HomeMy WebLinkAbout101-Staff Report.pdf SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL
MEETING DATE: September 7, 2011 AGENDA ITEM:
DEPARTMENT: Community Development CITY MANAGER: Dave Anderson
PREPARED BY: Christopher Riordan, AICP DIRECTOR: Christopher Riordan, AICP
SUBJECT: Partial Conditional Use Permit (CUP) Fee Reimbursement for Vine Life Gifts
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Staff recommends the City Council expend the remaining $2,300 of the New Business Incentive
Program to partially reimburse the Conditional Use Permit fee for Vine Life Gifts.
REPORT SUMMARY:
Background
At a March 18, 2009 Public Hearing the City Council (Council) recommended that $25,000 be
made available from the Council’s discretionary fund to reimburse the Conditional Use Permit
(CUP) fee for five new businesses. The Council created an ad-hoc committee consisting of two
Council members to work with Staff on selecting the types of uses that would be eligible for a
permit fee refund. The Committee selected the following seven types of conditional uses that
would be eligible for a refund of CUP application fees.
• Family Style Restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner
• Bakery
• Grocery Store
• Wine Tasting
• Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt Store
• Arts and Crafts Instructional Activities including but not limited to art lessons or martial
arts instruction
• Undesignated
The Council originally approved the CUP Reimbursement Incentive Program for an 18 month
period commencing on April 1, 2009 and ending on October 1, 2010.
Because of the success of the CUP Reimbursement Incentive Program the Council twice
extended the programs expiration date. On September 1, 2010 the City Council extended the
CUP Incentive Program to June 30, 2011 and on June 1, 2011 the City Council extended the
CUP Incentive Program to June 30, 2012.
The following six businesses received CUP fee refunds since the program’s inception date of
March 18, 2009.
St. Stan’s Brewery – Wine Tasting
Yolatea – Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt Store
Big Basin Vineyards – Wine Tasting
Belltower Bistro – Bakery
Downtown Farmers Market – Undesignated
Martella Wines – Wine Tasting
Remaining Balance of the CUP Reimbursement Incentive Program – Vine Life Gifts
The original balance of the CUP Reimbursement Incentive Program was $25,000. A total of
$22,700 of these funds has been used to refund the CUP application costs for the six businesses
listed in the preceding paragraphs with a remaining balance of $2,300.00 (see attachment).
Vine Life Gifts is a gift shop located at 14575 Big Basin Way. The store sells a variety of items
including kitchen accessories, home decorating items, tea related gifts, and candles. Vine Life
Gifts was formerly located in Sonoma County in the City of Guerneville. At the Guerneville
location the store also sold a variety of fine wines.
The owner of Vine Life Gifts would like to sell bottled wine at their store on Big Basin Way.
Saratoga Municipal Code Section 15-19.020(b)(3) requires a CUP for all establishments engaged
in the sale of alcoholic beverages. The store will not be offering wine tasting.
During Oral Communications at the August 17, 2011 Council meeting, a representative from the
Saratoga Chamber of Commerce requested that the Council consider using the remaining $2,300
of the CUP Reimbursement Incentive Program to partially refund the $3,400 fee for Vine Life
Gifts’ CUP application. The Council directed staff to agendize the topic for the meeting of
September 7, 2011.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
The partial CUP fee refund for Vine Life Lifts would reduce to zero the remaining $2,300
balance of the CUP Reimbursement Incentive Program
CONSEQUENCES OF NOT FOLLOWING RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Vine Life Gifts would not get a partial refund of their CUP application fees and the remaining
$2,300 would remain in the Council’s discretionary fund.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION:
None
FOLLOW UP ACTION: As directed
ADVERTISING, NOTICING AND PUBLIC CONTACT:
Pursuant to Government Code 54954.2, this item was properly posted as a City Council agenda
item and was included in the packet made available on the City’s website in advance of the
meeting. A copy of the agenda packet is also made available at the Saratoga Branch Library each
Monday in advance of the Council Meeting.
ATTACHMENT: Conditional Use Permit Reimbursement Incentive Program Remaining Balance Table