Harbor Boulevard

Costa Mesa Councilman Eric Bever said he is brainstorming ways to revive struggling sections of Harbor Boulevard. “The economy is going to come back,” he said. “And if we can get something going, whether it’s incentives or zone changes, some general plan amendment, if we can get that street ready for when the economy comes back, I think that will be helpful. If we don’t have anything in place, then all the existing uses stand.” Bever said all of the ideas he discussed were preliminary and would have to be analyzed before formal proposals are made.

COSTA MESA — A seemingly simple request by Target to stay open later for the holiday shopping season turned into a long debate Tuesday when the City Council learned that the retailer had been violating the terms of its business permit — apparently inadvertently — for more than a year. "I'm really shocked that Target took it upon themselves to add an hour to operations without considering their terms of approval," Councilman Eric Bever said. "I understand the idea that we want to help our business community, that we want to be a good city for business.

Police will conduct a DUI checkpoint tonight at Harbor Boulevard and Fair Drive. From 6 p.m. to midnight, police will be stationed on northbound Harbor Boulevard at Fair Drive and stopping vehicles passing through the checkpoint and educating them about the dangers of drinking and driving. Police will also verify whether drivers have a valid California license or are violating any vehicle codes. The checkpoint is funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety, which requires the department to notify the public of a checkpoint ahead of time to adhere to federal laws.

POLICE FILES COSTA MESA Adams Avenue and Harbor Boulevard: Three men and one woman were arrested on suspicion of vandalism at 1:10 a.m. Sunday. Bristol Street: A 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of petty theft in the 3300 block at 9:50 p.m. Saturday. Harbor Boulevard and Macarthur Boulevard: A woman was arrested on suspicion of grand theft auto at 11:15 am Saturday. Harbor Boulevard: A man was arrested on suspicion of trespassing in the 2200 block at 2:53 p.m. Saturday.

COSTA MESA Harbor Boulevard: Embezzlement was reported in the 2400 block at 4:52 p.m. Harbor Boulevard: A car stereo, navigation equipment and an amplifier worth $4,198 were stolen from a locked 2000 gray Honda Accord parked at a repair lot in the 2800 block, it was reported at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 29. Harbor Boulevard and Merrimac Way: A man, 19, was arrested because of an outstanding warrant at 1:30 a.m....

POLICE FILES COSTA MESA Bernard Street and Harbor Boulevard: A woman was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property at 3:32 a.m. Thursday. Harbor Boulevard: A man was arrested on suspicion of disobeying a court order in the 1900 block at 12:50 a.m. Saturday. Harbor Boulevard: A man was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property in the 2500 block at 12:55 p.m. Saturday. Harbor Boulevard: A woman was arrested on suspicion of defrauding an innkeeper in the 3000 block at 11:10 p.m. Friday.

BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS Bicyclist killed by truck identified The Orange County Coroner has identified a bicyclist who died Monday after being struck by a big rig on Harbor Boulevard. Police said Costa Mesa resident Rafael Herrera, 76, was hit by an 18-wheeler that was making a right on Harbor Boulevard from westbound Wilson Street. Herrera was trying to cross the road at that intersection. Police said the driver of the truck, Johnny Cuesta, did not see Herrera and didn't know he had hit him until he was farther down Harbor.

A three-car crash left one car in flames at Harbor Boulevard and South Coast Drive Monday evening, officials said. No one was seriously hurt after the 5 p.m. accident that involved a blue Audi, a tan Toyota Forerunner and a white Honda CRV, Costa Mesa Fire Capt. Lenny Goodsir said. Police and fire officials were unclear how the accident happened or what sparked the blaze in the Audi, but Goodsir speculated the fire began from an affected gas line. Firefighters had the blaze under control in just a few minutes, Goodsir said.

Police to look for drunk drivers Costa Mesa Police will conduct a sobriety checkpoint Friday night on Harbor Boulevard. The checkpoint will be in place from 9 p.m. Friday to 2 a.m. Saturday, according to police. It will be at Harbor Boulevard and Gisler Street. Officers from the Costa Mesa Police Department and California Highway Patrol will be checking drivers licenses and looking for impaired drivers. The checkpoint is designed to raise awareness of drunken-driving issues, police said.

