Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Madame Chair, we're live. Thank you.

All right. I'd like to call this meeting to order. This is the regular meeting of the Balden Park Planning Commission. Today's date is February 25th, 2026, and the time is 7:03 p.m. Commissioner Adas, can you please lead us in the flag salute?

Please stand. Ready? I pledge allegiance to flag United States for Thank you so much. Planning Secretary, can you please call roll call?

Yes. Thank you. Um, Cher Escobosa here. Vice Chair Miranda Dzip, Commissioner Pñena present, and Commissioner Arias present. And let the record reflect that Commissioner Rodriguez is absent. Do I have a motion to excuse Commissioner Rodriguez?

And I'll second. Motion carries. Oh, may I sorry. May May I have a vote, please? Yes. Oh, pardon. Been it's been a little break here. It's okay. Um Okay. Um let's listen. Um, Commissioner Oas, yes. Uh, Commissioner Pena, yes. Motion carries 40.

Thank you. Chair Scabosa. Yes. And Vice Chair Miranda Zip. Yes. Motion carries 4 Z.

Thank you. Please give us some grace. It has been some time. Um, I would like now to now declare oral communications open. Anyone wishing to address the commission on anything other than than the items listed on the agenda may come do so at the podium. If you do come to the podium, please keep in mind that we do have three minutes. Um, there are two uh speaker cards. We have to receive two uh speaker cards. Uh, Ms. Oneta Whitley is the first speaker. Good evening to the commissioner and everybody sits on the board this afternoon. My name is Wanetta Whitley. I live at 1421 Whitale Street, Laenta, California. And my reason for being here tonight is on the planner uh park and condo that we have in our communities. Now my reasons for being here is to ask Balman Park to help us not sell the zoning to uh the uh property the the uh property people that's trying to buy it. the um yeah storm property. We've been having so many storms. I hate to even mention because I lost so many relative back east in this storm and stuff. But God is able to able us to be strong enough to live on while they let us live. But getting back to that uh this park and uh it we need a park in this community very bad. We don't need these condos coming in here. We already We don't have parking. We don't have We We don't have

anything that's going on good in this community right now. We can't go down the street because we Somebody about to pull us to the side in order for the next person to come through. The gates always locked. The fire department can't get in there. Something happened. Just the other day, a little child almost got killed right at Malberry in Whitell. It was it was hard to look at if we get these condos in here. You imagine what's going to happen. We wish we could save this uh 2 and 12 acres for to put a park in there where these kids have to go and play. And the thing about it is we we can't seem to get people to help us, but we asking Baldwin Park, please stand with us. please and help us get a park in there so with these children, elderly people, and we can have a place to go. I even don't have anywhere to go, but if we can get that park in there, that would help the community. Just two weeks ago, people are sleeping in their cars at night in front of my house, all down Mbury and over on the corner of Van Wig. They don't have anywhere to go. And if they put these condos, those people not going to have money to pay for what these things they asking for rent. Where are these people going? I'm not saying to let them live in the park, but who would add on to these people that's already here? Please do not sell that zone into storm property. Help us keep it to put a park in there for our neighborhood for our kids, the elderly people. And it would help Bowman Park as much it would la Basset. It would consider in your hearts that this could be a park there and still 105 condo units. Thank you. God

bless you. And please think about it. You go home and pray. Thank you.

There was a second uh speaker card, Miss Yolanda Papa, please. Hello, commissioners. Ball park commissioner, planning commissioning. Um, my name is Yolanda and I live on Milberry Street, the street that's going to be most impacted by this situation that's going on in Awente. Well, it's a basset actually. Um, I know you guys don't own the front of us, but you guys own the back of it. And you guys haven't got this, I guess, until June proposal that Storm Property wants to put 105 condos, apartments, which brings no value to our community or to our US homeowners. Um, we ask that you guys reject this zoning that they're asking you guys to do. Um, like I said, uh, we would like a park or if not a park, garden, something that would bring more value. Our street is very narrow. Um, the surrounding area is very narrow. Uh, my understanding it's one way in and one way out on Milberry Street. That does make no sense. Um, like Miss Wanetta had said, if you came down my street and I was coming down that street, I would have to pull off to the side and allow you to come. Um, and uh, our kids can't even come outside. My grandkids can't even come outside and and play on the street because cars race down that street. Um, so really we're just here to remind you guys to remember us, Milberry Street, um, the community of Basset, um, when you guys when it does come to you guys and I hope you guys say no to it. Thank you guys for today and tonight. Thank you.

