Pleasant Grove planning commission approves conditional-use permit for restaurant at Snook Farms with parking, signage conditions

The Pleasant Grove Planning Commission approved a conditional-use permit July 23 to allow restaurants (use 5811) at 504 West 1100 North, commonly called Snook Farms, with conditions limiting seating to the eight on-site parking stalls and requiring further review and required permits.

Daniel Cardenas, community development director for the city of Pleasant Grove, told the commission the application is a third-party request from property owner/applicant Paige Westover and not a city-initiated proposal. He said the RCO (rural commercial overlay) and RAO (residential agricultural overlay) that apply to the parcel allow farm sales on-site and permit restaurants in the overlay only if certain conditions are met. “The conditional use permit is very similar to a permitted use in the zone with the difference that is only permitted as long as certain conditions are met,” Cardenas said.

The staff presentation and supporting materials identified three code-based conditions the parcel meets: the property exceeds the two-acre minimum; it fronts on 1100 North (one of two thoroughfares listed in code where the overlay permits restaurants); and it must provide appropriate on-site parking. Cardenas summarized staff calculations that the existing diagonal lot layout provides eight parking stalls; under city code staff applied a parking formula of one stall per 3.5 chairs and one stall per 200 square feet of gross retail space, which yields a maximum of 10 dining chairs given the proposed addition and pergola. Cardenas told the commission the applicant proposed to keep the eight stalls and limit seating accordingly.

Commissioners questioned enforcement and public-safety risks from patrons parking on the street and crossing 1100 North. Commission discussion recommended signage and coordination with Public Works and legal counsel to determine what signage is permissible on the street, and reiterated that code enforcement can respond to complaints. Cardenas said code enforcement may issue complaints and, for a conditional use, persistent violations without remediation can lead to revocation of the permit.

Commissioner Martineau moved approval with the staff findings and exhibits and with added conditions that all planning, engineering and fire-department requirements be met, site review be completed by staff, signage be verified with legal counsel and city code, and that persistent parking problems require either adding parking or could lead to revocation of the permit until parking is remedied. Commissioner Butler seconded the motion. The motion passed on a voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.

The public-hearing portion produced no speakers for this item; the applicant was not present at the meeting. Staff noted prior observations of customers parking on the south side of 1100 North and running across the street to the business and of commercial vehicles parking outside the marked lot to load produce, both of which staff said are not permitted and would be subject to code enforcement.

What the commission approved tonight is the conditional-use permit only. Any future expansion of the restaurant seating, additions that change the retail square footage, or a change in on-site parking will require additional review; staff and commissioners also described that at the site-review and permitting stages the applicant must meet engineering, fire and ADA-parking requirements. The planning commission’s approval includes a condition that the on-site ADA stall counts toward the eight stalls noted in staff calculations and that ADA dimensions are to be verified during final review.

The commission’s motion and supporting conditions require follow-up by staff to confirm signage options with legal counsel and Public Works and to draft enforcement language tying permit status to ongoing compliance.

The commission did not adopt any changes to the RCO or RAO code text tonight; the action was limited to this conditional-use permit for 504 W. 1100 N.

Ending: The conditional-use permit is approved with conditions. Staff will complete site review and verify required engineering, fire and ADA elements; the commission directed that signage and remedies for on-street commercial parking be developed and that persistent violations could lead to permit revocation or a requirement that additional parking be installed.