[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6479955,"mediaKeyId","5692000-c5e46720a38297e46e375b1da390e9e7","parentId",5692000,"title","Council approves Harbinger Motors mezzanine, general-plan amendment and site plan for Knott Street property","audioSeconds",2821,"startMs",6486000,"endMs",9307000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5692000-c5e46720a38297e46e375b1da390e9e7&start=6486&end=9307","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5692000-c5e46720a38297e46e375b1da390e9e7/thumbnail_6486000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6479955/Garden-Grove/Orange-County/California/Council-approves-Harbinger-Motors-mezzanine-general-plan-amendment-and-site-plan-for-Knott-Street-property","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6479955-162d9fd9ea7b60a1606770803ecf0132/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155774&Signature=LBdnqfDhYoDkTV665m2u-q-L7k0MJgVPQ72uFa9YUt7d-zFLEjqxl-MyK~b24fv8tg2VRlTKdb7ergXvSJVMqLUu92MwqcqIxGimNwNZ6cn0qD2VnjdtMRrGebUlDM1GRKm4HDgBUmNYvy~7XRP-MKLcPsFVQfx94FU6lZb~QJ8Pb8HN9vlT-8zSbVEgBrvUV5SmNaihtEW9SHitWBj8akCQkJe0V8~QNebrCdkN874GA1h6LiA3s~oZ7wAJF51h~Lg1Rxk~Ij5egVYvYw-jTuVlvwCxnc6hdtJQBg4ruaz3tdOSjQUpx143OlsQqugBGnXiiWcDK9~APR2T~rDzMw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Garden Grove","date","2025-08-27T14:12:46Z","article","The Garden Grove City Council voted 7-0 to approve a general-plan amendment, adopt a negative declaration and approve a site plan that will allow Harbinger Motors to add an interior mezzanine and increase the permitted industrial floor-area ratio (FAR) for several parcels along Knott Street.

City Senior Planner Preet Kasla told the council the request would create “sub areas A and B within the existing IC land use designation” and allow an industrial FAR of 0.55 in sub‑area B while keeping commercial FARs unchanged. Kasla said the proposed mezzanine at 12821 Knott Street would increase that property’s FAR to about 0.53 and would be constructed wholly inside the existing building, without expanding the footprint or reducing the existing parking lot.

The approval matters because it lets a Garden Grove manufacturer expand office space while keeping the property in industrial/commercial use rather than allowing residential development. Kasla said the project is one of several priority projects in the city’s Sewer System Rehab Plan Phase 2 and that the site plan and negative-declaration environmental review met applicable local and state requirements.

Harbinger representatives described the mezzanine addition as an office and operations need tied to company growth. “We are a manufacturer of medium duty trucks and also produce high‑tech battery packs and electric motors,” Ben Desastre, chief financial officer of Harbinger Motors, told the council. Desastre said the company moved its headquarters to Garden Grove in February 2023, employs about 264 people at the site and has leased a neighboring building to store inventory and provide additional parking.

Company representative Zane Keith said the site currently provides 198 striped parking stalls and that the business has access to additional stalls at 12700 Knott (65 stalls) plus about 50 stalls at Calvary Chapel under an informal arrangement. Keith said employees now on site number about 150 daily and that after the expansion the daily figure is expected to be about 200. “We have extra stalls we can use there,” he said.

Neighbors and some community members urged caution. Tom Raber and Tony Flores raised concerns about mailed notices and parcel listings for the general-plan amendment, and Raber said he calculated a small difference in the parcel acreage that could affect FAR math. Flores said earlier public notices had inconsistent information and threatened possible legal action if the notice or project descriptions were materially altered from those before the Planning Commission. “The public notices for tonight’s city council did include both addresses and parcel numbers where available for all properties associated with the request,” Kasla responded, saying staff had added information after community requests.

Council discussion focused on two issues: ensuring notice and transparency for neighbors, and how parking impacts would be handled. The approved conditions include a requirement that the applicant submit and implement a parking management plan if on‑site parking cannot accommodate demand and the city determines a nuisance or circulation problem exists. Preet Kasla read the proposed condition requiring the applicant to “devise and implement a plan approved by the city to relieve the situation” and listed possible tools including off‑site parking arrangements, on‑site parking control personnel, or reduced hours of operation; the plan must be implemented within 30 days of written notice from the city’s community development director.

Mayor Stephanie Klompenstein and members of the council emphasized they want Harbinger to remain in Garden Grove and to grow local jobs while also asking staff to pursue clearer public notices in future land‑use mailings. Councilmember Breidingham moved approval; a second was received and the motion carried 7-0.

The site will proceed under the conditions of approval; construction of the mezzanine was described as internal only and not changing building height or lot footprint. Harbinger representatives said construction will not affect the building exterior beyond new matching windows and that they are working with staff on a formal shared-parking agreement with Calvary Chapel to conform with municipal code standards.

