The Seal Beach Planning Commission indefinitely extended the conditional use permit for Waki Sushi on Wednesday, Oct. 6. The CUP allows the restaurant to serve beer and wine with food.
No one spoke in favor of the restaurant’s application. No one spoke against the restaurant’s application.
The decision was made without controversy, according to Senior Planner Jerry Olivera.
The owners of Waki Sushi, located on Main Street, Seal Beach, first applied for a permit to convert a yogurt shop into a sushi bar in 2009.
The Planning Commission rejected the original CUP on April 8, 2009. At the time, some planners expressed concerns that Main Street had become saturated with restaurants.
There was a parallel concern that there were too many Main Street businesses with alcohol licenses.
Even so, the City Council overturned the Planning Commission’s decision on July 13, 2009.
The Main Street Specific Plan allows businesses on Main Street to sell alcohol for consumption either on site or to be consumed somewhere else.
The beer and wine sold at Waki Sushi is usually sold with meals and can only be consumed there.
“The existing restaurant has been in operation at their current location for approximately eight months with no known problems or complaints regarding the business operation,” wrote Olivera in his Oct. 6, 2010 report to the commission.
“While alcohol licenses along the Main Street corridor have become the subject of increased discussion in recent years, the Seal Beach Police Department has verified that there have been no unusual or excessive calls for service at this location since the business commenced operation,” Olivera wrote.
According to the staff report, Capt. Tim Olsen, second in command of the Police Department, reviewed the application and had no concerns about the request to extend the restaurant’s permit.
Based on the fact there had not been any known noise or police problems with the business operation, staff recommended that planners approve the request. In other business, planners approved a minor plan review submitted by Marble Cove Way property owners Christy Zidonis and Gary Meister to build a swimming pool slide and grotto in their yard. The plan also called for a barbecue island.
The slide and grotto will be built in conjunction with a swimming pool and spa on the property.
The barbecue island will be located within the required side yard setback area, according to the staff report by Senior Planner Olivera.
The request was part of the consent calendar, along with the minutes of the previous Planning Commission meeting, and was approved without discussion. The meeting was unusually brief. Olivera said it lasted about 15 minutes in all, including the public hearing for the Waki Sushi permit.
