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THE BUTTON.[CALL TO ORDER]
I CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.EVERYONE STAND AND RISE TO THE PLEDGE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
AND TO THE VALID FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LITERACY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
UH, COMMISSIONER PAULA GROUP PRESENT.
[CHAIRPERSON’S WELCOME]
WELCOME TO THE EL CAJON PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING.THIS MEETING IS BEING LIVE STREAMED ON THE CITY OF EL CAJON WEBSITE.
APPEALS OF FINAL DECISIONS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MADE THIS EVENING MUST BE FILED WITH IN WRITING WITH THE CITY CLERK BEFORE 5:00 PM MONDAY, DECEMBER 2ND, 2024.
AND MUST INCLUDE THE PAYMENT OF A FILING FEE.
IF YOU WISH TO P SPEAK ON EITHER, EITHER AN AGENDA ITEM OR NON AGENDA ITEM TONIGHT.
PLEASE FILL OUT A REQUEST TO SPEAK CARD LOCATED BY THE AGENDA AND TURN IT THE SECRETARY WHO WILL CALL YOU UP TO SPEAK.
WHEN THE AGENDA END COMES UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, WE WILL ASK YOU TO GIVE US YOUR NAME, THE SPELLING OF YOUR LAST NAME.
SPEAKERS ARE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES.
THE DISPLAY ON THE PODIUM, AS WELL AS THE OTHER MONITORS IN THE CHAMBERS WILL SHOW THE TIME COUNTING DOWN AT 30 SECONDS.
THE PODIUM CLOCK WILL READ OUT, WILL TURN RED.
SIGNIFYING YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS UNTIL THE END OF YOUR TIME.
APPLICANTS AND INDIVIDUALS REPRESENTING GROUPS OF PEOPLE MAY BE ALLOWED MORE TIME IF APPROPRIATE.
ALL PUBLIC HEARING COMMENTS SHOULD BE ADDRESS ADDRESSED TO ME, THE CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION, AND NOT TO INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS OR STAFF MEMBERS.
PLEASE TURN OFF ALL ELECTRONIC DEVICES IF YOU'VE NOT ALREADY DONE SO.
AT THIS TIME, WE WILL TAKE ANY COMMENTS FROM ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC OR ON ANY ITEM OF BUSINESS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE COMMISSION.
THAT IS NOT ON THE AGENDA UNDER STATE LAW.
NO ACTION CAN BE TAKEN ON ITEMS BROUGHT FORWARD UNDER PUBLIC COMMENT EXCEPT TO REFER TO THE STAFFER ADMINISTRATION OR BE PLACED ON A FUTURE AGENDA.
IS THERE ANYONE WHO WISHES TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION UNDER PUBLIC COMMENT? HAVE YOU GOT ANY CARDS? NO.
[CONSENT]
CALENDAR.A SINGLE MO MOTION WILL COVER ALL ITEMS ON THE CONSENTS CALENDAR.
DOES THE COMMISSION WISH TO PULL AN ITEM ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR FOR DISCUSSION? NO.
DOES THE STAFF WISH TO PULL ANYTHING? NO CHANGES FOR THE STAFF.
I MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS RECORDED.
MOTION CARRIES BY UNANIMOUS VOTE
OKAY, SO THE FIRST ITEM THIS EVENING, IF I GET IT UP TO THE PROPER PAGE HERE, IS ITEM TWO.
[Public Hearing Item 2]
THE, UH, ZONING CODE AND SPECIFIC PLAN NUMBER 1 8 2 UPDATES.WE REQUEST AMENDMENTS TO TITLE 17 SPECIFIC TO PLAN NUMBER 180 2.
IT'S CQA EXEMPT AND RECOMMENDED FOR CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
UM, SO AGAIN, YES, THIS IS THE ZONING CODE UPDATE, UH, THE ANNUAL ZONING CODE UPDATE AS WELL AS UPDATES, UH, TO SPECIFIC PLAN 180 2, UH, ALSO COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN.
SO THE PROPOSED UPDATES WERE, UH, DIRECTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, OVER THE LAST APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS.
UM, THE, UH, HOUSING RELATED UPDATES ARE PRIMARILY DUE TO CHANGES IN STATE LAW, UH, THAT WERE, UH, LAWS THAT WERE RECENTLY APPROVED OR THAT WILL GO INTO EFFECT IN 2025.
UH, WE'RE ALSO DOING A COUPLE CLEANUP ITEMS FOR COMMERCIAL LAND USES AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS FOR CONSISTENCY, UM, UNDER A SPECIFIC PLAN.
UM, THE COUNCIL HAD A WORKSHOP OVER THE SUMMER, UH, TALKING ABOUT, UM, SIGNS.
UM, AS PART OF THAT DISCUSSION, THEY TALKED ABOUT, UH, LIGHT ROPES WITHIN THE
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DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN AREA AND GAVE US SOME DIRECTION TO, UH, GO OUT AND DO SOME, UM, TO GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC AND THEN TO BRING, UH, OPTIONS TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION OR RECOMMENDATION TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, TO MOVE ON TO CITY COUNCIL.UM, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THAT, WE'RE ALSO PROPOSING A UPDATE FOR, UH, RELATED TO THE DISPLAY OF MERCHANDISE, UH, JUST TO ADD SOME CLARIFYING LANGUAGE TO THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN.
AND THEN COUNCIL ALSO DID A SEPARATE, UH, ITEM, UH, WITH REGARDS TO ON SALE ALCOHOL OUTLETS WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
AND SO THEY DIRECTED STAFF TO COME BACK WITH AMENDMENTS TO THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN TO ALLOW, UH, TWO ADDITIONAL, UH, BARS IN THE DOWNTOWN CORE AREA.
SO FOR THE HOUSING RELATED ITEMS, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S QUITE A FEW UPDATES THAT ARE IN THERE.
UM, THESE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS, AND I CAN GO INTO MORE DETAIL IF THERE'S QUESTIONS.
UM, THE FIRST ONE IS RELATED TO MINISTERIAL REVIEW FOR INFILL HOUSING PROJECTS.
SO A RECENT STATE LAW THAT PASSED, UH, REQUIRES CITIES TO APPROVE ESSENTIALLY THROUGH A BUILDING PERMIT OR THROUGH A MINISTERIAL PROCESS, UM, HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS OF UP TO 10 DWELLING UNITS.
AND, UH, ALSO TO HAVE THOSE, UH, MAPS APPROVED BY THE CITY ENGINEER WITHOUT GOING THROUGH PUBLIC HEARINGS.
SO ESSENTIALLY ANY 10 UNIT INFILL HOUSING PROJECT NOW WOULD BE APPROVED BY STAFF.
UH, ALL WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO IN THE ZONING CODE UPDATE IS TO, UH, PUT IN THAT PROCESS OF IT BEING A STAFF APPROVAL.
ALL THE SAME CRITERIA THAT WE DISCUSS ON THESE INFILL HOUSING PROJECTS WITH REGARDS TO DRIVEWAYS, DESIGN STANDARDS, ET CETERA, WOULD, WOULD STILL ALL BE, UM, ENFORCED THROUGH THOSE SAME CODES.
UH, ANOTHER ITEM WAS, UH, RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITIES IN MULTIFAMILY ZONES.
UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT GOES BACK TO THE HOUSING ELEMENT, UH, AND IT WAS ONE OF OUR PROGRAMS TO UPDATE THAT.
UM, SO WE, UH, WE ARE REQUIRED BY STATE LAW TO ALLOW RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITIES IN MULTIFAMILY ZONES.
UM, IT'S A PRIMARILY RELATED TO FAIR HOUSING LAWS.
UM, SO WE'RE PROPOSING TO UPDATE THAT SO THAT IN MULTIFAMILY ZONES, THEY WOULD REQUIRE A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
UH, THAT'S THE SAME AS IN SINGLE FAMILY ZONES NOW.
SO IT WOULD JUST, UH, EXPAND THAT.
UH, ONE OF THE MORE INTERESTING UPDATES, UH, RELATED TO STATE LAW WAS, UM, THE INCREASE IN THE PERMITTED NUMBER OF ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS IN MULTIFAMILY ZONES.
SO THE NEW STATE LAW THAT PASSED ALLOWS, UM, UP TO EIGHT, EIGHT, UH, ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS OR ADUS ON A MULTIFAMILY PROJECT.
UM, BUT, UH, THE NUMBER OF ADU CAN EXCEED, UH, THE NUMBER OF UNITS THAT ARE ON THE PROPERTY.
SO IF YOU HAVE A FOUR UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX, YOU CAN BUILD FOUR AUS.
IF YOU HAVE AN EIGHT UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX, YOU CAN BUILD EIGHT AUS.
IF YOU HAVE A 24 UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX, YOU CAN BUILD EIGHT AUS.
UM, IF YOU HAVE A SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING, NO CHANGES TO THE SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING REGULATIONS.
UM, THE OTHER CHANGE FOR MULTIFAMILY ZONES IS THAT, UH, THE CITY NO LONGER HAS THE AUTHORITY TO REQUIRE REPLACEMENT PARKING.
SO THE TYPES OF PROJECTS THAT WE WERE SEEING OVER THE LAST YEAR OR TWO ARE PRIMARILY IN MULTIFAMILY ZONES, WHERE MAYBE THEY HAVE A LARGE AMOUNT OF OPEN SPACE.
THEY WERE BUILDING UP TO TWO ADUS UNDER CURRENT STATE LAW.
UM, BUT THEY HAD TO PRESERVE THE PARKING THAT WAS IN PLACE.
SO THE NEW STATE LAW SAYS YOU GO, YOU CAN GO FROM TWO UP TO EIGHT NOW, AND YOU NO LONGER HAVE TO REPLACE THE PARKING THAT WAS THERE.
UH, THE FINAL ITEM RELATED TO ADUS IS THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL CHANGE IN STATE LAW THAT SAYS THAT, UM, THE ESSENTIALLY GIVES THE BUILDING OFFICIAL THE AUTHORITY TO PERMIT UN PERMITTED ADUS.
SO IF YOU HAVE AN A DU THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED, UH, WITHOUT PERMITS, UM, THE BUILDING OFFICIAL CAN GO IN AND MAKE A DETERMINATION THAT THERE ARE NO LIFE SAFETY ISSUES AND THEN THAT CAN BE PERMITTED.
SO I THINK THERE WERE CIRCUMSTANCES MAYBE WHERE A D HAD BEEN ILLEGALLY CONSTRUCTED.
MAYBE THEY, YOU KNOW, DIDN'T MEET A SETBACK OR THERE WAS SOME OTHER STANDARD THAT THEY COULDN'T COMPLY WITH.
AND SO THOSE ADUS WERE NEEDING NEEDED TO BE TO, UH, TORN DOWN AS OPPOSED TO BEING PERMITTED.
SO THE STATE HAS COME BACK AND SAID, UM, YOU HAVE TO PERMIT THOSE UNLESS THERE IS SOME LIFE SAFETY ISSUE.
UM, UNDER, ON THE ZONING CODE, AGAIN FOR, UH, MISCELLANEOUS AND COMMERCIAL USES.
CAN WE STOP RIGHT THERE? CAN WE TALK JUST ABOUT THE RESIDENTIAL BEFORE WE MOVE ON? SURE.
UM, SO SETBACK WOULDN'T BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY ISSUE? UM, NO, IT WOULD NOT.
UH, THE, YOU CAN HAVE UP TO A ZERO SETBACK.
IT BASICALLY COMES DOWN TO, UH, BUILDING AND FIRE CODE, UH, LIFE SAFETY ISSUES.
SO TYPICALLY IF YOU'RE LESS THAN THREE FEET, YOU CAN'T HAVE WALL PENETRATIONS OR WINDOWS.
UM, SO YOU CAN HAVE BUILDINGS GO RIGHT UP TO PROPERTY LINES.
WHAT ABOUT, UM, WHAT'S GONNA KEEP PEOPLE FROM JUST THROWING AN A DU IN THEIR GARAGE WITHOUT A PERMIT AND THEN SAYING, I MEAN, HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT THE WIRING LOOKS LIKE IN THE WALL WITHOUT RIPPING OUT THE WALLS? HOW DO YOU KNOW WHETHER THE THE PLUMBING HAS, UH, VENT PIPE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, TO CODE YOU, YOU, YOU, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THOSE INSPECTIONS YOU CAN'T SEE UNTIL YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, ONCE THE SHEET ROCK'S ON.
