Planning Commission continues Dana Point Harbor parking permit for Ohana Festival, asks for usage data and ground-floor plan

The Dana Point Planning Commission on Aug. 10 continued a request to use part of the harbor parking structure for the Ohana Festival, directing the applicant to supply data that justifies reserving up to 600 of the structure’s 984 stalls and to submit a revised plan showing the bulk of public parking on the ground floor.

Planning staff described the application (coastal development permit CDP 26-0005) for a temporary parking allocation for Sept. 25–27, 2026 at 799 Harbor Way in the Dana Point Harbor commercial core. Staff also provided an addendum correcting clerical errors in the original report and clarifying parking counts; staff said the structure contains 984 stalls, a number confirmed in an engineer’s letter attached to the addendum. "The total actual count for the structure is 984 stalls," staff said during the presentation.

Commissioners and staff discussed how prior approvals in the Dana Point Harbor revitalization plan and district regulations allocate measured uses (for example, boater permits, Catalina Express, and Dana Wharf operations) and how those allocations interact with event reservations. A staff explanation noted that boater parking has been temporarily relocated to the wharf during current East Cove Marina construction and that more than 93 boater stalls were being accommodated there.

Several commissioners pressed the applicant for evidence that reserving 600 spaces per day would not leave harbor users short on parking. "We have to take care of the harbor before we take care of anything else," one commissioner said, urging more data on typical occupancy during festival dates and peak boating activity. Commissioners also raised weather and seasonal factors — including a concern that El Niño conditions and rising fishing activity could increase harbor demand in September.

Applicant representatives said they base the 600 figure on last year’s Ohana attendance and that the festival uses prepaid reservations to control daily occupancy. They offered to provide historical counts and daily occupancy data and said they were open to a lower reservation number: "If you’re more comfortable with 500, we’re open to that too," an applicant representative said.

To allow time for the applicant to produce the requested information and a revised parking plan that emphasizes ground-floor public spaces, a commissioner moved to continue CDP 26-0005 to Aug. 24, 2026. The motion included a friendly amendment — supported by the mover and second — that requires the applicant to submit a plan showing the ground-floor bulk of public parking and data demonstrating that the requested reserved spaces would not create a shortage for harbor users. The commission voted in favor and continued the public hearing to Aug. 24, with the hearing remaining open until that date.

The commission’s direction leaves the draft resolution and clarified staff materials in place for review once the applicant submits the requested documentation. The applicant identified in staff remarks as Dana Point Harbor Partners (Burnham Ward) said it would provide the counts and a revised plan before the continued hearing.