Planning Commission approves temporary Fear Overload haunted house at Newpark Mall

The Newark Planning Commission voted unanimously present to adopt a resolution approving a conditional use permit for the Fear Overload haunted-house attraction at Newpark Mall, 2086 Newpark Mall, Suite 1149 (U-2026-002).

Planning staff presented the proposal and said the applicant, identified in the record as Nathan Palenko of Fear Overload LLC, would operate the indoor walk-through attraction for selected days totaling 29 days from Sept. 25 through Nov. 7, 2026. Operating hours would vary by night, with opening times between 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and closing times ranging from about 9:00 p.m. to midnight on some nights. The attraction would occupy an existing 7,504-square-foot tenant space, with each session lasting about 12 minutes.

Staff told commissioners the applicant anticipates peak-night attendance of about 1,400 people and about 800 on non-peak nights. The operation would rely on roughly 40 seasonal employees (about 35 on a typical night) and security staffing that would vary by night (a stated minimum of five guards on slow nights and up to 12 on busier nights). Staff said both employees and security personnel would be trained to respond to emergencies.

On the question of parking and traffic, staff said Newpark Mall has more than 5,000 parking spaces and that mall management would direct customers toward underused areas near the former Sears building. As a condition of approval, the applicant must prepare a parking and traffic study and mitigate any problems identified by that analysis.

Staff said the project is categorically exempt from California Environmental Quality Act review per the staff report and slides and recommended adoption of the draft resolution approving the conditional use permit. "Staff recommends the planning commission to adopt the draft resolution approving the conditional use permit for the project based on the findings provided in the draft resolution," the staff presenter said.

Commissioner Fitz asked whether children could attend; the applicant recommended a minimum age of 12 years or older. Commissioner Aguilar asked about attendance trends; the applicant said attendance has climbed year over year and last season was stronger than the prior year.

After closing the public hearing (no public commentators spoke on the item), the commission moved, seconded and approved the resolution by a vote recorded as three "I" votes with two commissioners absent. The commission also approved the meeting minutes from June 9, 2026 earlier in the session.

The conditional use permit approval includes the staff-recommended conditions, including the required parking and traffic analysis and any mitigation the study identifies. No appeals or subsequent procedural steps were recorded during the meeting; the item concluded with the commission offering best wishes to the applicant.