SO YOU GUYS ARE JUST GONNA BE KIND OF,
[00:10:01]
IN A SENSE, FORCED TO JUST SAY, WELL, LOOKS GOOD.THE, THE INSPECTORS, UH, WILL GO INTO, UM, UH, ANYWHERE THAT'S HAD ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTION, AND THEY WILL, UH, TAKE THE NECESSARY STEPS TO CONFIRM, UH, THAT THERE'S, UH, LIFE SAFETY HAS ALL BEEN ADDRESSED.
SO THEY'LL CUT INTO THE DRYWALL, THEY'LL EXPOSE THE WIRING.
THEY WILL, UM, LOOK AT THE FOUNDATION.
UM, A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE THAT DO LEGAL CONSTRUCTION WILL TAKE PICTURES, UH, WHILE THEY GO THROUGH CONSTRUCTION.
SO IF THEY HAVE OTHER EVIDENCE THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE BUILDING OFFICIAL AS WELL.
SO IF YOU HAVE A, A GARAGE CONVERSION, THAT CAN BE CONSIDERED AS A AN A DU? YES.
AND THEN NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT PARKING.
THEY'RE SAYING YOU CAN BUILD A BUNCH OF UNITS AND HAVE NO PARKING.
IT'S ANOTHER ONE OF THE, UH, STATE MANDATES, UH, WHERE WE DON'T HAVE, UH, LOCAL AUTHORITY OVER THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY IT, IT IS UNFORTUNATE.
UM, WE, WE WILL ENFORCE WHAT WE CAN THROUGH OUR OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS.
UH, BUT THE STATE HAS COME DOWN AND SAID THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO ALLOW THIS, UM, IT, UH, WE'RE PROPOSING THE UPDATES, UH, BECAUSE, UM, THE STATE LAW SAYS THAT IF WE DON'T DO THE UPDATES, THEN OUR ORDINANCE BECOMES INVALID AND COULD BE CHALLENGED IN COURT AND SOMEONE COULD PURSUE A PROJECT OUTSIDE OF, OF THE STANDARDS.
SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE MINISTERIAL REVIEW, UM, YOU'RE, YOU CAN, YOU'RE GONNA DO YOUR BEST TO OBVIOUSLY HOLD 'EM TO DESIGN STANDARDS.
BUT THEN THE PROBLEM IS, IS THE PUBLIC CANNOT WEIGH IN ON A PROJECT ANYMORE.
IF, IF, IF THERE'S A, A 10 UNIT DEVELOPMENT GOING IN WITH VARIOUS, YOU KNOW, THREE FOOT SETBACKS NEXT TO A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT DOESN'T FIT THE LOCATION AND IT, IT'S GONNA PUT A BURDEN ON PARKING, IT'S GONNA PUT A BURDEN ON THE, ON THE CITY.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'LL STILL HAVE TO COMPLY WITH ALL OF THE SETBACKS AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
UM, SO, UM, IT WOULD STILL GO THROUGH THAT NORMAL PROCESS.
UM, IF THEY HAD TO ASK FOR LIKE A VARIANCE OR A SPECIAL EXCEPTION, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT PROCESS WOULD STILL COME TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
UH, REGARDING THE ADUS, I KNOW A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN CONVERTED, THEY'RE NOT TECHNICALLY SUPPOSED TO HAVE A STOVE OR A COOKING ELEMENT BECAUSE IT'S NOT A PERMANENT THING, THINGS LIKE THAT.
LIKE, WILL THEY MAKE SURE THE PROPERTY GAS LINES ARE IN OR THE PROPER ELECTRICAL IF THEY DO HAVE SOMETHING THAT HAS A STOVE PUT IN THAT IS NOT PERMITTED? YES, THEY WOULD.
UM, SO WHEN THE BUILDING OFFICIAL GOES IN, THEY WOULD STILL NEED TO PREPARE PLANS.
IT'S NOT LIKE THE CITY WOULD JUST COME IN AND LOOK AROUND AND SAY, THAT LOOKS GOOD.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S IDENTIFIED AS AN ILLEGAL UNIT, WE WOULD ASK THEM TO PREPARE PLANS.
WE WOULD THEN GO IN, INSPECT THAT.
UH, WE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE HEATING ELEMENTS THAT ARE NECESSARY THERE AS WELL AS COOKING ELEMENTS, UM, THEY COULD BE, YOU KNOW, GAS OR ELECTRIC.
SO AS FAR AS, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO GRANDFATHER IN ANY HOME THAT'S A DU THAT'S BEEN ILLEGALLY BUILT.
WHAT'S TO STOP ANYBODY FROM THIS? I'M JUST GONNA BUILD IT AND I'LL DEAL WITH THE IMPACT LATER.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S, WE'RE LOSING MECHANISMS TO, TO DEAL WITH THAT.
I WOULD AGREE WITH YOUR COMMENT.
YOU KNOW, THE STATE'S TAKEN AWAY THAT AUTHORITY FROM US.
UM, SO IF SOMEONE, LIKE YOU SAID, UH, WERE TO BE AWARE OF THIS CONSTRUCT SOMETHING ILLEGALLY THAT THEY KNEW THEY COULDN'T DO, AND THEN COME IN AND ASK US TO APPROVE IT UNDER STATE LAW, UH, WE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO DO THAT AS LONG AS IT CAN BE A SAFE STRUCTURE.
THAT'S IN REALITY FRUSTRATING.
I THINK IT'S REALLY, WE DON'T REALLY SEE MANY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THAT HERE IN EL CAJON.
UM, YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY WE'VE ALWAYS REQUIRED A THREE FOOT SETBACK FOR ACCESSORY STRUCTURES.
UM, AND SO IF YOU, UM, WE DON'T HAVE VERY MANY ZERO LOT LINE BUILDINGS.
SO I THINK IT'S KIND OF MORE RELATED TO A SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCE THAT'S HAPPENING ELSEWHERE IN THE STATE WHERE MAYBE A JURISDICTION WAS BEING OVERLY AGGRESSIVE ON, YOU KNOW, REQUIRING CERTAIN STRUCTURES TO BE TORN DOWN OR SIGNIFICANTLY MODIFIED.
BUT I, WE HAVEN'T REALLY HAD TOO MANY EXPERIENCES WHERE SOMEONE HAS SPENT, YOU KNOW, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO CONSTRUCT AN A DU AND THEN SAID TO US, WELL, CAN, CAN YOU WORK WITH ME TO GET A PERMIT? YOU KNOW, WE WOULD, IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES, WE WOULD SAY, WELL, YOUR OPTION WOULD BE TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE A VARIANCE TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION OR DO SOMETHING ELSE.
BUT WE, IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, I CAN'T THINK OF ONE CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE WE WEREN'T ABLE TO WORK WITH SOMEONE.
I THINK IT'S JUST MORE FRUSTRATING THAT THE STATE HAS TAKEN AWAY SOMETHING FROM THE LOCAL.
I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE I MEAN, LOCAL CONTROL, AS WE KNOW, IS ALWAYS THE BEST CONTROL BECAUSE PEOPLE IN SACRAMENTO DON'T HAVE A CLUE ABOUT EACH INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, I WAS, WAS JUST CURIOUS IF THERE'S BEEN ANY PUSHBACK AT ALL.
THE LEAGUE, UH, CONTINUES TO ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF CITIES FOR, UH, HAVING MORE LOCAL CONTROL.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY WITH THE SUPER MAJORITY AT
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THE STATE LEVEL RIGHT NOW, UM, IN THE PAST, UM, THOSE TYPES OF STATEMENTS FROM THE LEAGUE WOULD, UM, WOULD GET THE ATTENTION OF THE LAWMAKERS.WHEREAS I WOULD SAY THAT'S CHANGING NOW WHERE THERE'S JUST IS NOT AS MUCH, UM, CLOUT, I WOULD SAY.
WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE COMMENTS COMING FROM THE LEAGUE.
THEIR QUESTION, IF THEY'RE GONNA SEE IF MAYBE A PARTICULAR STRUCTURE, LET'S SAY A GRANNY FLAT OR SOMETHING IN THE BACK IS NOT PERMITTED, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO TRY TO GET IT PERMITTED.
NOW, IF THEY HAVE A HUGE STRUCTURE, WOULD THEY MAYBE SEE IF OTHER PARTS OF THE STRUCTURE ARE IN COMPLIANCE? IF IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING ELSE HAS BEEN POSSIBLY CONVERTED INTO SOMETHING? 'CAUSE I KNOW, LET'S SAY MOUNT HELIX FOR INSTANCE, THERE'S TONS OF THINGS THAT, THERE'S BEEN MANY THINGS DONE OVER THE YEARS.
SO WOULD THEY POTENTIALLY MAYBE TRY TO SEE IF OTHER ITEMS WERE IN COMPLIANCE AS WELL? IF THEY, IF, 'CAUSE I, A LOT OF TIMES WHEN YOU GET, WHEN SOMEBODY COMES IN AND LOOKS AT SOMETHING AND THEN THEY NOTICE SOMETHING ELSE, WOULD THEY HOPEFULLY LOOK AT THAT AS WELL? YES.
I, I WOULD SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, WE APPROACH THINGS BASED ON, UM, THE PLANS AND IF IT WAS BASED, IF IT WAS RELATED TO AN INITIAL COMPLAINT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD HAVE THAT DISCUSSION WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER, OKAY.
LOOK FOR OTHER LIFE SAFETY ISSUES.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT PROACTIVELY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE AS AN EXAMPLE, GOING AROUND CORNERS OR LOOKING FOR THINGS.
BUT, BUT IF THERE'S AN OBVIOUS LIFE SAFETY ISSUE THAT WE SEE AS WE'RE GOING TO INSPECT SOMETHING, WE WOULD BRING THAT TO THEIR ATTENTION AND ASK THEM TO RECTIFY IT.
UM, SORRY, I WAS THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING CONNECTED TO THE A DU ISSUE.
UH, BUT MY QUESTION WAS, UH, RELATED TO THE PARKING, UH, I DON'T ANTICIPATE A LOT OF PROPERTY OWNERS WANTING TO MAKE THEIR CURRENT OCCUPANTS GRUMPY ER MM-HMM.
BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA IS SAYING, WE DON'T REALLY NEED PARKING ANYMORE BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S JUST ON PUBLIC TRANSIT.
IS THAT THEIR GOAL DREAM? THAT SOUNDS LIKE WHAT THEY'RE AIMING FOR IS MM-HMM.
I I DON'T WANNA MISCHARACTERIZE ANYTHING FROM A, UH, FROM A LAWMAKER.
BUT I, I WOULD SAY FROM MY PERSPECTIVE AND THE LAWS THAT HAVE BEEN COMING DOWN, I THINK A LOT OF THEM ARE DRAFTED, UM, WITHIN A, A MORE URBAN MINDSET AS APPLYING TO MAYBE, YOU KNOW, A, A DOWNTOWN SAN FRANCISCO OR DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO WITHOUT KIND OF THINKING OF THE REPERCUSSIONS FOR KIND OF MORE SUBURBAN COMMUNITIES, UM, SUCH AS EL CAJON.
SO I, I THINK THERE'S A, A DISCONNECT THERE BETWEEN THE LAWMAKERS AND WHAT WE SEE ON THE GROUND HERE IN EL CAJON.
UM, WITH THAT SAID, UH, THEY, THEY'RE ALSO, UM, CHANGING THE REGULATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO WHERE WE CAN REQUIRE PARKING.
SO AB 2097, WHICH WE TALKED ABOUT PROBABLY SIX MONTHS OR A YEAR AGO.
UM, THAT'S WHERE WE CAN NO LONGER REQUIRE PARKING WITHIN A HALF MILE OF TRANSIT STATIONS THAT HAVE, OR BUS STATIONS THAT HAVE, UH, 15 MINUTE INTERVALS.
SO AS OF RIGHT NOW, UM, THE ONLY QUALIFYING TRANSIT STATIONS ARE THE TROLLEY STATIONS BECAUSE THOSE OPERATE ON 15 MINUTE INTERVALS.
UM, ALL OF OUR BUS LINES, UH, RIGHT NOW ON THE VALLEY FLOOR OPERATE ON 30 MINUTE INTERVALS.
UM, BUT AS PART OF, UH, SAND TAG'S REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, UM, THEY ARE ANTICIPATING, UM, INCREASING FREQUENCY OF BUSES ON THE VALLEY FLOOR.
