ZA FULL PACKET 2012-05-22 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Conditional Use Permit No. 2012-07 May 22, 2012 Page 2 The project seeks to display and store alcohol on a store shelf, scold-case display, and rear storage area in accordance with Police Department regulations. The store shelf and cold-case displays containing the alcohol will be towards the rear of the stare. The shelf display will be 1.5- #eet by 3-feet in size; the cooler display area will be 2-feet by 10-feet in size, and the rear cooler storage will be 2-feet by 12-feet in size, for a total of 48.5 square feet, representing less than t'~ve percent of the stare's gross floor area. The store also proposes 24-hour operation, for which an after hours conditional use permit is being processed concurrently with this application (Exhibits 3 and 4}. The applicant is also applying for a Conditional Use Permit to allow the store to operate 24 hours. Due to the fact that applications for ABC licenses, but not for after-hours permits, are heard by the Zoning Administrator, a separate public hearing has been scheduled with the Planning Commission to consider the request for the after-hours CUP. The sale of alcohol combined with the after hours operation are part of the company's business model, and the applicant has indicated that they would not occupy the space without approval of both the alcohol and the after hours conditional use permit applications. Project Background 7-Eleven Stores, Inc. is aglobally-recognized convenience store chain. The company operates approximately one dozen stores in Santa Ana, which range in size from 2,400 to 3,000 square feet. These stores offer a full range of items typically found at a convenience store, as well as a large prepared food and beverage section. The company operates as a franchise, and the proposed store at 1441 West MacArthur Boulevard would be this operator's first location in Santa Ana. General Plan and Zonin Consistent The parcel is located within the General Commercial (C-2) zoning district. C-2 zones allow for retail and service uses such as 7-Eleven stores, making the proposed use consistent with the zoning code. The General Plan land use designation for the site is General Commercial (GC}. Such land use designations are designed to provide retail-oriented uses along the City's commercial corridors, and to accommodate major development activity. The project site is consistent with this General Plan land use designation. However, the resulting over~concentration from the proposed alcohol license is inconsistent with multiple policies of the Land Use and Economic Development element of the General Plan. These include: Land Use Element Policy 2.9, which supports developments that create a safe and attractive business environment; Economic Development Element Policy 4.5, which discourages making land use decisions based purely on fiscal considerations; and Land Use Element Policies 5.1 and 5.5, which discourage projects that are not compatible with surrounding land uses and have the potential to negatively impact quality of life. Further details are provided in the Project Analysis and Findings of Fact sections, below.