La Costanera Restaurant Daytime Hours Denied

Long pending Use Permit (UP) Amendment for the Montara Beach dinner restaurant, La Costanera, to expand to daytime hours was denied today by the County Planning Commission 5-0.   (staff report)

In addition to the impact on local parking for beach access, Commissioners expressed concern at the years of unaddressed Code Violations at this Montara Beach business. County staff said that was because the UP Amendment has been pending since 2006 and the plan was to address the violations via conditions of approval.  Now that there is no longer any UP Amendment pending, County staff assured the Commission that the many UP and building violations will be addressed via their Code Compliance section.

MCC 9/22/14 comments with attached web quotes, photos
MCC previous comments on this issue: 3/12/14 and 12/12/12
Comments from others: Committee for Green Foothills, Surfrider San Mateo County, Deborah Lardie

UPDATE 9/30/14:  
Planning Commission Letter of Decision with Findings for Denial
La Costanera Restaurant info sheet highlighting use outside allowed business hours and over the 189-seat capacity.

UPDATE:  Appeal filed by applicant on 10/3/14 to Board of Supervisors.

UPDATE:  12/23/14 Violation Notice from County Planning Director to owners of La Costanera Restaurant

MCC Special Meeting Monday, Sept 22, 7pm

AGENDA - MCC holds this special meeting due to the necessity to submit comments to the Planning Commission in advance of their Sept 24 meeting, following release of the staff report on Sept 18.

La Costanera Restaurant (PLN2006-00494) Use Permit Amendment, Revised Initial Study & Negative Declaration, Design Review Permit, Planned Agricultural District Permit, and Grading Permit to:
-Expand restaurant hours to daytime on Fridays and weekends
-Legalize exterior building improvements (lighting, patios)
-Formalize and improve adjacent State Parks beach parking lot.

Coastal Development Permit (CDP) for this project is directly under the jurisdiction of the California Coastal Commission (CCC) and will be reviewed separately by them.  County Use Permit Amendment, if approved by the Planning Commission, will not go into effect until and unless the CCC approves an amended CDP that was originally issued by them in 1977, which limited restaurant hours to after 5pm to provide for adequate parking via shared beach parking.

MCC 9/22/14 comments [approved] with attached web quotes, photos
MCC previous comments on this issue: 3/12/14 and 12/12/12

Comment to the Planning Commission can be emailed to: planning-commission@smcgov.org

Location: GCSD meeting room, 504 Ave Alhambra, third floor, El Granada

UPDATE:  9/22/14 Minutes

Big Wave Project Update

DPW (County Dept of Public Works) submitted Sept 9 comments on BW North Parcel Alternative requiring the condition that mitigation measure at Highway 1 and Cypress (signal or roundabout) be approved and coordinated with Caltrans, and constructed by the applicant prior to issuance of building permit at no cost to the County.

CDRC (Coastside Design Review Committee) considered the project again on Sept 11 (continued from July 10), but continued to be frustrated with the lack of design detail of what they termed a “moving target”.  Project Engineer Scott Holmes agreed that the project has not yet been designed by an architect. 

CDRC members went so far as to sketch some ideas to demonstrate how the building and parking layout could be designed to take advantage of the unique assets of the site such as views for the occupants, improved pedestrian circulation and outdoor spaces for residents and other building occupants, and to attempt to bring the development more into line with existing community character (small scale eclectic).

Leaving architectural design until after the project is approved, as the developer proposed to do, is problematic because the major subdivision creates separate parcels of the footprints of the commercial buildings in their existing size, shape, orientation, and location, which could not be changed after the project is approved.

CDRC continued the item until date uncertain. 

UPDATE:  Tentative new schedule:
Coastside Design Review Committee: Oct 9 at HMB Yacht Club
Planning Commission hearing Nov 12, 5pm, on Coastside (venue to be determined)

Housing Element Community Workshop Sept 17

The Housing Element of San Mateo County’s General Plan is being updated and you are invited to share your ideas.   (Housing Element FAQ's & Public Comment Survey)

What kind of housing is needed?
Where should new housing be located?
What can be done to make housing more affordable and accessible for all?

Community Workshop (flyer)
September 17, 2014, 6:30 – 9:00 pm
504 Avenue Alhambra, third floor, El Granada