SO IT, IF AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE WHEN THOSE BUS LINES SWITCH FROM 30 MINUTE TO 15 MINUTE INTERVALS, WE WOULD THEN BE RESTRICTED ON BEING ABLE TO REQUIRE PARKING ALONG, UH, BUS LINES IN RELATION TO, UH, THE TRANSIT STOPS.
UM, THE, THE DISCONNECTED THOUGHT NOT RELATED TO THE PARKING WAS, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE IT'S EASIER TO BUILD AN A DU THAN TO SAY, SAY, I WANT DATA ROOM, I JUST WANT TO ADD A ROOM, AND I GO THROUGH THE BUILDING PERMIT PROCESS AND ALL THAT BECAUSE THAT'S HOW YOU DO THINGS.
UH, BUT IF I WANTED TO SAY, PUT A ROOM OVER MY GARAGE AND DECIDED, YOU KNOW WHAT, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S EASIER TO BUILD IT AS AN A DU THAN AS JUST REGULAR ROOM.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GETTING, I DON'T WANNA SAY SHORTCUTS, BUT THE FAST TRACK IS THE A DU RATHER THAN THE REGULAR BUILDING PERMIT PROCESS.
I, I WOULD SAY THAT WE'VE BEEN, UM, AWARE OF THAT THOUGH.
UM, SO IN CONJUNCTION WITH, UM, ENGINEERING SERVICES, UH, WE'VE LOOKED AT, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE DIFFERENCES IN THOSE PERMITS.
SO IN THE PAST, UM, TYPICALLY IF YOU WERE DOING A, A LARGE ADDITION TO A SINGLE FAMILY HOME, UM, AND IT WAS ABOVE A CERTAIN PERMIT VALUATION, YOU COULD BE REQUIRED TO DO PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS LIKE CURB, GUTTER, AND SIDEWALK.
[00:20:01]
UM, BUT WITH AN A DU, THE STATE LAW SAYS YOU CAN'T REQUIRE, UM, ANY PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS.SO WE WE'RE STARTING TO SEE, UM, CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE WORD THAT YOU WRITE ON THE PLANS, IF YOU WRITE NEW MASTER BEDROOM, THEN YOU MIGHT HAVE TO PUT IN THOSE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS.
BUT IF YOU WRITE, UM, A DU, THEN YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
SO, IN CONJUNCTION, UH, WITH THAT NUANCE, WHAT WE DID IS WE WORKED WITH ENGINEERING SERVICES AND WE DETERMINED THAT WE WERE NO LONGER GONNA REQUIRE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS.
SO WE WEREN'T ESSENTIALLY PLAYING GAMES WITH WORDS ON PLANS.
SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UH, OUR MISCELLANEOUS AND COMMERCIAL USES.
UM, ONE OF THE OTHER ITEMS THAT COUNCIL DIRECTED US TO LOOK AT WAS THE EMERGENCY HI EMERGENCY HOUSING PILOT PROGRAM.
SO THAT WAS, UH, FOR MERIDIAN BAPTIST CHURCH.
UM, THE, UH, PILOT PROGRAM HAD A SUNSET DATE AT THE END OF THIS YEAR.
SO, UH, THE ZONING CODE UPDATE PROPOSES TO JUST STRIKE, UH, THE SUNSET DATE.
UH, WE'RE ALSO PROPOSING TO ALLOW TEMPORARY FEEDING AREAS IN COMMERCIAL ZONES.
UM, AS OF RIGHT NOW, UH, TEMPORARY FEEDING AREAS REQUIRED A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
UH, WE'RE SEEING SOME CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE, UM, TEMPORARY FEEDING ACTIVITIES WERE OCCURRING AT THE CITY'S PARKS, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO GET A SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT, UM, FOR A ONE-TIME ACTIVITY.
AND SO WHAT WE WANTED TO DO IS MAKE IT CONSISTENT WITH THE SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS THAT THE, THAT WERE BEING ISSUED THROUGH, UH, PARKS AND RECREATION.
UM, SO WHAT IT WOULD DO IS IT ONLY ALLOW UP TO TWO FEEDINGS, UH, FEEDING OR FOOD DISTRIBUTION EVENTS, UM, PER CALENDAR YEAR WITH A TEMPORARY USE PERMIT.
IF THEY WANTED TO GO TO A THIRD EVENT, THEY WOULD STILL HAVE TO GO AND GET A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO ALIGN THE PRACTICE OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT WITH WHAT'S IN THE ZONING CODE.
UM, AND THEN NEXT WE PUT IN TWO VOLUNTARY PROVISIONS.
UH, THESE ARE, THIS GOES BACK TO THE SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE.
UM, WE INDICATED IN THERE THAT WE WOULD IMPLEMENT CLEAN, I CLEAN AIR VEHICLE PARKING.
UM, SO THE PROPOSED CODE UPDATE, ALL IT SAYS IS THAT IT GIVES THE AUTHORITY FOR A PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER TO, UM, TO STRIPE SPACES OR TO PUT MARKINGS ON THE GROUND SAYING CLEAN AIR VEHICLE PARKING ONLY.
WE'RE NOT MANDATING OR REQUIRING ANY CLEAN AIR VEHICLE PARKING OR ANY VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS.
IT JUST IS A VOLUNTARY PROVISION THAT, UH, A PROPERTY OWNER CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IF THEY SO DESIRE.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO PUTTING IN, UH, A VOLUNTARY PROVISION FOR TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES.
SO IN THE, IN THE MIXED USE OVERLAY ZONE, WE ALLOW, UH, THROUGH A PARKING ANALYSIS FOR PEOPLE TO DO A REDUCTION IN REQUIRED PARKING.
UM, IT JUST, IT SAYS JUST THROUGH A PARKING ANALYSIS.
UM, ONE VEHICLE THAT IS IN OUR SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE IS A TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY.
TYPICALLY WHAT YOU SEE WITH THOSE IS, UM, IF, UH, THEY'RE ASKING FOR A PARKING REDUCTION, MAYBE THE PROPERTY OWNER WOULD BE, UH, HAVING A PROGRAM FOR, UM, TRANSIT PASSES.
UH, 'CAUSE THEY'RE ON OUR NEAR A BUS LINE.
SO ALL WE'RE DOING IS JUST ADDING THAT LANGUAGE AS A STRATEGY THAT THEY CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, UM, IF THEY WANT TO PROPOSE SOMETHING.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE ON MISCELLANEOUS IS, UM, IF YOU RECALL EARLIER IN THE YEAR, WE DID AN AMENDMENT TO SPECIFIC PLAN 32.
THAT'S OVER AT, UH, CHASE AVOCADO FOR THE ADDITION OF THE WHOLESALE USES WITHIN THE SHOPPING CENTER THERE.
UM, AFTER FURTHER CONSULTATION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WE WANTED TO ADD A NOTE, UH, TO THE COMMERCIAL LAND USE TABLE, JUST REFERENCING, UH, SPECIFIC PLAN 32.
SO ONTO THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN.
UH, ONE OF THE ITEMS, UH, DIRECTED BY COUNCIL AGAIN, WAS TO TAKE A LOOK AT, UH, STRING LIGHTS OR BLINKING LIGHTS.
UM, AS OF RIGHT NOW, BLINKING LIGHTS ARE ONLY ALLOWED IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE CITY.
SO THE OPEN FLASHING LIGHTS OR THE STRING LIGHTS THAT MAYBE SOMETIMES GO AROUND IN A CIRCLE AROUND THE WINDOW OR FLASH, UH, WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO DO IS TO STRIKE THAT LANGUAGE FROM THE CODE, NO LONGER ALLOW, UM, BLINKING OR FLASHING LIGHTS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COUNCIL ASKED US TO DO WAS TO, UH, REACH OUT TO, UM, THE, UH, DOWNTOWN PROPERTY BASED IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, OR THE P BID.
UH, WE WENT AND MET WITH THEIR BOARD AND TALKED ABOUT THE FLASHING LIGHTS AND THE FLASHING OPEN SIGNS.
UM, THEY ULTIMATELY DIDN'T HAVE ANY CONCERNS WITH REMOVING THE PROHIBITION ON THOSE FLASHING SIGNS.
UM, WE ALSO DISCUSSED, UH, WHETHER OR NOT, UM, A MORE UNIFORM APPROACH TO LIGHTING.
UM, SO INSTEAD OF HAVING, UH, MULTICOLORED LIGHTS, MAYBE, UM, ALL WHITE LIGHTS, UM, THAT'S BEEN A THEME THAT COUNCIL BROUGHT UP IN THE, THAT THEY'VE SEEN IN OTHER LOCATIONS, LIKE IN SANTA ANA OR UP TOWARDS, UH, DISNEYLAND.
UM, ULTIMATELY THE PIVOT BOARD, UH, FOR, UM, LIGHTS WANTED TO SEE MORE VARIETY AND TO ENCOURAGE MORE OPTIONS.
UM, SO THEY SAID TO STICK WITH THE MULTICOLORED LIGHTS.
UM, THERE'S ALSO EXISTING MULTICOLORED LIGHTS THAT THE CITY'S PUT UP AS OF RIGHT NOW ACROSS THE PROMENADE, UM, OUT THERE AS WELL.
SO THE, UH, RECOMMENDATION FROM STAFF IS JUST TO PROHIBIT THE, UM,
[00:25:01]
BLINKING LIGHTS.ON THE, IT SAYS LIGHTING WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO CHANGE COLORS, HUE, SHADE, OR TINT.
SO ALL OF THOSE WOULD JUST HAVE TO BE STATIC COLORS, AND SO THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO CHANGE ANY LONGER.
UM, WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE DISPLAY OF MERCHANDISE, UM, IT, THE, THE MASTER PLAN TALKS ABOUT NOT MORE THAN 15% OF A WINDOW BEING OBSCURED BY MERCHANDISE.
UM, IT ALSO HAS A LOT OF LANGUAGE IN THERE RELATED TO KIND OF THE MORE HISTORIC DISPLAY OF MERCHANDISE.
SO, AS AN EXAMPLE, AT THE ELEGANT MAN AT 100 EAST MAIN STREET, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THE MANNEQUINS, UM, YOU KNOW, DRESSED IN SUITS OR IN, IN CLOTHING.
SO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO IS TO, UM, CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE THOSE DISPLAY CABINETS WITH, YOU KNOW, MANNEQUINS, JEWELRY, OR MAYBE A PRE PRESENTATION OF, UM, DESSERTS OR BAKLAVA, UM, AT, UH, AS, AS AN EXAMPLE.
UM, BUT WE DID WANT TO, UH, PUT IN A PROVISION THAT CLARIFIES, UH, FOR WINDOWS, UM, THAT WE WANNA SEE, UH, THE MINIMUM, UH, DISTANCE BETWEEN DISPLAY AND A WINDOW OF 36 INCHES SO THAT YOU HAVE A, A PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY THAT'S ACCESSIBLE, UH, FOR A DA PURPOSES BETWEEN THE MERCHANDISE AND THE WINDOW.
UM, I WAS GONNA SHOW, SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE THAT HOPEFULLY YOU CAN SEE FAIRLY WELL, BUT THE, UM, SO AT THE, THIS IS THE TARGET, UH, THAT IS IN OCEAN BEACH.
AND SO THERE THEY HAVE THE WINDOWS, UM, AND THEN THEY HAVE THE, UH, DISPLAY, UM, AISLES GO 36 INCHES AWAY FROM THE WINDOW SO THAT PEOPLE CAN STILL WALK BY.
SO THE OVERALL INTENT OF THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN WAS, YOU KNOW, KEEP WINDOWS UNOBSTRUCTED SHOW THAT ACTIVITY GOING ON WITHIN THE BUILDINGS.
UM, SO THE PURPOSE OF THE CLARIFYING LANGUAGE HERE IS TO KIND OF ACHIEVE THIS EFFECT WHERE YOU CAN STILL SEE IN THE BUILDING, UH, BUT ALLOW THE MERCHANDISE, UM, TO ACCOMMODATE THAT WALKWAY.
AND THE LAST ITEM IS, UH, THE ON SALE ALCOHOL.
SO, UM, COUNSEL, UH, ESSENTIALLY DIRECTED US TO, UM, CHANGE THE CODE TO ALLOW UP TO TWO ADDITIONAL ON SALE OUTLETS.
SO THESE WOULD BE BARS, SO IT WOULDN'T BE ALL THE OTHER OUTLETS THAT WE HAVE IN THE DOWNTOWN CORE AREA ARE RESTAURANTS WITH, UM, ON SALE ALCOHOL IN CONJUNCTION WITH THEIR RESTAURANT LICENSES.
