HomeMy WebLinkAbout101-Staff Report.pdf
SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL
MEETING DATE: April 1, 2009 AGENDA ITEM:
DEPARTMENT: Community Development CITY MANAGER: Dave Anderson
PREPARED BY: John F. Livingstone, AICP DIRECTOR: John F. Livingstone, AICP
SUBJECT: Review incentives related to Conditional Use Permits to encourage new
businesses in the City
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Direct Staff Accordingly.
REPORT SUMMARY:
On March 3, 2009 the City Council reviewed the fees associated with Conditional Use Permits
and expressed interest in reducing the cost, time, and uncertainty of obtaining a Conditional Use
Permit (CUP). This item was place on the March 18, 2009 City Council agenda. At this meeting
the City Council discussed various incentives that included allowing certain businesses to have
the fees associated with a Conditional Use Permit reimbursed by the City. The City Council also
created an ad-hoc committee comprised of Council members Jill Hunter and Susie Nagpal to
review specific types of uses that the incentives could be applied to. The Council recommended
that $25,000 be made available for five new businesses.
The Committee recommended that the incentives be made available for the next 18 months to the
first five businesses that receive CUP approval from the list below. The intention was to allow
any combination of the below listed businesses and to telegraph the message that Saratoga is
interested in these types of businesses in our commercial districts throughout the city. The
Committee also created an “undesignated” category to allow for the possibility of a business,
consistent with the Council’s efforts to vitalize the commercial areas, to come into the City of
Saratoga even if it does not fit into one of the specific categories listed below. This business
would need to come to the City Council prior to submitting for a Conditional Use Permit for the
incentive recommendation.
The following are the specific uses recommended by the Committee:
• Family Style Restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Bakery
• Grocery store
• Wine Tasting
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• Ice Cream or Yogurt store
• Art and Crafts Instructional Activities including but not limited to art lessons or martial
arts instruction
• Undesignated
FISCAL IMPACTS:
The City Council has approximately $43,300 remaining in their discretionary fund. Funding for
an incentive program would reduce the funds in this account by $25,000 which would reduce the
fund to $18,300.
ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS:
The Council could recommend maintaining the existing Conditional Use process with no
incentives.
FOLLOW UP ACTION:
Direct the City Manger to reimburse any business that meets the recommended criteria and
obtains an approved Conditional Use Permit.
ADVERTISING, NOTICING AND PUBLIC CONTACT:
Notice of this meeting was properly posted.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Matrix of Permitted and Conditional Uses
2. Code excerpts for Permitted and Conditional Uses