AgdaPkt 2003-02-10 - Laserfiche WebLink

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10-143 denying the first appeal). However, the Zoning Ordinance (Article 26, Section 4.S) does allow the Zoning Administrator to grant a Use Permit if she/he determines that the _ use is "of the same general character as the uses permitted by Article 26 "; and that the "use is not inconsistent with the purpose of Article 26." The current Use Permit application requests that that the Zoning Administrator make such findings and grant the Use Permit with the added art gallery at the storefront. Why did the Zoning Administrator deny the Use Permit? The Zoning Administrator denied the Use Permit on December 19, 2002. Please refer to the attached Notice of Official Action. The Zoning Administrator denied the Use Permit because she could not make the findings required under Article 26, Section 4.S. First, the revised store is not of the general character of uses permitted by Article 26 because the proposed professional beauty supply store is available only to a very limited subset of the community, specifically licensed cosmetologists. Thus, the proposed use is not of the same general character since the permitted and conditionally permitted first floor uses allowed in the downtown Central Business Retail Zoning District do not require a special license to purchase goods and /or services. The City has other Zoning Districts which would allow such a use. For example, the General Commercial (CG) Zoning District provides a district for commercial uses %vhich do not specialize in serving the pedestrian shopper..." Others include the Industrial Park (IP) and the Industrial Restricted (IR) Zoning Districts. Also the Zoning Administrator determined that the proposed professional beauty supply store is not found to be consistent with the purpose of the CBR Zoning District, Article 26, Section 1, which states that the purpose of the CBR Zoning District is "to concentrate retail uses downtown which will serve the needs of the Redwood City residents, businesses, and workers." The proposed professional beauty supply store is seeking to have products and services available only to licensed cosmetologists and not to Redwood City residents, businesses, and workers in general. Is this interpretation consistent with past interpretations and modifications to the CBR Zoning District? Yes. As previously mentioned a similar business is located at 2610 Broadway (West Coast Beauty Supply) and is located in the same CBR Zoning District. (In fact, the appellant has stated it is very similar, except that West Coast Beauty Supply sells different product lines). It has been in that location since the mid 1970's. The existing business is very similar to the proposed use and sells products to only licensed cosmetologists. According to West Coast Beauty Supply it classifies itself as a wholesale business Over the years, West Coast Beauty Supply has contacted the City to expand and locate elsewhere within the downtown. Staff has consistently informed the business that they cannot do so because they do not conform to the uses allowed in the CBR district and are not considered a "retail" use with goods and services available to the general public. The use only remains because it is considered a "grandfathered" use. The City has not granted Use Permits for similar uses in the CBR Zoning District since the establishment of the CBR Zoning District in 1991. (A 'Conversation with Courtney Plummer, Assistant to Vice President of Store Operations, West Coast Beauty Supply, 9/16/02