UM, THE, SO THE PROPOSAL WOULD ALLOW UP TO, UM, TWO BARS.
UM, THE ELIGIBLE FRONTAGE AREAS ARE SHOWN HERE ON THIS MAP.
SO IT WOULD ONLY BE ON EAST MAIN STREET FROM MAGNOLIA TO CLADE, AND THEN ALONG RAYA AND AS WELL AS ON FELD.
SO THE INTENT THERE WAS TO TRY AND, UM, SPUR MORE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE CORE AREA, PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE, UH, COULD HAVE DRINKS, UM, BEFORE GOING TO THE MAGNOLIA, AND, UH, TO SEE IF THAT CAN HELP, UH, LIVEN UP THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
UH, WE'RE ALSO PROPOSING A LIMITATION ON THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE ESTABLISHMENTS GOING UP TO 2,500 SQUARE FEET.
UH, WE WANTED IT TO BE MORE NEIGHBORHOOD IN SCALE, SO IT WASN'T LIKE A BIGGER CLUB OR HALL.
2,500 SQUARE FEET IS SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR TO LIKE THE MAIN STREET, UM, MAIN STREET TAP TAVERN.
UM, SO THAT SIZE IS CONSISTENT, UH, WITH WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT CHANGING ANYTHING RELATED TO RESTAURANTS WITH ON SALE ALCOHOL.
UM, AND THEN THE CODE ALREADY NOW ALLOWS A PRIMARY USE TO ADD ALCOHOL.
SO THE MAGNOLIA AS AN ENTERTAINMENT VENUE CAN HAVE ALCOHOL.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST, UH, WHERE, UM, IN DOWNTOWN WE ACTUALLY HAD A, WE HAD THE BILL BILLIARDS HALL AS AN ENTERTAINMENT VENUE.
SO ALL THOSE, UM, OPTIONS WOULD STILL EXIST.
SO SOMEONE WANTED TO COME IN AND DO SOMETHING BIGGER THAN 2,500 SQUARE FEET.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S TYPICALLY NOT A BAR THAT ENDS UP BEING KIND OF MORE OF AN ENTERTAINMENT VENUE WITH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE BILLIARDS OR, UM, DARTS OR OTHER THINGS THAT MAY BE HAPPENING IN THERE.
SO WHAT WE SEE IS THE OPTION HERE TO ADD TWO SMALL SCALE OUTLETS.
UM, WE'VE HAD INPUT FROM CREATIVE CREATURE, UH, BREWING.
THEY WERE, UH, AT THE BACK OF URBAN.
UM, AND SINCE, UM, THE NEW STEAKHOUSE IS MOVING IN THERE, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A NEW LOCATION.
SO THIS, UM, CHANGE WOULD ACCOMMODATE SOMEONE LIKE THEM MOVING INTO THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
I WILL SAY THAT THIS, WHEN THIS MADE THE NEWS, I DIDN'T THINK THAT THEY DID A VERY GOOD JOB OF HOW THEY PRESENTED IT.
THEY, THEY MADE IT SEEM LIKE THERE'S GONNA BE BARS, BARS, BARS, UM, WHAT IS THIS? AND I GUESS IT'S GOOD THAT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ON THE RECORD, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO BARS.
I THINK IT'S GOOD, YOU KNOW, TO LIVEN UP.
BUT I, WHEN I, WHEN I WAS SEEING IT IN THE NEWS, THAT'S NOT HOW THEY PRESENTED IT AT ALL.
[00:30:01]
IT WAS, UH, DISHEARTENING HOW THEY, IT MADE IT SEEM LIKE IT WAS WEIRD TURNING INTO GAS LAMP, WHICH OBVIOUSLY WE'RE TALKING TWO BARS.I THINK ONE OF THE, THE HARDER CONCEPTS, UH, TO, TO GET ACROSS IS THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE RESTAURANTS WITH ON SALE ALCOHOL AND THEN THE BARS.
UM, I REMEMBER SEEING SOME ARTICLES ABOUT, UH, PACIFIC BEACH A FEW YEARS BACK WHERE, UM, SOME OF THE RESTAURANTS, UH, WERE THAT WERE APPROVED AS RESTAURANTS WERE KIND OF NOW JUST OPERATING AS BARS.
SO BEING ABLE TO KIND OF BREAK THOSE TWO APART, UH, TO BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN IT TO THE PUBLIC CAN BE SOMETIMES CHALLENGING.
BUT YEAH, ONLY TWO ADDITIONAL OUTLETS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE CONSULTED WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, THEY DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD, UM, INCREASE, UM, DEMAND FOR THEM AS WELL AS, UH, THEY ALSO SUPPORTED THE IDEA OF THE SMALLER SIZE.
SO IT'S MORE OF A, A NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, STYLE ESTABLISHMENT.
UM, WAS THE, UH, CRIME RATE, UH, TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION REGARDING ALLOWING THE TWO EXTRA BARS? FOR EXAMPLE, LET'S SAY WE DO HAVE THE TWO EXTRA BARS AND THE CRIME RATE INCREASES FOR SOME REASON.
NOW, WOULD THE CITY HAVE AN OPTION BECAUSE OF THE CRIME RATE TO ELIMINATE ONE OR TWO BECAUSE OF THE CRIME RATE? OR IS THAT NOT TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION AT ALL? SO THE CITY WOULDN'T HAVE THE ABILITY, UH, LEMME STEP BACK.
SO, UM, THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT WOULD STILL REQUIRE A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH THE BAR.
AND SO IF THE, ONCE THE BAR IS ESTABLISHED, IT WOULD HAVE THE OPERATIONAL CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL.
AND SO THE, IF THERE WAS A SPECIFIC BAR THAT WAS RESULTING IN HIGHER RATES OF CRIME, SO LET'S SAY THEY WERE HAVING FIGHTS OR THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, THEY DIDN'T HAVE, UM, SECURITY GUARDS THAT WERE PRESENT, UM, WE WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO BRING THAT CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND THEN LOOK AT OTHER OPTIONS FOR MAKING SURE THAT THEY WERE COMPATIBLE WITH SURROUNDING PROPERTIES.
AND THEN IF THEY, UM, DIDN'T WORK WITH US IN THE FINAL OPTION WOULD BE FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO REVOKE THEIR CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE THE WAY THAT WE WOULD ADDRESS ANY INCREASES IN CRIME.
IT WOULD BE ON A BUSINESS BY BUSINESS BASIS.
BUT ONCE ONE IS LEGALLY ESTABLISHED, WE WOULDN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO, UH, REVOKE THEIR PERMIT UNLESS THERE WAS NON-COMPLIANCE WITH CONDITIONS.
UH, WOULD IT BEEN AN OPTION TO ADD THE, UH, CRIME RATE, UH, FIGURES ON, ON THE EXTRA BARS? FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT REACHES A CERTAIN, UH, CATEGORY MM-HMM,
I WOULD SAY THAT THAT'S KIND OF JUST BUILT INTO THE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE NOW.
SO WHEN THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, IF, IF WE GET, IF THIS IS APPROVED AND THEN, UM, SOMEONE COMES IN AND APPLIES FOR THAT CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, WE WOULD LOOK AT THAT AND THAT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT COULD BE ADDED AS PART OF THEIR ONGOING CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL.
UM, AS AN EXAMPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST TWO YEARS WE DID A LOT OF WORK HERE AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION WITH REGARDS TO LODGING ESTABLISHMENTS THAT HAD CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS.
AND THAT'S AN, IT'S AN INSTANCE WHERE WE WERE SEEING ELEVATED CALLS FOR SERVICE.
AND SO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT REACHED OUT TO US AND SAID, WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE BROUGHT THAT BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
WE LOOKED AT HOW WE COULD ADD ADDITIONAL OPERATIONAL CONDITIONS.
THOSE WERE ADDED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND THEN WE SAW THOSE, UH, REDUCE IN CALLS FOR SERVICE.
SO WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO ADD THAT CONDITION ON IT OR JUST LEAVE IT THE WAY IT IS? I MEAN, MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO LEAVE THE LANGUAGE THE WAY IT'S BEEN PROPOSED.
UH, BUT THAT WHEN A SPECIFIC APPLICATION COMES IN FOR ANALYSIS, THAT'S WHERE WE COULD ADD THAT CONDITION.
UH, I WOULD LIKE THAT BECAUSE I'M THINKING OF DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO.
LOOK HOW MANY CRIMES OCCUR OVER THERE.
MURDERS, ROBBERIES, YOU NAME IT, ASSAULTS, YOU NAME IT.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA SEE THAT.
I THINK THAT WOULD TO, TO BE, TO ADD THAT INTO IT WOULD BE, I THINK, WISE.
BUT, UH, HOW MANY ARE WE LOOKING AT? WE'D ALMOST NAME THEM OFF, LIKE ONE AT A TIME, BUT, UM, IT'S PROBABLY, SO WE, THERE'RE PORT OF WAR, DOWNTOWN CAFE, UM, UH, TESTO PESTO, UM, AND THEN FURTHER TO THE EAST, UM, THERE IS THE EXISTING BAR THAT'S ACROSS FROM MAIN STREET, UH, TAP.
SO THERE'S THE, THE TWO BARS THAT ARE EXISTING THERE.
UM, WE ONLY LOOKED AT IT WITHIN THE CONTEXT.
SO COUNSEL ASKS US TO, TO TAKE A LOOK AT OTHER DOWNTOWNS AND THEY SPECIFICALLY HAD US TAKE A LOOK AT LA MESA.
UM, SO IN THE STAFF REPORT, THERE'S TWO EXHIBITS SHOWING, UM, THE, UH, IN LA MESA THERE'S ESSENTIALLY THREE, UM, ON SALE BARS.
UH, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GO DOWN THROUGH DOWNTOWN LA MESA, ALL OF THE RESTAURANTS ALSO HAVE ALCOHOL.
SO BASED ON COUNSEL'S DIRECTION, WE ONLY ANALYZED IT WITHIN THAT CONTEXT.
UM, WITH REGARDS TO ALCOHOL, I DID WANNA NOTE,
[00:35:01]
UM, WE DID RECEIVE AN EMAIL, UM, FROM THE INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC STRATEGIES.UM, I LEFT THAT ON THE DAIS FOR YOU.
UM, THEY JUST BASICALLY OFFER TO PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION, UH, JUST ABOUT BINGE AND UNDERAGE DRINKING.
UH, WE'VE WORKED WITH THEM IN THE PAST AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT THAT WAS A COMMENT THAT WE RECEIVED.
SO I KNOW THAT WAS A LOT, UH, BUT, UH, IF THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, HAPPY TO ANSWER THOSE.
UM, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS JUST THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE ZONING CODE AMENDMENTS AND THEN THE UPDATE TO THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN, UH, FOR CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO, I THINK I GOT ALL MY QUESTIONS OUT ALREADY.
UH, I'LL TAKE A STAB AT A MOTION IF WE'RE READY TO MAKE A MOTION.
ACTUALLY, IF WE COULD OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SO, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC HEARING VOTE, WE DON'T NEED, WE DON'T HAVE ANY SPEAKER CARDS ON THIS ONE.
SPEAKER CARDS, RIGHT? I APOLOGIZE.
AND I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO ADD WHAT I, WE JUST DISCUSSED AND TO CONDITION OF APPROVAL REGARDING IF THE CRIME RATE DOES GO UP, THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY, EVEN THOUGH IT'S INPUT IN THERE, THAT IT'S MORE SPECIFIC, THAT WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT AND, UH, TO PROTECT.
ARE WE CONCERNED ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL, LIKE CALLS FOR SERVICE TO THAT LOCATION OR THE CRIME RATE IN THE WHOLE DOWNTOWN, DOWNTOWN AREA? LIKE WHAT ARE WE, I'M, I'M BOTH, BOTH.
MY, MY OTHER CONCERN WITH THAT IS TO SINGLE OUT JUST ONE PARTICULAR BUSINESS.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S ENTIRELY FAIR.
WHEN IT'S BUILT INTO THE CUP WHERE WE'VE DONE THIS ALREADY OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS, IF THERE'S A BUSINESS THAT IS CAUSING ISSUE, THEY CAN BE BROUGHT BACK BEFORE THE PLAN.
IT'S, IT'S KIND OF BUILT INTO THE PROCESS.
