Zoning administrator refers Coastal Abode outdoor-display request to planning commission

Adam Matamian, Zoning Administrator for the City of San Clemente, referred a minor conditional use permit application for outdoor display at Coastal Abode, 228 Avenida Del Mar, to the city planning commission after a public hearing and extensive public comment on Wednesday.

The item, filed as public hearing project 24-085, concerns outdoor display in front of a historic single‑story building listed by the city as an Ole Hansen–era Spanish Colonial Revival structure on a roughly 4,000‑square‑foot lot. Laura Corey, assistant planner, told the zoning administrator that the municipal code allows outdoor display only where minimum standards are met, that display areas cannot occupy required parking or the public right of way, and that parking must be calculated at one space per 400 square feet of commercial area.

Staff told the zoning administrator that the site includes a fire hydrant requiring a 15‑foot clearance and an existing 20‑minute public parking curb. Corey said staff believes required findings “can be met” for continued outdoor display in principle, but recommended continuing or escalating the review because several alternatives — such as returning the curb and gutter, applying for an encroachment permit, or negotiating parking waivers or off‑site parking agreements — could be necessary if display areas are expanded.

Applicant representatives and nearby residents disputed some of staff’s background material and urged different remedies. Mike Erwin, representing property owner Sabrina Lane Erwin, and tenant/operator Terry Murphy each said the display use has been longstanding. Murphy said he applied for the permit after a code enforcement action and described the driveway area as a necessary loading and delivery space. “This is always open for loading and unloading,” Murphy said. He also said he does not intend to expand the display and asserted the business paid fees for prior permit processing.

Multiple members of the public, including Mimi Lane and another local resident, urged that the front of the historic building be visible and preserved. Mimi Lane said the adjacent newer building obstructs the historic property and argued the city had approved nearby development that “blocks” the older building’s visibility.

Matamian said the scope of public concern and the likely need for site changes — such as permanent modifications to the drive approach or curb — meant the zoning administrator did not have authority to make the final decision. He directed staff to refer the matter to the planning commission and recommended review by the cultural heritage subcommittee or design review subcommittee before the planning commission acts. “I don’t see the ultimate approval being in the purview of the zoning administrator,” Matamian said.

The referral will allow the planning commission to consider the parking calculation, whether a parking waiver or off‑site parking agreement is appropriate, and any design or historic‑preservation review required for physical changes to the site. Staff also advised the applicant to keep the outdoor display “as nice and neat as you can” while the matter is processed.

The city record shows the property received a historic conversion and parking variance in prior decades; staff said no current administrative parking waivers exist that would relieve the applicant from the municipal code parking calculation. The zoning administrator noted remedies that would affect long‑term site configuration — and thus warrant higher review — rather than a standalone zoning administrator decision.

Staff will prepare referral materials for the planning commission and recommended that the applicant coordinate potential off‑site parking or shared parking agreements with neighboring properties as part of the planning commission submittal.

The zoning administrator closed the public hearing after directing staff to refer the item to the planning commission for further review.