Thank you. Okay. Is there anyone else who wishes to address the commission? Seeing no further interest, I will now declare oral communications closed. We are going to move on to the consent calendar. The loan con item on the consent calendar are the meeting minutes from the previous planning commission meeting that took place November 12, 2025. Would any commissioner like to pull this item for discussion? Um, do I have anyone? Can I get a motion to approve the minutes for this for the November 12, 2025 meeting? Motion to approve the minutes as as presented. I'll second

um for roll call. Uh Chair Escobosa, yes. Vice Chair Miranda Dib, yes. Commissioner Pñena, yes. And Commissioner Aras, yes. Motion carries. Thank you. Right. Um moving on to today's agenda. The only case on the agenda is a request for approval of a conditional use permit to allow an alcohol alcoholic beverage control or ABC license type 41 for on sale of beer and wine in conjunction with a full existing uh full service restaurant. Oh, I was going to ask for a presentation, but you're ready to go.

Good evening, chair, vice chair, and honorable members of the planning commission. Next slide, please. Before you use conditional use permit application CP26-01, requesting approval to allow alcohol sales in conjunction with the proposed restaurant within the C2 general commercial zone. Next slide, please. On January 6, 2026, the planning division received the affformentioned conditional use permit application from Grab a Crab located at 14635 Baldwin Park Town Center. The proposed restaurant will be located within an existing 8,037 ft restaurant building that was formerly occupied by Sizzler. The restaurant is located on the southeastern portion of the Balden Park Town Center. The subject property is surrounded by an existing by existing commercial and residential uses. Next slide, please. As mentioned, the project site is located within the general commercial zone in the city of Bolden Park and has a general plan land use of general commercial. The proposed restaurant use is consistent with the city's general plan and zoning code requirements. Next slide, please. The proposed restaurant specializes in a seafood boil and serves items such as shellfish, gumbo, and cinjun chowder. Next slide, please. The applicant is requesting a type 41 alcohol license to allow for the sale of beer and wine in conjunction with an existing restaurant or eating place as defined by the state department of alcoholic beverage control. Through a separate permit, the applicant is proposing tenant and building improvements for the 837 ft restaurant space which consists of a dining room, service counter, kitchen, prep room, outdoor patio, and two restrooms. Next slide, please. The subject restaurant is located within census track 4052.03 which is authorized to have three on sale licenses and two offsell licenses per ABC regulations. Pictured pictured on the current slide is a proximity map that shows that there are currently two establishments with active onale

licenses within the census track. Perc standards there will not be an over concentration of alcohol use in the area. The current five on sale licenses belong to the two establishments that both have their own entitlements with conditions for the on sale of alcohol. Staff has determined that the granting of a type 41 license to Grab a Crab will not create an additional impact to surrounding properties in the census track. The applicant will only serve alcohol with meals between 12:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. 1 hour before closing and assures that measures will be put in place to avoid over serving of patrons or serving of alcohol to minors. In addition, with the added conditions of approval and those conditions required by ABC, the applicant's request will not be detrimental to the public. Next slide, please. To conclude, staff recommends that the planning commission approve resolution PC26-01 to approve CP26-01. Both planning staff and the project applicants are available for any questions or comments regarding the project. Thank you. Thank you. I would like to give the commissioners an opportunity to ask staff any questions at this time

for staff. Um if there are no questions from the commissioners, I can now open I can now open the public hearing. Do we have anyone who would like to speak on this matter? Um would the applicant like to to share a little bit about what their plan is? I hi hi commissioners. Um so thank you for the opportunity for us um to serve the uh community. Uh we are a seafood boy restaurant. Uh we have multiple location and in other cities and then um Owing Park is one of the uh city that our customer are really demand. They really want us to open at uh serve this community. So we really thankful for accepting us. Um we will provide the excellent service and the best quality of seafood boil to Boring Park communities. Thank you so much.

Thank you so much. And then just for the record, can I get your name? I don't know if I caught Oh, sorry. Uh I'm a little bit nervous. Sorry. My name is Felix. Yes. I'm the project manager for the uh Grab a Crap. I know I come off a little scary, Felix. So, I apologize.

Anyone like to ask the applicant any questions? We can ask them questions now. Okay. I do have just a few questions. Um, so I did see um I did read that um there hasn't been any complaints in the past or um or that, but I'm just wondering um and I and I'm just concerned about um you know, so there's not any public nuisance or com, you know, safety of our community. Um are there any plans or do you think there there's going to be any sort of need for security because of the alcohol sales?