IF WE START SINGLING OUT INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S, I I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
HOWEVER, IF IT'S WRITTEN IN THERE IN THE CONDITION USE PERMIT THAT THE CRIME RATE COULD AFFECT THE CUP, IT PUTS THE OWNERS OR THE OPERATORS ON NOTICE THAT WE BETTER BE CAREFUL OF, UH, OF THE, OF THE CRIME WHICH ARE OCCURRING WITHIN OUR FACILITY AND THAT WE BETTER PUT, UH, GUARDS OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
SO IT, IT'S LIKE, UH, PUTTING A, A, A WALL, YOU KNOW, IMPEDIMENT SO PEOPLE WON'T CROSS, EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT BE ONE FOOT TALL OR THREE FOOT TALL, PEOPLE USUALLY DON'T CROSS THAT.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A LINE THAT YOU'RE DRAWING.
UM, QUICK QUESTION OR CONSIDERING I WAS A BARTENDER FOR MANY YEARS AND KINDA KNOW WHAT THAT ESTABLISHES BY IS LIKE, AND WHAT HAPPENS THERE.
AND THESE ARE SMALLER, YOU KNOW, 2,500 SQUARE FOOT, YOU KNOW, I WORKED AT A VERY BIG NIGHTCLUB, SO IT'S KIND OF DIFFERENT DYNAMIC, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE THE SERVICE CALLS, ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE, MAKE IT MORE SPECIFIC BECAUSE IT'S, THERE'S MANY THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN WITH DRUNK AND DISORDERLY AND SOMETIMES IT'S NOT REALLY THE BAR'S FAULT, IT'S INDIVIDUAL'S FAULT.
SO HOW, HOW DO WE DECIPHER, YOU KNOW, HOW WE PUNISH OR NOT PUNISH AN ESTABLISHMENT? IT'S THE FREQUENCY.
SO IT'S NOT JUST ONE CASE OR TWO CASE OR THREE, BUT THE FREQUENCY.
BUT IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE OTHER, OTHER ESTABLISHMENT WITH THE CUP.
LIKE IF THERE'S SO MANY, THEY HAVE SO MANY CALLS THAT COME IN AND THEN THEY KIND OF BREAK DOWN AS TO THESE WERE THE ESTABLISHMENTS MISGIVINGS, AND THIS WAS JUST GENERAL, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHETHER IT'S A HEART ATTACK OR AN OVERDOSE OR, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN, THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT HAPPEN GENERALLY SPEAKING AND SOME THINGS THAT ARE MORE CLUB SPECIFIC.
WELL, I I DON'T CONSIDER A HEART ATTACK A CRIME, YOU KNOW? NO.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS, I KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING.
WHEN WE HAD THE, THE, THE HOTELS AND THINGS LIKE THAT WHEN WE HAD SO MANY SERVICE CALLS.
SO THEY, IF THEY KIND OF BREAK IT DOWN AS TO WHAT RIGHT.
THEY HAVE SO MANY SERVICE CALLS THAT, THAT UH, THEY CAN LOSE THE UH RIGHT.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FEDERAL COMMISSIONERS, UH, THINK ON THAT.
IF I MAY, JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST MAYBE IS THAT, UM, IF, UM, IF THE MOTION MAKER WANTS TO EMPHASIZE THE FACT THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS IN SUPPORT OF THE TWO ADDITIONAL OUTLETS, UH, BUT THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION DOESN'T DESIRE TO SEE AN INCREASE IN CRIME RATES IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, WE COULD, UH, BRING THAT AS PART OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
BECAUSE IF THE CRIME RATE IS HIGH, PEOPLE ARE NOT GONNA COME HERE.
CAN YOU HANDLE THAT? I THINK SO.
[00:40:01]
VOTE.I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO ADOPT THE NEXT RESOLUTION AND ORDER RECOMMENDING CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO TITLE 17 AND SPECIFIC PLAN NUMBER 180 2.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO EMPHASIZE THAT WHILE THE PLANNING COMMISSION DOES IN GENERAL HOPE TO ATTRACT NEW BUSINESSES SUCH AS BARS, WE WOULD LIKE TO REFLECT TO THE CITY COUNCIL THAT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE GENERAL CRIME RATE.
AND MOTION CARRIES BY UNANIMOUS VOTE.
[OTHER ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION]
ONTO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM ITEM THREE, THE PALMS RESTAURANT AND BANQUET HALL.REQUEST TO REVIEW THE CUP NUMBER 2 1 1 5, NOT SUBJECT TO CA AND DIRECT STAFF TO SCHEDULE A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER REVOCATION OF THE CUP NUMBER 2 1 1 5.
UM, SO AGAIN, THIS ITEM IS, UH, JUST AN ITEM FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
UM, IT'S NOT A PUBLIC HEARING.
LET ME JUST, UH, START WITH LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, BACKGROUND, UM, JUST TO REMIND THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF RECENT ACTIONS.
UM, SO AGAIN, THIS IS STAFF INITIATED, UM, 1 43 EAST MAIN STREET.
LET ME ASK FOR THE, FOR THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION, CARLOS, IF I MAY.
UH, SO 1 43 EAST MAIN STREET IS OPERATED AS THE PALMS RESTAURANT AND BANQUET HALL.
UM, IT IS AUTHORIZED BY CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT NUMBER 2 1 1 5.
UM, IT IS REQUIRED TO OPERATE AS A RESTAURANT WITH ONSITE ALCOHOL SALES, UH, LIVE ENTERTAINMENT.
AND THEN IT ALSO ALLOWS ANCILLARY BANQUET HALL USE.
UM, WHEN APPROVING THE ORIGINAL REQUEST IN 2010, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL FOUND THAT THE OPERATION OF THE RESTAURANT, UH, DURING NORMAL RETAIL BUSINESS HOURS WAS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO PROMOTE THE ACTIVE RETAIL CORRIDOR ALONG EAST MAIN STREET.
SO IT WAS A REQUIREMENT OF THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT THAT THEY OPERATE THE RESTAURANT AT, UH, AT ALL TIMES.
UM, HERE'S JUST AN IMAGE OF THE BUSINESS.
UM, IN 2017 ALSO, UH, THE PROPERTY OWNER SUBMITTED A REQUEST TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT TO OPERATE AS A RESTAURANT, UH, WITH THE INTENT OF UTILIZING THE BUILDING FOR ADULT DAYCARE.
UM, THAT WAS ULTIMATELY, UH, DENIED AND THEY WERE STILL REQUIRED TO CONTINUE OPERATING AS A RESTAURANT.
UM, EARLIER THIS YEAR, ON FEBRUARY 20TH, 2024, UH, THE PLANNING COMMISSION DID REVIEW THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
UH, THAT WAS IN RESPONSE TO COMPLAINTS THAT WE WERE RECEIVING, UH, THAT THEY WERE NOT OPERATING AS A RESTAURANT.
UM, AT THAT TIME, THE BUSINESS OPERATOR DID ATTEND THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING AND PROMISED TO WORK WITH STAFF, UH, TO ADHERE TO THE CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL.
UM, FOLLOWING THE, UH, MEETING IN FEBRUARY, UH, THE APPLICANT, UH, THE OPERATOR OF THE RESTAURANT DID PROVIDE STAFF A MENU.
UM, AND, UH, BUT THEN, UH, LATER ON IN THE FALL OF THIS YEAR, WE RECEIVED SOME ADDITIONAL COMPLAINTS.
SO IN, UH, OCTOBER OF THIS YEAR, UH, WE MADE TWO SITE VISITS TO THE, TO THE LOCATION, UM, AFTER 6:00 PM ASKING IF THEY WERE OPERATING, IF THERE WERE A RESTAURANT OR IF THEY HAD A MENU.
UM, IN BOTH CIRCUMSTANCES, UH, WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY WERE NOT A RESTAURANT.
SO WE ARE ONCE AGAIN, UH, COMING BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, TO ASK YOU TO, UH, INITIATE, UH, A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER REVOCATION OF THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
UM, I DID MEET WITH, UH, BOTH THE BUSINESS OPERATOR, UH, THE PRIMARY BUSINESS OPERATOR, FRANK, WHO'S NOT PRESENT, BUT HIS REPRESENTATIVES, UM, ARE HERE.
UH, LAST WEEK WE TALKED ABOUT THE REQUIREMENTS TO OPERATE AS A RESTAURANT AND HE SAID HE'D BE, UM, PREPARED, UM, WITH STAFF TO, UH, ADDRESS THE ISSUES.
UM, I ALSO SPOKE WITH, UH, THE, UH, PROPERTY OWNER, DAVID, UH, MAAR.
HE WAS THE ORIGINAL APPLICANT AND IS LISTED ON THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT AS THE APPLICANT.
UM, HE WAS NOT FEELING WELL TODAY AND, UH, WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND.
UH, BUT HE DID SAY IF IT DOES PROGRESS TO A REVOCATION HEARING THAT HE WOULD PLAN TO ATTEND IN THE FUTURE.
UM, JUST BASED ON THE COMPLAINTS AND THE NON-COMPLIANCE, UH, WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND IS THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION DIRECT STAFF TO INITIATE THAT HEARING AND THEN TO, UH, MONITOR THE BUSINESS, UM, IN THE INTERIM UNTIL THAT HEARING IS UH, SCHEDULED.
WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THE COMPLAINTS? UH, MERELY THAT THEY'RE NOT OPERATING AS A RESTAURANT AS REQUIRED BY THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
SO THERE'S NOTHING, NO DEBAUCHERY OR CRIME OR NOTHING LIKE THAT GOING ON.
I DO REMEMBER THIS AND I, I, I BELIEVE STAFF HAD TROUBLE EVEN GETTING CORRESPONDENCE WITH THEM IF, IF I'M GETTING IT CORRECTLY WITH, AND THEY SHOWED UP AT THE MEETING AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WEREN'T RECEIVING THE COURT.
THERE WAS SOME KIND OF A MIX UP, I BELIEVE.
UH, IT WAS IN, UH, DECEMBER OF, UH, 2023.
WE REACHED OUT WITH LETTERS TO THE RIGHT.
[00:45:01]
ASKED FOR FEEDBACK.UM, IT TOOK US UNTIL JAN IN JANUARY WE INITIATED THE HEARING AND THAT WAS WHEN THEY RESPONDED TO OUR CORRESPONDENCE WHEN WE TOLD THEM WE WERE SCHEDULING IT FOR FEBRUARY.
SO WOULD YOU SAY THAT THEY'RE JUST, WOULD IT BE FAIR TO SAY TO STAFF'S OPINION THAT THEY'RE OPERATING MORE AS JUST A BAR? UM, OR, OR THE APPEARANCE OF A BAR? LET ME PUT IT THAT WAY.
I DON'T WANT TO PIGEONHOLE IT.
I THINK THERE, I WOULD CHARACTERIZE IT MORE AS OPERATING, UM, AS A BANQUET HALL, UM, AND, UH, JUST CONDUCTING INDIVIDUAL EVENTS AS OPPOSED TO OPERATING AS A RESTAURANT.
WHICH WAS CONTRARY TO WHAT THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT REQUIRED.
UM, THEY DO HAVE A CARD ROOM LICENSE, BUT THE CARD ROOM LICENSE, UM, NEEDS TO HAVE THAT RESTAURANT OPERATION IN CONJUNCTION WITH IT.
SO, UH, WE'RE HOPEFUL TO WORK WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER AND THE OPERATOR TO HAVE THEM COMPLY WITH THOSE CONDITIONS.
WE HAVEN'T HAD SUCCESS, AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE ASKING THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO TAKE FORMAL ACTION AT THIS POINT.
AS, AS, AS I REMEMBER, UH, DAVID MALECHI WAS RECEIVING THE NOTICES FROM THE CITY, BUT WAS NOT FORWARDING THEM TO THE, UH, BUSINESS OPERATOR.
SO THEREFORE, WHEN HE CAME OVER HERE SAYS HE NEVER KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT IT, HE FOUND OUT ABOUT IT LATER.
SO THAT'S WHEN WE SUGGESTED THAT THEY WORK WITH THE, UH, WITH THE STAFF TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES.
WE, WE WERE SENDING NOTICES TO BOTH THE PROPERTY ADDRESS AT 1 43 EAST MAIN STREET AS WELL AS TO MR. MILLAR BOTH PLACES.
YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THESE OTHER PLACES LIKE THE CRYSTAL BALLROOM OR, UH, BABYLON PALACE.
