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Planning commission approves coastal development permit and CUP for La Maqueria Bridal by Dulce with conditions and limited hours
Summary
The Planning Commission approved a coastal development permit and conditional use permit allowing on-site beer and wine sales (ABC Type 41) and live entertainment at La Maqueria Bridal by Dulce (1524 McKinley Ave.) with conditions addressing hours, lighting, noise and responsible beverage training; the Police Department rated medium risk.
The National City Planning Commission on July 21 approved a coastal development permit and conditional use permit for on-site beer and wine sales (ABC Type 41) and live entertainment at La Maqueria Bridal by Dulce, a restaurant at 1524 McKinley Avenue located in the coastal zone.
Assistant Planner Sophia Depew summarized the proposal and staff analysis: the business occupies about 1,400 square feet with a 700-square-foot outdoor patio and roughly 40 seats. The applicant requested alcohol sales from 8 a.m. to midnight daily and indoor live entertainment from 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. daily, with outdoor live entertainment proposed from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Depew said staff recommended modified entertainment hours (indoor 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., outdoor 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.) and included conditions per City Council Policy 707, Title 12 noise limits, and a requirement to improve exterior lighting following Police Department comments.
Depew also reported the area’s saturation metrics: Census Tract 219 currently has 17 on-sale licenses where 2 are recommended, which staff noted as an oversaturated tract for on-sale licenses. The Police Department provided a risk assessment scoring 15 points (classified as medium risk). The application also required a coastal development permit because the property is within the local coastal zone; staff included the required finding of consistency with the local coastal program in the draft resolution.
Applicant representative Marco Polo Cortez said the business would serve the local workforce and daytime customers and that the census tract’s on-sale counts are concentrated primarily east of Interstate 5. Public commenter Ted Gottschalk urged denial, citing saturation, parking and public-safety concerns, and contending the site is ill-suited for alcohol-centered operations. The applicant and representative responded to questions about exits, existing building permits and the owner’s intention to maintain a family-oriented restaurant (the applicant said there would be no bar seating and that the operation is sit-down service only).
After discussion, Vice Chair Castle moved to approve the resolution (finding a CEQA Class 1 exemption) with specific hours for alcohol and adopting staff’s entertainment-hour limits. Castle’s motion set alcohol sales at 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, retained staff’s recommendation for live entertainment (indoor 10 a.m.–11:30 p.m.; outdoor 10 a.m.–10 p.m.), and was seconded by Commissioner Sanchez. The motion carried unanimously.
The resolution (case file 2025-12-CUP, CDP) includes conditions addressing responsible beverage service training, maintaining alcohol sales as accessory to food, submission of alcohol/food sales receipts, limiting advertised events, requiring doors/windows be closed during live entertainment, compliance with Title 12 noise standards, and a condition to improve exterior lighting per Police Department comment. Because the site lies in the coastal zone, the permit included the local coastal program consistency finding required for a coastal development permit.
The applicant must satisfy the resolution’s conditions and obtain the ABC Type 41 license before alcohol sales may begin. Staff will issue a notice of decision and monitor compliance.
