The Seal Beach Planning Commission on Wednesday, Feb. 3, unanimously approved extending the conditional use permit for the Main Street Wine Cellar. Planners also approved expanding the operating hours to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Staff did not prepare a resolution for the planners to approve, so the issue will come back before the next Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 17. Planners considered the extension request on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009. At the time, planners approved extending the CUP pending an additional three-month review of the expanded business hours.
Planners were concerned because there had been reports that the business was staying open past operating hours. The issue of the business closing on time was first raised during a July 22, 2009 Planning Commission meeting.
“The commission ultimately decided that the previously approved hours of operation should be expanded to afford the business an opportunity to be viable and to bring the operational hours more in line with similar businesses along Main Street,” said the Feb. 3, 2010 staff report by Senior Planner Jerry Olivera.
On Nov. 18, 2009 planners met to approve the resolution. However, Commissioner John Larson voted no.
According to the staff report for the Feb. 3, 2010 meeting, Seal Beach Police Capt. Tim Olson said he could find no record of calls for service at the Wine Cellar going back to January 2008.
Commission Chair Ellery Deaton told the applicant she thought he had set unrealistic hours for the business in the first place and that had been the source of the problem.
Planners agreed that customers who arrived a few minutes before closing should be allowed to finish consuming their drinks before they go home.
Planners had no other business that night.
On Feb. 17, the commission will consider an indefinite extension of the CUP for Pei Wei Diner in the Shops at Rossmoor, a Zone Code text amendment for covered roof access structures and several requests from the operators of the Chevron Station at 1300 Pacific Coast Highway.
The Chevron station will request a General Plan Amendment, a Zoning Code change and a variance as well as a conditional use permit.
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