SO CAN THEY JUST GET A PERMIT TO RUN AS A BANQUET HALL, BUT THEN THEY WOULD NO LONGER BE ABLE TO OPERATE AS A CARD ROOM? CORRECT? YES.
SO IT SOUNDS, SO THE CARD ROOM ONLY IS ALLOWABLE IF THEY'RE A, A RESTAURANT.
NOW, IS THAT RESTAURANT SUPPOSED TO BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? THE RESTAURANT NEEDS TO BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, YES.
SO IF THEY WANTED TO, THEY COULD JUST START OVER THOUGH AND JUST GO APPLY FOR A CUP FOR WHAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY DOING MINUS THE CARD ROOM.
'CAUSE THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN HAVE A CARD ROOM IS IF YOU HAVE ON SALE FOOD.
THEY COULD MODIFY THEIR CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT IN, IN ANY WAY.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THEY PROPOSED THE ADULT DAYCARE AT ONE POINT.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S OTHER FACILITIES IN THE DOWNTOWN THAT AREN'T REQUIRED TO OPERATE AS A RESTAURANT.
UM, BUT THIS ONE WAS SPECIFIC COUNSEL HAD REQUIRED IT AND YES.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
DARREN, I RECALL WHEN THIS FIRST CAME UP BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO, TO OPERATE AS A BANQUET HALL.
AND THE BIG ISSUE WAS THE CITY COUNCIL WANTED IT TO BE A PUBLIC RESTAURANT.
AND WE WENT BACK AND FORTH ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY COULD DO A TEA SHOP AND LIKE JUST HAVE THE FRONT END BE OPEN AND BE A BUSINESS WHILE THE BACK END IS THE BANQUET HALL THAT'S ONLY RENTED FOR PRIVATE PARTIES AND EVENTS.
AND I REMEMBER THAT AS WE WENT THROUGH THAT PROCESS, THAT DISCUSSION, CITY COUNCIL WAS THE ONE THAT SAID IT NEEDS TO BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AS A RESTAURANT BECAUSE IT'S PART OF MAIN STREET.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE, UH, ONE SPEAKER CARD.
FARRIS STEFAN OPEN PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, IT'S NOT A PUBLIC HEARING, SO IT'S JUST AN ITEM FOR CONSIDERATION.
FERRIS IS STEFAN AND I USED TO BE ONE OF THE OWNERS OF THE PALMS AND I WAS ONE OF THE, UH, OWNERS WHEN WE APPLIED FOR THE ADULT CARE, WE DID NOT GET IT.
UM, RIGHT NOW I AM NO LONGER, UM, I SOLD MY SHARE.
UH, I WAS ASKED BY, UH, FRANK, THE, UH, THE OWNER TO COME AND JUST KIND OF MAKE IT CLEAR FOR EVERYBODY TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON OVER THERE.
UH, THE PLACE IS OPEN FOR A RESTAURANT.
I PERSONALLY GO THERE ALMOST EVERY WEDNESDAY.
WE PLAY CARDS, WE HAVE DINNER, AND UH, IT IS A RESTAURANT, BUT IT IS NOT BEING OPEN FOR THE PUBLIC LIKE OPENLY.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GO THERE, IT JUST FEELS LIKE IT'S A COMMUNITY CLUB.
YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY IS, UH, MIDDLE EASTERN OVER THERE.
AND I WOULD THINK THAT PROBABLY FOR AMERICANS TO GO THERE, THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA THINK, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE KIND OF IN THE WRONG PLACE.
UM, BUT THE PLACE IS OPEN AND THERE IS A MENU AND I ORDER FROM IT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WILL, UH, THEY WILL TELL THEIR, UH, WAITRESSES AND, AND WAITERS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE BUSINESS IS, UH, GONNA BE OPEN FOR THE PUBLIC.
IF, IF ANYBODY COMES IN AND WANNA SIT DOWN AND HAVE DINNER, THEY WILL HAVE DINNER.
[00:50:01]
UH, THE PLACE IS NOT A BAR BY, BY NO MEANS I'M, I, I DON'T KNOW ANYONE THAT GOES THERE JUST TO DRINK.SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY MORE OF A PLAYING CARD, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND HAVING DINNER AND HAVE, HAVING A DRINK.
UH, SO I THINK THE PLAYING CARDS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THAT BUSINESS, FOR IT TO, TO SURVIVE, UH, RATHER THAN YOUR SUGGESTION, YOU KNOW, TO JUST MAKE IT A BANQUET HALL AND, MM-HMM.
UH, JUST WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THE STAFF'S COMMENT? THAT THERE WAS NO MENU IN THE, THE AND THAT THE, AND JUST TO, JUST TO FINISH MY THOUGHT.
THAT THEY WENT IN THERE SPECIFICALLY AND THEY WERE TOLD WE DON'T DO THAT.
I HAVE DONE MENUS MYSELF, YOU KNOW, I PRINTED THEM, YOU KNOW, WITH A PRINTER AND WE HAVE NO, NO, I'M NOT, I'M NOT, I'M NOT, I'M NOT DEBATING THAT.
I'M JUST SAYING TO, TO STAFFS, WHAT HAPPENED TO STAFF WHEN THEY WENT TO INVESTIGATE IT.
IT'S, IT'S ALMOST THAT WE, WE WERE HERE BEFORE AND NOW WE'RE HERE AGAIN WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE, SIR, I'M JUST ANSWERING TO YOUR GO AHEAD.
THERE ARE MENUS, THERE ARE MENUS UP IN THE OFFICE.
BUT NOW THEY ARE PRINTING NEW ONES.
THE ONES THAT I PRINTED WERE, THEY ARE PROBABLY ABOUT, I DUNNO, MAYBE ABOUT EIGHT YEARS OLD RIGHT NOW.
SO THEY PROBABLY HAVE LIKE NEW THINGS AND THEY ARE PRINTING MENUS.
UM, THEY ARE AGAIN OPEN FOR A RESTAURANT.
BUT YOU KNOW, IF YOU GO IN AND IF YOU LOOK AMERICAN AND YOU'RE GONNA TELL, YOU KNOW, WHOEVER YOU SEE THERE, ONE OF THE WAITRESSES ARE YOU GUYS RESTAURANT, THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA SAY NO.
BUT NOW THEY KNOW BETTER NOT TO SAY NO, WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN OPEN SIGN.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A SIGN THAT SAYS, WAIT TO BE SEATED.
THERE ARE WAITRESSES AND WAITERS THERE, THERE ARE COOKS IN THE KITCHEN.
UH, THERE IS A BARTENDER THERE.
IT'S, IT'S A FULL SCALE RESTAURANT.
THE ONLY PROBLEM IS, LIKE I SAID, PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS THEY CLOSE THE WINDOWS ON MAIN STREET.
AND THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST WHEN THE, THE, THE ENTRANCE IS OPEN SO PEOPLE CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S INSIDE.
AND UM, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE WILLING TO COMPLY.
NOW I DON'T, I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE FEBRUARY VERSUS OCTOBER.
I DON'T KNOW IF DAVID AND I KNOW DAVID PERSONALLY, IF HE FAILED TO LET THEM KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THEIR CPU IS A RESTAURANT AND A BANQUET HALL OR IF THEY WERE ACTUALLY INFORMED AND DID NOT COMPLY.
UH, I JUST WANNA ASSURE THE BOARD THAT THEY WILL COMPLY.
I WOULD LOVE TO GET A PERMISSION TO GIVE US A CHANCE TO, YOU KNOW, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE COP.
YOU CAN CHECK ON US BEFORE WE GO TO A PUBLIC HEARING.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO GET ANY COMPLICATED.
THERE ARE NO CRIMES THERE, THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS THERE.
WELL, THE FACT REMAINS THAT, UH, THE STAFF WAS GIVEN A MENU.
NOW, THE MENU THE STAFF WAS GIVEN, UH, IN FEBRUARY OR SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WAS THAT AN OLD MENU? UH, THE ONLY MENU IT SHOWED THAT, THAT, TO SHOW THAT IT WAS A RESTAURANT AND NOW WE'RE BACK HERE AGAIN ADDRESSING THE SAME ISSUE.
IT DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, BODE WELL WITH ME THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING THE SAME ISSUE ALL OVER AGAIN.
DO YOU MIND IF I WOULD ASK THEM TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE MENU PART? 'CAUSE AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, THE ONLY MENU THAT I'VE SEEN IS THE ONE THAT I HAVE MADE A WHILE BACK.
THEY DON'T USE IT BECAUSE PEOPLE THAT GO THERE KNOW THE MENU AND THEY KNOW IT'S KABOB OR CHICKEN PICK OR SHOWER MA OR TABI OR WHATEVER.
YOU KNOW, THEY KNOW THE MENU WITHOUT EVEN RIGHT.
WHEN YOU SAY THEM, WHO ARE THEY? WHO ARE THEM? UH, THE, THE, THE, THE PATRONS THAT GO THERE VERSUS THE WAITERS AND WAITRESSES THAT ARE WORKING THERE.
WHAT ABOUT THE BUSINESS OWNER AND THE, UH, PROPERTY OWNER? OH, THE GENTLEMAN HERE ARE, UH, ARE THE SHAREHOLDERS OKAY.
WITH FRANK, BUT I THINK THEY DIDN'T WANNA SPEAK BECAUSE THE LANGUAGE IS NOT, YOU KNOW, VERY EFFICIENT.
SO YOU'RE AN LLC OR THEY ARE OPERATING AT, I THINK AS A CORPORATION C CORPORATION, BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE SHARES.
JUST REALLY QUICK, BECAUSE I ACTUALLY, WHEN I CAME IN TODAY, I DROVE, WHEN I CAME IN TODAY, I DROVE BY THE PALMS AND EVERYTHING WAS OPEN AND YOU COULD SEE INSIDE AND THERE WERE PEOPLE THERE EATING AND THERE WAS A BIG TELEVISION ON.
UM, SO I, I THINK THE WHOLE POINT HERE IS JUST, IT IS CUP FOR A RESTAURANT, YET IT'S NOT, IT IS A RESTAURANT FOR SOME PEOPLE, BUT NOT FOR OTHERS.
AND I THINK SINCE WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE DOWNTOWN MORE INCLUSIVE AND MORE BARS AND HAVE A PLACE WHERE EVERYONE CAN COME VISIT, I THINK IT WOULD BE ENJOYABLE TO HAVE A PLACE.
PEOPLE CAN COME AND KNOW WHAT IT IS, 'CAUSE THE PALMS AND WHAT
[00:55:01]
IT IS, IS KIND OF DIFFERENT.SO I THINK WE JUST WANT SOME MORE CLARIFICATION AS TO WHAT IS ON THE CUP, AS TO WHAT IS THERE.
AND SO IT'S COMPLIANT UNDERSTOOD, MA'AM? YES.
UM, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THE PLACE IS FULL WITH MIDDLE EASTERNS WHO ALL SPEAKING, YOU KNOW, CHALDEAN OR ARABIC OR WHATEVER.
AND IN MY OPINION, MY PERSONAL OPINION, IT'S, IT DOES NOT SEEM VERY INVITING TO LIKE AN AMERICAN FAMILY TO GO THERE.
THEY'RE JUST GONNA FEEL THEY ARE NOT IN PLACE.
BUT WE ARE WILLING TO OPEN THE PLACE FOR THE PUBLIC WITH SIGNS.
THEY WOULD LOVE TO MAKE MORE MONEY.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IF PEOPLE ARE COMFORTABLE GOING THERE, SITTING DOWN AND HAVING, BY THE WAY, THEY HAVE DELICIOUS FOOD.
SO, YOU KNOW, UM, THEY HAVE A VERY, VERY GOOD COOK AND VERY GOOD APPETIZER PERSON.
I GO THERE, LIKE I SAID, ALMOST EVERY WEDNESDAY, AND, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, I GO WITH MY FRIENDS, WE HAVE DINNER.
BUT IF YOU GO THERE, YOU'RE JUST GONNA FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE LIKE, MAYBE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE IN, IN A DIFFERENT COUNTRY.
YOU KNOW, YOU ARE IN, IN, IN, IN, IN, IN, IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
WELL, BUT FIRST GENERATION AMERICAN.
I'M USED TO BEING IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE ENJOYABLE FOR OTHERS AND JUST TO HELP ENLIGHTEN TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S COMPLIANT.
