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Newark planning panel approves temporary 'Fear Overload' haunted-house at Newpark Mall
Summary
The Newark Planning Commission unanimously approved a 30-day conditional use permit for Fear Overload LLC to run a temporary haunted-house attraction at Newpark Mall from Sept. 21 to Nov. 2, 2024, with staff citing adequate parking, security and a CEQA exemption.
The Newark Planning Commission unanimously approved a conditional use permit on Aug. 13 to allow Fear Overload LLC to operate a temporary commercial haunted-house attraction at Newpark Mall.
Associate planner Joseph Blapet told the commission the event would occupy an existing 7,504-square-foot tenant space (Suite 1149) and run up to 30 days between Sept. 21 and Nov. 2, 2024. Blapet described operational details, saying each walk‑through session would last about 12 minutes and the applicant anticipates about 750 customers on peak nights and about 450 on non‑peak nights. Staffing would be approximately 30 employees, and security would range from a minimum of five guards on slow nights to 12 on busy nights.
Blapet said the site is zoned RC (regional commercial) with the Newpark Place specific plan overlay and has adequate parking (the mall has about 5,000 spaces, with underused areas in front of the former Sears flagged for event parking). He told the commission the project would require interior improvements only, a building permit and a fire permit as conditions of approval, and that staff had concluded the conditional use permit findings could be made in the affirmative. Staff also determined the project qualified for a CEQA exemption as noted in the staff report.
Commissioners asked about the operator’s history and tenant feedback. Blapet said the operator complied with prior conditional-use approvals in 2022 and 2023 and that staff and the applicant had not received negative feedback from mall tenants. The applicant identified himself for the record and confirmed he accepted the conditions of approval.
A commissioner moved to approve the permit, a second was given and the commission voted unanimously to adopt the draft resolution approving the conditional use permit. The motion carried with unanimous approval.
The approval allows the applicant to proceed with required building and fire permitting; staff will monitor permit compliance and the event’s operation under the conditions adopted by the commission.