COSTA MESA — Target wants permission from the city to stay open until 11 p.m. — something it did until recently without an official OK. Target requested in a Jan. 18 application with the city's Development Services Department permission for its store at 3030 Harbor Blvd. to remain open an extra hour each day rather than close at 10 p.m. "The proposed extra hours will provide additional employment opportunities, and the change is critical to overall store sales," according to the application.

COSTA MESA — Taco Bell will start construction early next year for a new location on Harbor Boulevard with a 24-hour drive-thru, according to a city Planning Commission agenda. The new 2,733-square-foot location will open at 3115 Harbor Blvd. La-Z-Boy furniture is the former occupant of the vacant parcel, according to a city staff report. The new Taco Bell will have a 57-seat indoor dining area with proposed business hours from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. The project is estimated to bring up to 300 temporary construction jobs and about 30 permanent employee positions, according to the report.

COSTA MESA — A seemingly simple request by Target to stay open later for the holiday shopping season turned into a long debate Tuesday when the City Council learned that the retailer had been violating the terms of its business permit — apparently inadvertently — for more than a year. "I'm really shocked that Target took it upon themselves to add an hour to operations without considering their terms of approval," Councilman Eric Bever said. "I understand the idea that we want to help our business community, that we want to be a good city for business.

COSTA MESA - Casual-eatery aficionados will soon have another dining option to "eat more chicken. " Chick-fil-A, the Atlanta-based quick-service chicken restaurant franchise, broke ground Wednesday for a 4,217-square-foot location at 3181 Harbor Blvd. Set to open mid-April, the eatery joins other chicken-selling establishments, such as El Pollo Loco and Wingnuts, on Harbor. Chick-fil-A will be operated by franchisee Tammy Guadagno, who will be selling her Santa Ana Chick-fil-A location back to the company in order to open this one. "We're going to take with us the same business philosophy of treating people with honor, dignity and respect," said Guadagno, who had operated the South Bristol Street location at MacArthur Boulevard for six years.

COSTA MESA — When Five Guys Burgers and Fries opened for business Tuesday, local resident Scott King stopped in for lunch. King lives within walking distance of the Costa Mesa Square shopping center on Harbor Boulevard near Baker Street — the frontline in the area's emerging burger wars. "I came just because the big hoopla," King said, clutching a takeout bag marked by grease spots. It was King's first time at Five Guys, and off the bat there was one thing didn't impress him. "It's a little over-priced," King said.

Area 1 Fairview Road and the 405 Freeway: A person driving under the influence was reported at 12:12 a.m. Monday. Harbor Boulevard: Battery was reported in the 1800 block at 1:49 a.m. Monday. Harbor Boulevard: A person driving under the influence was reported in the 2300 block at 2:56 a.m. Monday. South Coast Drive: A vehicle burglary was reported in the 1500 block at 8:48 a.m. Monday. Newport Boulevard: Grand theft was reported in the 1700 block at 8:48 a.m. Monday.

Much has been made of the brewing fight between Five Guys Burgers and Fries restaurants and In-N-Out Burger. This summer, Newport-Mesa will become a burger battlefield of sorts, as the two chains with cult-like followings go head to head on Harbor Boulevard. The Virginia-based Five Guys, which is expanding aggressively into Southern California, plans to open a restaurant on Harbor near Baker Street, less than half a mile from the new In-N-Out at Harbor and Gisler Avenue.

A Fiat dealership, something not seen in Orange County in decades, will open Tuesday on Harbor Boulevard in Costa Mesa. Italian carmaker Fiat bought a stake in Chrysler in 2009, and chose to locate one of about 150 new dealerships nationwide through the Talon Automotive Group. Talon Automotive includes the Orange Coast Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge dealership on Harbor Boulevard. Chief Executive Jon Gray said Orange Coast Fiat would be "very cool, low-key, fun and incredibly interactive.

COSTA MESA — The new In-N-Out Burger on Harbor Boulevard plans to fire up the grill Friday morning for customers who've been waiting for the fast-food joint to open. The doors open at 10 a.m., said Mike Bailey, director of real estate. Located at 3211 Harbor Blvd. — just off the southbound San Diego (405) Freeway Harbor Boulevard exit on the former site of the Kaplan's Deli, which was razed earlier this year — the In-N-Out is the Irvine-based chain's second franchise in Costa Mesa.