I BEG YOU TO GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO HAVE A FINAL CHANCE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE OPEN AS A RESTAURANT AND DO, YOU KNOW, WE JUST DON'T, I DON'T REALLY FEEL IT'S NECESSARY THAT WE'RE GONNA GO TO A PUBLIC HEARING FOR SOMETHING THAT IN MY OPINION, IS KIND OF TRIVIAL.
SO WHOEVER COMPLAINED ABOUT IT, I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE WILLING TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE A MENU PRINTED, ONE OPEN, WAIT TO BE SEATED, SEE THEM, FEED THEM, AND YOU KNOW, YOU ARE WELCOME TO COME AND BE MY GUEST.
WELL, I, AND OR GO AND CHECK TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS IN COMPLIANCE.
I THINK YOU MAYBE MISSPOKE A LITTLE BIT.
IT'S LIKE NOT TRIVIAL WHEN YOU'RE NOT FOLLOWING A CUP.
IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE A BIG DEAL BECAUSE WHEN EL CAJON DOESN'T SHUT DOWN, THEY DON'T REVOKE A LOT OF CS.
SO, TO GET TO THIS LEVEL, THERE'S GOTTA BE A SENSE OF FRUSTRATION, AT LEAST FROM THE CITY'S POINT OF VIEW, THAT WE'RE BACK HERE AGAIN.
AND IT'S ONLY BEEN EIGHT, NINE MONTHS.
AND, AND I KNOW THE OWNER WAS UNDER THE WEATHER.
I THINK YOU SAID IT, IT JUST, I WAS AS BUSINESS OWNER, IF MY BUSINESS WAS IN THIS POSITION, I WOULD BE AT THE MEETING.
MR. EDISON, I AM BY NO MEANS, UH, UNDERMINING, UNDERMINING THE CITY OF EL CAJON.
I OWN MY BUSINESS IN CITY OF EL CAJON.
I'M FRIENDS WITH, UH, WITH BILL, UH, BILL, UH, WELLS.
AND, UM, AGAIN, IT'S NOT MEANT TO DISRESPECT OR NOT TO COMPLY WITH THE COP, IT IS A RESTAURANT.
IT IS JUST, DOES NOT FEEL LIKE IT'S OPEN FOR THE PUBLIC.
IF SOMEONE WENT IN THERE AND WANTED TO EAT THERE AND SOMEONE TOLD THEM, NO, YOU CAN'T, I AM SURPRISED, HONESTLY.
SO APPARENTLY THERE WAS NO MANAGER AND MAYBE THERE WAS LIKE A WAITER WHO DOES NOT EVEN SPEAK ENGLISH, SO THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND MAYBE.
MR. STEFAN, YOU'RE, YOU'RE VERY CONVINCING.
HOWEVER, YOU ARE NOT IN A POSITION, UH, TO AGREE TO CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL.
THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO ARE CAN GIVE THAT APPROVAL IS THE, UH, BUSINESS OWNER AND THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY.
I MEAN, YOU, YOU CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THEM AND SAY, OH, THEY, THEY'RE WILLING TO DO SO, BUT WE NEED TO HEAR FROM THEM.
HE, HE RESPECTFULLY ASKED ME TO COME HERE TO ADDRESS THE, UH, THE, UH, THE COMMISSIONERS, THE COMMITTEE.
NONETHELESS, I'M TALKING ON HIS BEHALF.
WE STILL NEED TO HEAR FROM THEM.
WELL, YOU TELL ME WHAT YOU LIKE AND WE WILL DO IT, SIR.
IF I MAY JUST ADD ONE OR TWO THINGS.
UM, SO IN MY MEETING WITH FRANK, HE DID CONFIRM THAT HE, UH, MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND TONIGHT.
UM, I WOULD NOTE BASED ON THE COMMENTS, UM, THAT IN ADVANCE OF THE FEBRUARY MEETINGS, I DID COMMUNICATE WITH BOTH FRANK AND, UH, MR. MAAR AS WELL.
UM, AT THE STAFF LEVEL, WE DISCUSSED WHETHER OR NOT JUST TO PROCEED TO THE REVOCATION HEARING, BUT SINCE WE PREVIOUSLY HAD THIS AS AN ITEM FOR CONSIDERATION AND THE COMMISSION HAD ASKED US TO WORK, UH, WITH THE OWNER AND OPERATOR, UM, WE BROUGHT IT BACK ONE MORE TIME AS AN, UH, ITEM FOR CONSIDERATION.
UM, MY RECOMMENDATION STILL WOULD BE TO DIRECT STAFF TO SCHEDULE THE REVOCATION HEARING AND THEN ALLOW STAFF TO MONITOR, UM, BETWEEN THE PERIOD NOW AND THE REVOCATION HEARING AND PROVIDE SOME MORE SPECIFIC DATA WITH CONTINUOUS INSPECTIONS UP UNTIL THAT TIME.
[01:00:01]
THINGS? THERE ARE OPTIONS IN THAT MEETING.AND THE ONLY, THE FINAL OPTION IS THIS ISN'T WORKING.
SO THIS IS NOT BY ANY MEANS WE'RE GONNA SHUT YOUR BUSINESS DOWN.
THIS IS JUST, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE MISSTEPS.
WE'VE HAD MORE THAN ONE ATTEMPT HERE, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BUSINESS UNDERSTANDS AND THE CITY UNDERSTANDS.
WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AS TO WHAT IS REQUIRED BEFORE WE TAKE ANY FURTHER ACTION.
AND I AM AWARE THAT IT'S NOT A VOCATION OF THE LICENSE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST WAS TRYING TO MAKE IT, HOPEFULLY MAKE IT EASIER FOR EVERYONE, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE WILL ALWAYS RESPECT YOUR DECISION AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS ABSOLUTELY.
THANK YOU ALL FOR HELPING US AND THANK YOU.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? THAT WAS A LOT
I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK THAT IT'S NEGATIVE TO SCHEDULE A PUBLIC HEARING.
I THINK IT'S PART OF THE PROCESS.
UM, I DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO SHUT DOWN A BUSINESS PER SE, BUT IF ONE BUSINESS HAS TO COMPLY WITH THEIR CEP, THEN THE OTHER ONES DO TOO.
I WOULD LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, HEAR FROM THE OWNER, BUT OBVIOUSLY THAT WASN'T POSSIBLE TODAY.
I THINK THAT, UH, THE MOTIONS THAT THEY'RE MAKING ARE GOOD ONES.
GETTING THOSE WINDOWS BACK OPEN WOULD DO A LOT TO HELP PEOPLE YEP.
BE REASSURED THAT THIS IS A LEGITIMATE BUSINESS.
I MEAN, THERE'S A COUPLE, UH, DINING AREAS THAT THERE'S THIS ONE DOOR AND THEY'RE THE BEST PLACES TO GO ONCE YOU KNOW WHAT'S INSIDE.
BUT UNTIL YOU KNOW WHAT'S INSIDE, IT'S LIKE, DO I GO THROUGH THIS DOOR? WILL I EVER COME OUT? UM, SO I THINK THAT IN THE INTERIM, BETWEEN NOW AND THE, UH, PUBLIC HEARING, IF STAFF CAN KEEP TABS ON WHAT'S GOING ON OVER THERE, UH, I'M SURE THAT WE'LL GET A LOT TAKEN CARE OF BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONE COMMENT THAT I FORGOT TO SAY.
UH, FRANK TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD, IT WOULD BE BEST FOR THEM.
PROBABLY THE ONLY WAY TO ACCOMMODATE, UH, PATRONS THROUGH THE ALLEY.
SO THEY'RE GONNA PUT A SIGN SAYING INTEREST IS FROM THE BACK.
IF, IF THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM, WE HAVE THIS.
I KNOW, BUT WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY, IT'S OKAY WITH THE COP THAT, YOU KNOW, THE ENTRANCE IS FROM THE ALLEY BECAUSE THEY CANNOT ACCEPT PEOPLE FROM THE STREET DIRECTLY.
THERE IS NO FOYER, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW.
SO FROM THE STREET, THE WAY THE BUSINESS AND THE FLOOR PLAN WAS APPROVED, IT DID HAVE ENTRANCES FROM EAST MAIN STREET.
UM, THOSE ENTRANCES AND DOORS ARE STILL OPERATIONAL AND ARE, ARE REQUIRED FOR, UH, FIRE EXITS.
UM, SO I DON'T SEE A REASON WHY, UM, VIA THE BUILDING CODE OR, UM, OTHER CODES WHY THOSE FRONT DOORS ON EAST MAIN STREET COULD NOT CONTINUE TO BE OPERATED.
SO DOES THAT MEAN THEY HAVE TO ACCEPT, UH, CUSTOMERS FROM THE FRONT DOOR, BE FROM THE FRONT DOORS ON MAIN STREET? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I DUNNO IF YOU'VE BEEN THERE, BUT THERE IS NO, THERE IS NO LIKE FOYER OR AN ENTRANCE.
YOU GET INTO THE TABLES RIGHT AWAY SURE.
FROM THE BANK, THERE'S AN ENTRANCE AND, YOU KNOW, YOU KINDA, UH, ARE ABLE TO BE HELPED BY THE STAFF.
WELL, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS, AND THIS IS GOING BACK TO 2010 MM-HMM.
ONE OF THE REASONS THEY WANTED TO BE A RESTAURANT IS THAT WHEN PEOPLE ARE WALKING ON MAIN STREET, THEY GO, OH LOOK, A RESTAURANT.
UH, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH HAVING THE MAIN ENTRANCE BE IN THE ALLEY WHERE YOU'VE GOT PARKING BACK THERE AND THEN YOU'VE GOT A MAIN ENTRANCE.
BUT I THINK NOT ALLOWING PEOPLE IN THE FRONT DOOR ON MAIN STREET, I, I WON'T CALL IT THE FRONT DOOR, BUT THE MAIN STREET DOOR THAT'S REMOVING THAT ACTIVATION THAT THE CITY COUNCIL IS LOOKING FOR.
TO HAVE PEOPLE WALK BY AND GO, OH LOOK, THERE'S A RESTAURANT.
DO YOU WANT TO GO TRY? AND IT'S AN INSTANT WHERE IF YOU HAVE TO DRIVE TO THE BACK, YOU MIGHT NOT GET THAT, UH, WHAT'S THE TERM? JUST LOST MY BRAIN.
BUT SUDDEN, SUDDEN CHOICE WHERE AN IMPULSE, THERE WE GO.
YOU WON'T GET THE IMPULSE WALK-IN.
UH, AND THAT'S, THAT'S FROM THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
BUT THAT WAS THEIR INTENT IS TO KEEP MAIN STREET A VERY WALKABLE, FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT.
SO, AND I DON'T BELIEVE THE STAFF, UH, WOULD DISALLOW YOU TO HAVE A, A
[01:05:01]
BACK ENTRANCE AS WELL.YOU HAVE THE ONE IN THE FRONT AND THE ONE IN THE BACK.
YOU SAID WHICHEVER YOU PREFER.
YOU SAID YOU ARE A BUSINESS OWNER YOURSELF.
IT'S VERY HARD TO HAVE TWO ENTRANCES IN ONE, YOU KNOW, TO, TO ONE BUSINESS MOST OF THE TIME.
YOU KNOW, YOU ONLY HAVE ONE ENTRANCE, ESPECIALLY FOR THE WAY IT'S SET UP.
UH, BUT I JUST WANT TO RELAY THE MESSAGE.
RELAY THE MESSAGE TO, UH, TO, TO FRANK.
DOES THE CUP SAY THAT A FRONT DOOR ON MAIN STREET HAS TO BE, UM, UH, AVAILABLE FOR CUSTOMERS TO COME IN SO WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY KEEP IT OPEN? OR DO THEY HAVE THE OPTION, DO YOU KNOW? SO, UH, IN MY DISCUSSIONS WITH FRANK, UH, WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IS THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT AND THE DOWNTOWN, UH, REGULATIONS REQUIRE THOSE WINDOWS TO REMAIN OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE.
UM, THE SOLUTION THAT I TALKED WITH, UH, FRANK ABOUT WAS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S AMPLE SPACE TO ACCOMMODATE A HOSTESS STAND, UM, IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THOSE TWO FRONT ENTRANCE DOORS.
UM, WE DID OBSERVE, UM, DURING ONE OF THE SITE VISITS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE WINDOWS BEING BLOCKED.
UH, FRANK INDICATED THAT WAS FOR A PRIVATE, UM, EVENT ON ONE OF THE TWO NIGHTS THAT WE DID OUR INSPECTIONS.