Why this matters: Harbinger describes itself as one of the area’s few manufacturers of electric-drive trucks and high‑tech components. The council’s decision clears the way for incremental expansion of office and operations space at an operational manufacturing site while attempting to address neighborhood parking concerns through conditions and a future formalized shared‑parking agreement.

Votes and next steps: The council approved the negative declaration, general-plan amendment and site plan with conditions, 7-0. Staff will process the final permits and the applicant must submit any required parking‑management or shared‑parking documentation per the condition of approval.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025-08-26: City of Garden Grove City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The Garden Grove City Council voted 7-0 to approve a general-plan amendment, adopt a negative declaration and a site plan allowing Harbinger Motors to add an interior mezzanine and modestly increase industrial floor-area ratio on several Knott Street parcels.","taxTitle","Garden Grove, Orange County, California","taxId",2926,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6479946,"Votes at a glance: contracts, sewer project and alcohol‑advertising ordinance approved",3189,6395000,9584000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5692000-c5e46720a38297e46e375b1da390e9e7&start=6395&end=9584","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5692000-c5e46720a38297e46e375b1da390e9e7/thumbnail_6395000.jpg","/articles/6479946/Garden-Grove/Orange-County/California/Votes-at-a-glance-contracts-sewer-project-and-alcoholadvertising-ordinance-approved","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6479946-af6d9f0735db11c57240d8929c1899be/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155774&Signature=lsuEM3CnS92ALc-o~kyB2y9y6QfjguG1CurrAWFQTzOQTGq4GefZE1GkS30Y91aBnffvQmw~0krwvTFXIg7ZAciMj5738viZT8mNPPg4v1j3lvMgK3aL7tF6OtKa2sy1Hr3c4JgnHbB95m-7G7C8PUyh383V26n90TK9-yTBosjWmS1yV0wM73UDI7QTJC5MtsCO6WCRJ71vJuPbQ6VeSdfIEl769be43kNJqcV-kvenVH9RPmp6cuEohB5Brv95rOFSFdtoK~1FrBOuy1kJZeiCZDkVooXIJvLschRYQuXsntcOh8rNeHxQikcL9gkzV-YRsbArZWTWBkS0Q74ypw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Garden Grove City Council recorded several final votes on contracts, projects and one ordinance during the meeting. Below are the actions the council took at this session and the recorded outcomes.

Sewer main replacement contract (Sanitary District, CP1363000‑SSRP Phase 2, Project 1)
Deputy Director Samuel Kim presented an award recommendation to CEM Construction Corporation for sewer‑main replacement work covering areas south of Garden Grove Boulevard, west of Harbor Boulevard, north of Trask Avenue and east of Brookhurst Street. The project includes replacing and upsizing roughly 1,651 linear feet of 10‑inch and 2,679 linear feet of 8‑inch sewer mains, constructing two new manholes, modifying 24 manholes, performing 81 sewer lateral reconnections and two lateral extensions. The council approved the contract 7‑0; the engineer’s low responsive bid was approximately $2,658,385 and staff reported the bid is within the project budget and will be financed by sewer funds.

On‑call water well and pump services (water enterprise)
The council awarded an on‑call agreement to General Pump Company for water well and pump station repairs, maintenance and rehabilitation. Staff recommended the on‑call contractor to help respond quickly to aging pumps and to mitigate interruptions in water supply and fire flows. The agreement is for up to $500,000 per year on an as‑needed basis with an option to extend; funding is from water enterprise funds. The council approved the award 7‑0.

Ordinance restricting outdoor advertising of alcoholic beverages near schools and parks
The council adopted Ordinance No. 2969 on second reading to add code language restricting outdoor advertising of alcoholic beverages near schools, parks and other areas frequented by children. The ordinance passed on second reading with a 7‑0 vote.

Consent and administrative items
The council approved minutes and several consent items as a block; roll‑call results for the consent calendar were recorded as seven yes votes where noted in the meeting minutes.

Why this matters: The sewer contract and on‑call pump services are infrastructure actions intended to maintain core public utilities (sanitary sewer and water supply). The alcohol‑advertising ordinance reflects a policy decision to limit marketing exposure in areas where children congregate.

