Planning Commission approves small champagne bar tied to bookstore at 2481 N. Palm Canyon Drive with conditions

The Palm Springs Planning Commission on Feb. 26 approved a conditional use permit for a small champagne bar operating inside a bookstore at 2481 North Palm Canyon Drive, allowing a 248-square-foot bar with 10 seats to operate in conjunction with a bookstore seven days a week between 10 a.m. and 2 a.m., subject to conditions set by staff and the commission.

The permit matters because the property is legally nonconforming to current general-plan and C-1 zoning standards, lacks required off-street parking and a trash enclosure, and sits across an alley from residences. Commissioners and neighbors pressed the applicant and staff on parking, trash handling, lighting and hours of operation before voting to approve the permit with additional conditions.

Staff described the proposal as a conditional use application by On Table Media LLC to operate a small bar adjacent to a bookstore inside a two‑story, unoccupied commercial building on the southwest corner of North Palm Canyon Drive and West Racquet Club Road. Staff said the property was built in 1964 and presently exceeds the general-plan floor-area-ratio limit (reported site FAR 0.56 vs. allowable 0.50) but that no expansion is proposed. Staff recommended approval subject to standard conditions, including: Director approval of a concurrent land-use permit amendment to address parking deficiency; confirmation from Palm Springs Disposal Services that trash service can be provided given the applicant’s plan to store bins inside a utility room; removal of an existing chain‑link fence or documentation that it was legally installed; and other conditions listed in the staff report.

Applicant Adalie Lapamuk said the business, proposed to be called Books and Secrets, combines a bookstore and a small champagne lounge entered through the bookstore. “The idea is that you come and buy your books. And through a bookshelf, there's a portal to a very small champagne bar,” Lapamuk said. The applicant said the operation will not include a kitchen or grease trap and will serve light bites; the bar will be operated by one person and was sized to that staffing level.

Neighbors and others spoke at the public hearing. Wayne Gottlieb spoke in support, saying the applicants “will do a great job.” Opposing the permit, property owner Michael Alexander, who owns the lot behind the site, said the building has been poorly maintained and objected to the proposed hours and parking. “Under no circumstances do I think it is reasonable to approve a bar whose hours are 10AM to 2AM so close to residences,” Alexander said, asking the commission to limit hours to 9 p.m. and to make any permit nontransferable.

Commissioners questioned staff and the applicant about several operational and site issues. Director Havelock told the commission he was “favorably disposed” to approve the concurrent land‑use permit amendment to address parking, noting a 02/2023 director-approved parking waiver had been issued previously for a restaurant proposal at the site and that the parking demand between the prior restaurant proposal and the proposed bar is identical. Staff and the applicant said the site would provide five standard spaces and one handicap space in the rear while zoning requires 11 spaces for the combined uses; parking relief is being handled through the separate land-use permit amendment process.

On operational and mitigation measures, commissioners and staff added or requested conditions that the commission incorporated into approval: shield rear lighting so it does not shine into neighboring homes; require confirmation with Palm Springs Disposal Services that the proposed interior trash storage arrangement is acceptable and, where feasible, require the utility/trash-room door to swing outward to increase usable interior space; require removal of the chain-link fence (or proof of legal installation); encourage the applicant to coordinate with rideshare services to designate a safe drop‑off/pick‑up point; and, if the applicant agrees, install a hedge along the property line and one to two trees in the rear parking area for shade. Commissioners also requested the permit be reviewed after one year to evaluate operations and neighborhood impacts.

The commission voted unanimously to adopt the resolution approving the conditional use permit and the motion’s stated conditions. The vote, called by roll, was recorded in the meeting as unanimous approval by the commissioners present.

The applicant and staff will complete the director-level land-use permit amendment for parking, and the applicant is required to show proof of acceptable trash service and the removal or proof of legality for the chain‑link fence. The commission’s resolution also noted that ABC (state Alcoholic Beverage Control) licensing and the municipal noise ordinance remain separate regulatory processes that could further constrain operations.

If the applicant changes the approved plans materially (exterior or interior layout beyond what was presented), the commission noted amendments or further review may be required under the city’s permit process. The commission asked staff to include the one‑year operational check-in in administrative tracking.

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