UH, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, UH, SITE PLAN THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL, UM, REQUIRES THOSE WINDOWS TO REMAIN OPEN AS WELL AS THOSE ENTRANCES.
AND THEY WOULD NEED TO AMEND THEIR CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
AND STAFF WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SUPPORT A CHANGE IN THE BUSINESS DYNAMIC, UM, TO NOT HAVE THOSE ENTRANCES OPEN.
I MEAN, IT, IT MAY BE A CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE MAYBE FRANK SHOULD CONSIDER LOOKING AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS OUTSIDE OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA TO ACCOMMODATE THE BUSINESS.
MAYBE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO RELOCATE TO ANOTHER LOCATION.
UM, THAT WOULD BE, 'CAUSE AS WE DISCUSSED EARLIER, THERE'S OTHER, UH, BANQUET HALLS ELSEWHERE IN THE CITY THAT AREN'T REQUIRED TO OPERATE AS A RESTAURANT.
IT'S ONLY BECAUSE IN THE SPECIFIC LOCATION, UM, COUNSEL WANTS TO SEE THAT ACTIVITY.
UM, SO JUST ITEMS TO CONSIDER.
I, I HAVE BEEN IN RESTAURANTS WHERE THEY HAVE AN ALLEY ENTRANCE AND A FRONT ENTRANCE.
I, IN CORONADO, THERE'S A COUPLE OF THOSE THAT I'VE BEEN TO.
YOU CAN PARK IN THE BACK AND COME THROUGH THE, UH, OAK PARK IN THE FRONT.
SO THERE ARE RESTAURANTS THAT HAVE BOTH.
IT'S, THERE ARE, I'M THINKING ABOUT CORONADO.
I THINK THAT, UH, WHAT'S IT CALLED? A PLACE, IT'S A HAMBURGER PLACE IN A CORNER.
THERE'S A PLACE THAT SELL, YOU KNOW, LIKE BREADS AND, UH, WHAT'S CALLED IS THAT TOO? YES.
IT'S A FRANCHISE, A BIG FRANCHISE.
I FORGOT THE NAME, BUT YEAH, THAT'S TRUE.
BUT USUALLY, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I, I OWN, UH, UH, IQ REALTY AND LENDING ON LEXINGTON, AND WE HAVE TWO DOORS AND WE KEEP ONE LOCKED.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT JUST FEEL, KIND OF, DOESN'T FEEL VERY SAFE TO GET PEOPLE COMING FROM BOTH DIRECTIONS AT YOU.
I DON'T KNOW MY PERSONAL OPINION AGAIN.
YEAH, I, I THINK, UM, WHAT, WHAT NOAH WAS SAYING, UM, I JUST DON'T KNOW IF IT FITS, IS WHAT I'M, I'M, I'M RUNNING, I THINK YOU GUYS ARE RUNNING UP AND AT SOME PROBLEMS HERE IS BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING, IF YOU WALK UP AND DOWN MAIN STREET, EVERY RESTAURANT THAT'S SERVING, I MEAN, I GO EAT AT THE, WHAT'S IT, THE SALTAN OVER THERE OR WHERE ALL THE DESSERTS ARE RIGHT THERE.
SO IT'S MEANT TO BE WALKABLE AND EVERY BUSINESS IS MEANT TO ACCOMMODATE THE PUBLIC THROUGH THE FRONT.
AND THOSE, AND, AND, AND REALLY WHAT, WHAT THE PALMS, UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE THE WAY IT'S SET UP, IT'S CLOSED OFF.
AND IT KIND OF BREAKS UP ACTUALLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IN DOWNTOWN.
AND SO I, I'M NOT SAYING THAT IF IT'S UNOBTAINABLE TO TO, TO MAKE THAT WORK, IT MIGHT NOT BE THE RIGHT LOCATION.
BECAUSE WHAT WE WANT IS WE WANT A RESTAURANT THAT ALLOWS YOU TO PLAY CARS AND DO THINGS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, INVITING TO THE PUBLIC, THE WINDOWS HAVE TO BE OPEN.
AND, AND PEOPLE HAVE GOTTA BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH THE FRONT OR THE BACK BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE YOUR BUSINESS IS GONNA COME FROM.
IT'S GONNA COME FROM THE CAR SHOWS, IT'S GONNA COME FROM THE MAIN STREET EVENTS.
IT'S GONNA COME FROM HAUNT FEST, ALL THAT STUFF.
BUT WHAT I'M HEARING, IT'S MORE LIKE A CLUB, IS WHAT I'M THINKING.
THIS IS, IT'S MORE LIKE A SOCIAL CLUB.
AND IT MIGHT BE BETTER, YOU KNOW, TO MAYBE LOOK AT A DIFFERENT LOCATION AND MAYBE THE OWNER CAN TURN THAT INTO, YOU KNOW, A FULL ON FULL SCALE RESTAURANT THAT SERVES THE PUBLIC.
AND THAT, THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE A TOUGH ONE BECAUSE I JUST DON'T THINK THE WAY IT'S BEING USED IS, IS IS NOT WRONG, BUT IT'S KIND OF BEING USED AS, AS MORE OF A PRIVATE CLUB, YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING.
YEAH, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA COST A FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO RELOCATE THIS BUSINESS.
I'M ASSUMING HE'S GONNA WANNA STAY THERE AND I'M JUST GONNA LET HIM KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, KEEP THE, THE, THE UH, FRONT DOOR ON MAIN STREET OPEN FOR, UH, FOR CUSTOMERS TO BE ABLE TO WALK IN.
WELL AND I THINK TOO, I MEAN, HAVING THE FRONT DOOR OPEN, YOU CAN VERY EASILY PUT A LITTLE PODIUM THAT SAID CHECK IN AROUND THE CORNER OR SOMETHING.
AND DIRECTIONAL SIGNS, THEY CAN WALK OVER THAT DIRECTION AND IF THEY'VE BEEN THERE A FEW TIMES, THEY'LL KNOW WHERE THEY NEED TO GO.
BUT I'M SURE EVERYBODY THERE KNOWS WHERE THEY NEED TO GO BECAUSE
[01:10:01]
THEY'VE BEEN THERE USED TO IT.BUT IT JUST TAKES A LITTLE THING TO LET THE REST OF THE PUBLIC KNOW WHERE TO GO.
AND I'M SURE THEY'LL BE ACCOMMODATING.
'CAUSE THERE'S LOTS OF BUSINESSES, PANERA, ALL THESE OTHER PLACES, THERE'S ALL THESE DIFFERENT ENTRANCES AND PEOPLE ALWAYS KNOW WHERE TO GO TO GET THE FOOD.
MAYBE THEY CAN HAVE A SIGN SAYING, UH, CHECK IN.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A PERSON THERE.
ALRIGHT, ANYTHING ELSE? WELL, I THINK THE CITY'S RECOMMENDATION AT THIS POINT IN TIME IS VALID AND THAT, UH, I'M FOR HAVING ANOTHER MEETING.
REGARDING, UH, EITHER THE APPROVAL OR REVOCATION, ONE OF THE TWO, WHICHEVER.
AND WE'D LIKE TO SEE THE BUSINESS THRIVE THERE, WHERE IT'S AT AND BE A FULL ON BUSINESS.
SO I, UM, YES SIR, IF, UH, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM THE BUSINESS OWNER AND THE PROPERTY OWNER, THAT WOULD BE EXCELLENT.
AND IF I'LL HAVE THEM TO MAKE A COMMITMENT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
IF I MAY, UH, COMMISSIONER SOLI, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE THAT A MOTION? UH, YES.
UM, I THINK YOUR PREVIOUS STATEMENT WOULD BE SUFFICIENT.
IT'S, IT'S NOT A PUBLIC HEARING, BUT WE WOULD LIKE, UH, TO SEE, UH, THE PLANNING GIVE COMMISSION, GIVE DIRECTION TO STAFF.
BUT WELL, I THANK YOU FOR ALL THE INFORMATION YOUR TIME.
WE'RE HOPING WE CAN COME TO AN AGREEMENT WITH STAFF TO MAKE SURE THIS YOU CAN CARRY ON AS, AS YOU HAVE BEEN IN AS A CUP, AS A RESTAURANT.
IT'S VERY WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ANY, ANY OTHER UPDATES FROM STAFF? YEAH, WE DO HAVE, UH, ONE ADDITIONAL
[4. 2025 Public Hearing Calendar]
ITEM FOR CONSIDERATION.UH, WE PLACED THE, UM, A DRAFT, UH, 2025, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, CALENDAR, UM, ON THE AGENDA.
UM, IT DOESN'T REQUIRE A VOTE.
UM, I WOULD JUST HIGHLIGHT THAT WE ARE, UM, NOT PROPOSING TO HAVE A MEETING ON JANUARY 7TH, 2025.
UM, AND, BUT THE REMAINDER OF THE, UM, TYPICAL MEETINGS FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON THE FIRST AND THIRD, UH, TUESDAYS OF EACH MONTH, UH, DON'T CONFLICT WITH ANY OTHER HOLIDAYS.
UM, SO WE DIDN'T SEE ANY NEED TO, UM, INTENTIONALLY CANCEL ANY OF THE OTHER MEETINGS.
SO, UH, IF THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS ANY FEEDBACK ON THE CALENDAR, WE'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE IT.
IF THERE'S NO COMMENTS, UM, THEN WE CAN, UH, MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.
I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE SEVENTH? OH, WE HAD PROPOSED, UH, NOT TO HAVE THAT MEETING JUST BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAY, UH, CLOSURE.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE ON THE CALENDAR THERE, THE SECOND AND THIRD OF, UH, JANUARY CITY HALL'S CLOSED.
AND SO WE, I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE, WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT THE SEVENTH.
IS IT A REALLY BIG NEW YEAR CELEBRATION? IT'S THAT WE'RE CLOSED FOR THE SECOND AND THIRD STILL
WELL, AND I, I ALSO FEEL LIKE THE PLANNING COMMISSION WOULDN'T NECESSARILY WANT TO BE READING AN AGENDA OVER, YOU KNOW, THE JANUARY 1ST HOLIDAY WEEKEND.
IT DOESN'T MATTER
I LIKE FIRST AND THIRDS PERFECT.
AND THEN, IF I MAY, UH, SO, AND NO ADDITIONAL ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION OR STAFF COMMUNICATIONS.
[6. COMMISSIONER REPORTS/COMMENTS]
A QUESTION? OH, IT WAS ON THE OAKDALE SLASH MINT PROPERTY.UH, I'VE NOTICED I'VE TAKEN A FEW EXTRA DIVERSIONS 'CAUSE IT'S KIND OF ON MY WAY HOME TO SEE HOW THAT'S COMING ALONG.
AND I SAW ASPHALT, SO, AND I'VE SEEN THE TWO HOUSES GOING UP AS THEY GO.
HOW ARE WE LOOKING ON THAT? HOW'S THE, I MEAN, HOW ARE THEY DOING? MY EXPERIENCE WOULD BE SIMILAR TO YOURS, WHICH WAS, UH, THE LAST TIME THAT I VISITED THE PROPERTY.
UH, THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF, UM, OF WORKING ON THE STREET AND THE STRUCTURES HAD BEEN FRAMED.
UM, SO I HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY COMMUNICATION FROM THE APPLICANT.
UH, BUT THEY WOULD JUST BE PROCEEDING WITH, UH, TYPICAL INSPECTIONS THROUGH, UH, THE BUILDING DIVISION.
UM, I'LL CHECK AND SEE IF THERE IS ANY ISSUES GOING ON, BUT, UH, I HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY OTHER COMMENTS, UH, NOR COMMENTS FROM ANY SURROUNDING PROPERTY OWNERS.
YEAH, ONE OF THE HOUSES LOOKS ALMOST DONE.
THE OTHER ONE LOOKS LIKE IT'S GETTING TO THE FINISH ON THE OUTSIDE AT LEAST.
THE STREET LOOKS SMOOTH AND IT'S JUST A MATTER OF A COUPLE OF GATES AND PAINT.
I, I, I DIDN'T LOOK TO SEE IF I DON'T STOP.
I'M JUST DRIVING ON MY WAY BACK AND FORTH, BUT I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO TELL
[01:15:01]
IF BOTH CURBS ARE IN OR, OR IF IT'S JUST THE ONE SIDE THAT HAS THE CURB.BUT IT'S LOOKING GOOD, I GUESS.
NOTHING I CAN, ALRIGHT, I'LL HAPPILY MOVE TO ADJOURN.