Where to find more: Staff identified project numbers (CP1363000‑SSRP Phase 2) and the procurement bid amounts for the sewer work; more detailed budget and contract documents are available through the city’s capital improvement and purchasing offices.","At the meeting the council awarded construction and on‑call service contracts, approved a sewer main replacement contract, and adopted an ordinance restricting outdoor alcohol advertising near schools and parks. All contested votes reported unanimous or clear majorities.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6479951,"Council pauses vote on new ‘community harmony’ resolution after lengthy public comments on immigration enforcement",4644,5996000,10640000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5692000-c5e46720a38297e46e375b1da390e9e7&start=5996&end=10640","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5692000-c5e46720a38297e46e375b1da390e9e7/thumbnail_5996000.jpg","/articles/6479951/Garden-Grove/Orange-County/California/Council-pauses-vote-on-new-community-harmony-resolution-after-lengthy-public-comments-on-immigration-enforcement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6479951-3d0c3c35744cb9889a857129bb72262f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155774&Signature=AC07T2a2zi7UT6fs9vMOeCC3v0HW2e2U7WarORGF9ob2Xk90Po7rky6FeDK~YLcnoiJkv4nNiYj6oNh6I9DezJCb4OpOfDLUwLWFIdIBSIiA2xk23eoEijeGkKi3g6daFXXhbvuZHsLvvrxxHEvYuxQW705nI-dv5iOtjskIFAjU0rMV3yMnGgAGJExnZcVvIjPinXgq462zo-aY8tv7YJBQLP3DeC0bpN2jjysnPyPqCJtE65xlaP47QsIb~jV9w0ZVNipnF7q55HZTlYckE5tXU7VxoqMAadsj0S00CRM-due3dhkAqF8p~9tLBv6SjsP6bADwpuioYZsTF8tCqQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Garden Grove City Council spent more than two hours on a draft resolution intended to reaffirm “community harmony and safety” amid heightened federal immigration enforcement activity that residents said has generated fear and disruption. After extensive public comment and a long dais discussion, the council voted to table the proposed draft and asked the sponsor and staff to rework the language.

Councilmember Ariana Adestegui introduced the item, saying the measure is intended as a statement of policy rather than a law. “A resolution is a statement of policy… it is not an ordinance,” Adestegui told colleagues, adding the purpose was to reassure residents and clarify the city’s role and limits. She and others repeatedly urged the council to avoid drafting language that would conflict with state law.

Hundreds of Garden Grove residents turned out for oral communications and the item. Speakers supporting action included community organizers, teachers and parents who described mistaken detentions near schools and said the prospect of federal enforcement has generated fear and “toxic stress” for children. Dwight Huo of VRISE, a local nonprofit, said the August 19 detention of a father outside a school “normalized” ICE tactics and urged the city to adopt the resolution and add practical supports such as a know‑your‑rights webpage and legal clinics.

Opponents said the draft contained unnecessary or legally problematic language, might put federal funding at risk and could be misread by residents and outside actors. Former Garden Grove law‑enforcement officials explained the difference between a temporary detention and an arrest, noting that detentions based on “reasonable suspicion” are a routine law‑enforcement tool. Several speakers urged caution, saying a symbolic resolution could prompt unintended consequences.

Garden Grove Police Chief Amir Afara spoke in favor of clear language that reflected departmental practice; he told the council the department “does not participate in immigration enforcement activities, nor will we inquire about an individual's immigration status.” Councilmembers noted that the state California Values Act (SB 54) already restricts local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement in many circumstances, and asked that any new council text reference that statute and the department’s policy.

A number of councilmembers said they supported the intent — protecting students and families and condemning hateful rhetoric — but raised objections to specific draft language and urged edits. Councilmember Breidingham said the council should not “penalize” Harbinger-like situations for administrative shortcomings elsewhere; other members wanted clearer language about the city’s limits and existing legal obligations.

After debate, two procedural votes were held. A substitute motion to continue without tabling failed, and a subsequent motion to table the draft indefinitely passed on a 5‑2 vote, with Councilmembers Adestegui and Munozan voting no and the mayor and other councilmembers voting to table. City Attorney staff explained that a 2017 resolution with substantially similar language remains on the books and active; councilmembers asked staff and the sponsor to produce a revised draft referencing SB 54 and quoting the police department’s statement for consideration at a future meeting.

What the council did not do: The body did not adopt the new drafted resolution as presented, and it did not alter police policy. The item was tabled for further drafting.

Why this matters: Speakers described trauma among children and fear among immigrant families, issues that intersect with education, public safety and municipal liability concerns. Councilmembers balanced the need to be responsive to community fears with legal constraints and potential impacts on federal funding or policing outcomes.

Next steps: Staff and the sponsor will work on revised language that specifically references SB 54 and the Garden Grove Police Department’s statement on immigration enforcement; the item was tabled indefinitely pending a future draft and additional community input.","Councilmember Ariana Adestegui’s proposed resolution reaffirming community harmony and safety drew large public turnout and hours of comment. After extended debate and suggested edits, the council voted to table the draft indefinitely and asked staff and councilmembers to produce a revised version referencing current law and police guidance.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves Harbinger Motors mezzanine, general-plan amendment and site plan for Knott Street property

Votes at a glance: contracts, sewer project and alcohol‑advertising ordinance approved

Council pauses vote on new ‘community harmony’ resolution after lengthy public comments on immigration enforcement