planning staff members recommend approval of the signs, landscaping, and some changes to the project plans.

BALBOA INN ENTERTAINMENT

The owner of the Balboa Inn, a small hotel on the peninsula, wants a permit for live entertainment to allow music and dancing at weddings, corporate functions and other private events, and to offer music to patrons on weekends. The hotel operates a restaurant from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily and is in the midst of an expansion to add suites and more retail space.

While some neighbors have complained about noise from the inn, planning staff members said a few conditions, such as ending entertainment at 9:30 p.m. and keeping certain doors and windows closed, should answer those concerns.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Approval of a live entertainment permit is recommended.