The Planning Commission on Monday, Nov. 18, unanimously recommended that the City Council approve a proposed amendment to the Main Street Specific Plan.
No one attended the public hearing.
The proposal changed the standards for businesses to use the sidewalks of Main Street, allowing what staff calls more flexibility for table and merchandise displays. The rules for benches would also change. (For details, see below.)
Only the City Council is allowed to change specific plans or the Municipal Code. In this situation, the Planning Commission could only advise.
Commissioner comments
District Three Commissioner/Chair Richard Coles called for standardization of the benches.
Planning Manager Shaun Temple said some businesses don’t want a table in front of their business, but they may want a waiting bench on either side of the door.
“If it’s going to be a permanent fixture on Main Street, it needs to look like the other benches we have that are quite elegant,” Coles said. “You need to specify exactly what that is.”
District One Commissioner Calvin Mingione said it was his understanding that the Specific Plan that the Planning Commission saw in May did not have guidelines around the consistency of different tables. “I’m of the understanding that what we’re talking about here in no way changes any design parameters that do or don’t exist,” he said.
“What we’re talking about are removing specific regulations that speak to size dimensions,” Mingione said.
Coles said he was also interested in the nature and type of benches.
“I don’t want to see a bunch of plastic benches,” Coles.
He wanted benches made of wood. He said if you can stipulate width you can stipulate the material the bench is made of.
District Five Commissioner Margo Wheeler said our downtown isn’t all just one style.
She said she was confident the commission could trust style.
District Three Commissioner Patty Campbell said she thought the benches were good because it allows the tourists a place to sit down. She said she thought there was a limit to what the businesses should put out in front of their stores. She had a problem with racks. She asked Mingione what he wanted as it was his district.
Mingione said that question was irrelevant. He said nothing staff had brought before them is revoking any of the standards for the quantity of items that can go in front of a store. “I don’t want to speak on behalf of folks that aren’t here, but I’d wager a guess that no one’s here because this is, at least through my eyes, this is a rather straightforward amendment,” he said.
“My only concern was I don’t want to see a bunch of cheap, unattractive benches out there,” Coles said.
Wheeler moved approval of the amendment as written.
Background
“The Main Street Specific Plan (MSSP) was amended to create the Main Street Outdoor Use Program on May 28, 2024, to allow for an administrative review of minor outdoor accessory uses such as dining tables, merchandise display, and storefront benches,” according to the staff report prepared by Associate Planner Patricia Garcia and Community Development Director Alexa Smittle.
“At the time this staff report was written, seven businesses had obtained Outdoor Use Permits, and eleven additional applications were currently undergoing the review process,” according to the Garcia-Smittle report.
“Over the past several months, Staff has been presented with proposals that meet the goals of the Outdoor Use Program, but not necessarily the specific standards. For example, Staff has received applications for uses that provide eight feet of clear sidewalk space and meet width requirements per storefront, but do not meet other standards listed in the MSSP, such as depth of merchandise display or tables that are ADA compliant but small enough to meet the adopted 30-inch limit,” according to the Garcia-Smittle report.
“Staff has also received requests for an additional bench in lieu of a dining table, which is not currently allowed,” according to the Garcia-Smittle report.
“The proposed modifications would allow businesses to have limited flexibility regarding size of dining tables, merchandise displays, chairs, and benches. Currently, dining tables are subject to very specific dimensions, which make it difficult to meet ADA compliance requirements in some cases. Additionally, merchandise displays were limited to a 15-inch depth if they were on a 60-inch wide rack, when many merchants need a depth closer to 24 or 30 inches,” according to the Garcia-Smittle report.
“In order to alleviate this issue, Staff is proposing to eliminate the required depth dimension. Instead, the depth of tables/displays would be limited by the 8-foot minimum unobstructed clear path required,” according to the report.
“The total quantity permitted would also be limited by store frontage width requirements of 60 inches for a 25-foot storefront, 90 inches for a 37.5-foot storefront, and 120 inches for a 50-foot storefront. The changes would permit various tables sizes and thus be more accommodating for ADA seating compliance. Additionally, it would give business owners flexibility to decide how to use the permitted outdoor use area,” according to the Garcia-Smittle report.
“In order to alleviate this issue, Staff is proposing to eliminate the required depth dimension. Instead, the depth of tables/displays would be limited by the 8-foot minimum unobstructed clear path required,” according to the report.
“The total quantity permitted would also be limited by store frontage width requirements of 60 inches for a 25-foot storefront, 90 inches for a 37.5-foot storefront, and 120 inches for a 50-foot storefront. The changes would permit various tables sizes and thus be more accommodating for ADA seating compliance,” according to the report.
“The amendment would also allow eligible business to apply for more than one bench through the Outdoor Use Program, to be used in lieu of dining tables or merchandise displays. Currently, only one bench is permitted per storefront, regardless of the store frontage width, including if no other outdoor use is proposed. Staff has received proposals for two benches and no dining tables; however, the MSSP does not allow this, even though the proposal would occupy the same space as two tables and no benches. Staff proposes to alter the standards to allow flexibility for additional benches to replace areas that could be occupied by dining tables or merchandise displays,” according to the report.
“Additionally, the amendment would remove the dimensions associated with the quantity of the chairs. The quantity of chairs will continue to be limited by the store frontage’s linear width,” according to the report.
