A personal care and beauty salon hoping to move into an available retail space in the 2500 block of Mission Street may have to look elsewhere. The San Marino Planning Commission denied a variance for the La Amour Nail business at its Nov. 21 meeting. The business would have required 11 more parking spaces than the three that the previous retail business needed.
According to the Planning Commission’s assessment in its staff report following the meeting: “with four businesses sharing the total existing sixteen parking spaces in the rear parking lot, staff finds that there would be a significant impact to traffic and circulation at this location and a staggering deficiency in parking spaces.”
The available space is located between the San Marino Café and Marketplace, and Elements, is on the same block as Sontre Nails and Mark Taylor salon, and within walking distance of Starr House: The Salon as well as the San Marino Barber Shop.
The City’s Municipal Code requires that one space be provided for every 75 feet of floor area for personal care and beauty salon services. With a square footage of 1,040, the salon would have required 14 total spaces, out of the total existing parking spaces in the rear parking lot shared among the four businesses directly next to the proposed salon, according to the staff report. Further, with Mission Street being the only other “commercial corridor” besides Huntington Drive, the street is often impacted with visitors coming to the businesses, offices and restaurants.
La Amour Nails would have operated as an “appointments only” salon, with three employees providing a “variety of nail and facial treatments such as manicures, pedicures, eyelash extensions, hair removal and permanent makeup services.
The applicants will still have an opportunity to challenge the planning commission’s decision if they intend to formally appeal the decision to the city council.
The Tuesday evening meeting also included a recommendation to deny a conditional use permit for a modern/contemporary style 2-story home in the 2400 block of S. Oak Knoll Ave. The plans included a new residence with a detached two-car garage and street-facing fence, a gate and pilasters. Staff found issue with the style of the home in comparison to the neighborhood, as well as the size of the home proposed as 3,549 square feet—exceeding the maximum allowance by more than 300 square feet.
“Only four out of the 28 properties within a 300-foot radius exceed the maximum allowances,” the staff report read. “Allowing a trend that allows homes to exceed their maximum allowances would set a dangerous precedent that becomes detrimental to property in the neighborhood. It would also allow future implements to request similar entitlements. Most importantly, as new construction, there is no justification to request an entitlement to exceed the maximum allowance.”
The applicant requested a continuance two days before the meeting, after reviewing recommendations made by the city’s Planning Department. The recommendation was made to deny the permit and continue action to Jan. 24, 2018.
