Thursday, February 13, 2014

Planning Commission does a double take

The Planning Commission met on February 12, 2014 for their regularly scheduled meeting to review two very similar requests.  Pinch hitting for Commission Chair Carlos Parrague was Vice Chair Anne McIntosh who kept things moving along.  

The future Copper Still Grill
The first public hearing concerned Copper Still Grill, a new restaurant that will be opening soon at 608-610 South Myrtle Avenue, sandwiched between Rudy's and Pinkberry.  The owners describe the restaurant as "reminiscent of days gone by; rustic, distillery-themed with interior decor treatments of wood and copper throughout." 

The menu is still a work in progress, but they tell us they will be serving updated traditional classics.  We got a peek at their menu which is still a work in progress but our mouths are already watering thinking about the "pot roast dip"...oh, we forgot to mention they will have a full bar, which is the reason they went before the Planning Commission.  The Commission unanimously approved their request for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP).  

Sakura Sushi House
On to public hearing number 2 (known in the biz as PH-2); a request for a conditional use permit to serve alcoholic beverages at a restaurant.  Sound familiar? Sakura Sushi House has been opened for a few months now at 215 East Foothill Boulevard, in the Certified Market Center.  The Commission reviewed their CUP request to serve beer and wine and at the close of the hearing, the Commission unanimously approved the request.  Sushi and sake, sounds like a winning combo to us. 

New shelter for Huntington Drive
The next item was a determination of General Plan Conformity.  Sounds important, right? Well, it is but not very exciting except to perhaps the Planners...well, maybe...not so much...Here's the Reader's Digest, one sentence version.  Del Taco (opening soon at 945 East Huntington Drive) is building a new bus shelter which had to be built partially on their property to provide enough clearance for pedestrians and will now be given to the City and the Commission needed to determine that it was OK.  It was.  All the legal stuff can be found here.  Did we mention our new obsession, the CrunchTada? 

And finally...the Housing Element!  Staff provided the Commission with an update on the adoption of the Element...and with no way to top that, the meeting was adjourned.