Uh yes. So we were uh we are part of the kind of part of the hotel. So we will have a plan with the hotel that we will share the security with with the restaurant and uh also we will stop the serve alcohol when the customer is ordering like we can control what they ordering uh because we don't want any issue with the customer as well. So we we actually have uh uh two location already and then we have uh experience to to um control um how we serve the alcohol to the customers. Yes. Um so we will do our best to make sure um there won't be any issue uh to the to the community and to the restaurant. And it also it also talked about your servers would be certified in um

yes okay they will have the the license with um certified license with all the servers uh that above uh age of 21. Okay. Um what was my other question? I think that was that was it. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Sure. I'll just say uh yeah, thank you so much for choosing Baldwin Park. I know our community development director would also agree that that area needs um a little bit of of kind of a um the word I'm looking for facelift especially in that area. So I'm very thankful for you coming in and choosing. Um and then as far as for my fellow commissioners certainly it does meet sort of the guidel I'm sorry I shouldn't say it does it is consistent with the requirements already. So, it's certainly something that I would want to move forward with. And then also, um I know that having a restaurant business in any city, whether it's West Hollywood or Baldin Park, it is very expensive to run it with the staff training training your staff um you know, especially seafood and making sure it's still affordable for residents uh in the area or people coming over. So certainly having alcohol to boost revenue uh in a controlled environment is certainly a plus for me and I'm sure would be a plus for for your team.

Yes, thank you so much. Uh we are we want to serve we have we want to serve the community with the best um um value price because we are uh a restaurant that's serve all the families. Yes. Um for other location there's uh a lot of big family come gathering at the restaurants. So we want to have uh um something that for the community for all the families to enjoy have a good time. Yeah, of course. And I'm sure the city council will also enjoy the sales tax as well. Thank you. Thank you. Yes, of course.

Felix, I do have a question and I apologize if it's not necessarily a fair question. Um but I do agree. I think it would be very exciting and very beneficial to the city to have your establishment at that specific location. Um at the same time that location is pretty busy that there's uh the Home Depot is there. Then you have Guadalajara Grill among other um stores. And so has there been any thought about how parking is going to be managed? how we are going to encourage families to come and enjoy but also move along with your day so that parking is not impacted.

Uh yes. Uh I believe um uh Home Depot it might be really busy during the daytime. Yeah. Our sales are basically like on weekdays um they a lot of family they come at after 6. So I think um our rush hour is 7 and 7 7 to 8 that's our rush hour. So I think in my beneficial the park the parkings uh situation. Yeah.

And uh on the weekends um our our rush hour is just the lunchtime just like two hours 12 12 to 2 and then after that it dies down and then come back at 6 6 o'. Yeah. We're we're we do our best. If there's any issue with the parking situation, I will speak to the landlord um to solve solve the issue and make sure that um there won't be any issue with the parking situation. Thank you. I appreciate that.

Are there any other questions to the applicant? Um all right. Thank you so much, Felix. Um, at this point I will close out um public my apologies. Before we close out public hearing, is there anyone else in the audience who would like to speak on this? You go back and tell them I'm not scary. Okay. No. Um, okay. So, seeing no further interest, I am now going to close out public hearing. Is there a motion on this project?

I move to Yes. I move to approve. I second. With the roll call. Uh, Chair Escobosa. Yes. Uh, Vice Chair Miranda Dezip. Yes. Commissioner Pñena, yes. Commissioner Arias, yes. Motion carries.

Thank you. Um, the planning commission has voted to adopt resolution PC 2601 approving CP2601, a resolution of the planning commission of the city of Balden Park approving on-site alcohol sales for beer and wine in conjunction with an existing fullervice restaurant. Um, and that restaurant is Grab Crab. So, congratulations. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve the communities and then once we open we will having some special for all the residents all the community in Boeing park. That's exciting. Thank you. I look forward to it. Thank you. Please visit us.

Um all right. Next item on the agenda are any non-public hearing items? There are none. None. Any reports of officers?

Just one. I just wanted to briefly uh chat with you all about uh the 2026 Planning Commissioners Academy. Um it is in Anaheim this year and the dates are March 13 through uh sorry 11 through 13. And um we are a little late getting this to you, but I understand that there's still there's a wait list and there's a chance to get in. So, and there is a budget um to send planning commissioners to this event. So, that's good news. Um perhaps not all the commissioners to the whole event, but I don't know that uh but that you could all make it anyhow. So please do respond to me with uh your interest if you would like to go and if you would like to go would you like to go for one day or the whole um the whole conference and then we will do our best to try to accommodate everyone.

Awesome. Um if I may add um that there are some commissioners who did not have the opportunity to attend the last one and so if you're able to and if your schedules accommodate I highly recommend it. It was a great learning experience. wanted to share that. All right. Uh are there any um communications from the commission from staff? Nothing further. So if there are no further comments from the commission, I will accept a motion for adjournment. I'll move to adjourn. I'll second. Chair Escobosa,

yes. Vice Chair Miranda Dzip, yes. Commissioner Pena, yes. And Commissioner Arias, yes. Motion carries. Thank you so much. We are adjourned at 7:27 p.m. Good night, everybody. Night.