Seal Beach planners last week approved permits for two new businesses in the Shops at Rossmoor and allowed a Main Street business to add deli take out food to its services.
A Rite Aid drug store is scheduled to replace the Chevron service station that used to stand at the corner of Seal Beach Boulevard and St. Cloud Drive.
The Seal Beach Planning Commission approved the conditional use permit for the proposed 24-hour drug store at the agency’s Wednesday, April 20 meeting.
MPA, Inc. filed the application on behalf of the Rossmoor Shops, LLC, owners of the Shops at Rossmoor center. The name of the shopping center sometimes confuses people because it is not located in the unincorporated community of Rossmoor. It is located in Seal Beach. The proposed Rite Aid is the latest addition to the shopping center, which recently saw several new businesses open.
“The project is part of the on-going redevelopment of the Shops at Rossmoor shopping center and will also result in the demolition of the adjacent commercial structure to the north that is presently a KFC restaurant and vacant commercial space,” wrote Senior Planner Jerry Olivera in his staff report. The new Rite Aid will include a drive-through pharmacy pick-up window, alcohol sales and operate 24 hours a day.
To address staff concerns about the potential impact of the project on traffic patters, the applicants hired Linscott, Law & Greenspan to perform a traffic study. According to the Olivera report, the traffic study found that the planned 17,340-square foot Rite Aid would generate less traffic.
According to the Olivera report, there would be 739 fewer daily trips, 40 fewer trips during the morning peak hours and seven fewer trips during the afternoon peak hours.
Parking apparently won’t be an issue either. According to the Olivera report, the Shops at Rossmoor has a surplus of 200 parking spaces. As for the liquor license to sell alcohol for off-site consumption (drinking somewhere else), Seal Beach Police Sgt. Ron Lavelle told staff the Police Department did not have an concerns about the request for a liquor license.
There are already five other businesses in the shopping center that have licenses to sell alcohol.
Fast food OK’d
That same night, planners approved a request to open an In-N-Out Burger restaurant in the Shops at Rossmoor. The fast food restaurant will include both a drive-thru window and outdoor seating for dining. The restaurant will be built on what is now an empty parcel of land in the shopping center.
It will be located at Towne Center Drive and Seal Beach Boulevard.
Sgt. Lavelle told planning staff that the Police Department had no objection to the application.
Linscott, Law & Greenspan prepared a traffic study for this project as well as the previous application.
In the case of In-N-Out Burger, the report concluded there would be 72 more daily trips but 95 fewer trips during the morning peak hours.
More deli on Main
The Seal Beach Liquor store on Main Street will add a take-out-only deli counter to its services. Seal Beach planners approved the conditional use permit to allow the preparation and sale of deli foods on Wednesday, April 20.
“Since the current CUP was issued prior to the adoption of the (Main Street Specific Plan), the currently allowed operating hours exceed those established by the MSSP in 1996,” Olivera wrote in his staff report.
Planning staff advised changing the hours so the store closes one hour earlier on weekdays and the weekend.
“Staff is unaware of any adverse impacts to the Main Street area or surrounding residential areas that are related to the current operation of the business,” Olivera wrote.
