Planning commission denies full use of rear driveway at 2350 Bristol Street after split testimony

The Newport Beach Planning Commission on March 19 denied a staff-approval request that would have allowed employees and delivery vehicles to routinely use the rear (Zenith) driveway at 2350 Bristol Street, voting unanimously to uphold staff’s recommendation to deny the change.

The commission’s action followed a lengthy staff presentation, testimony from the applicant and dozens of public speakers and a round of technical comments from the city traffic engineer and city attorney. Assistant Planner Daniel Cop Chevber told commissioners the property’s entitlement history and the county-approved exhibits show a controlled rear access intended for emergency access, and staff found the applicant’s submittal incomplete for the operational changes it sought.

“Changes should be consistent with the zoning code,” Daniel Cop Chevber said in his presentation, noting code‑enforcement visits since 2024 and that the original approvals include a controlled emergency access plan and condition-of-approval language…