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Planning commission approves conditional use permit for beer-and-wine service at East Allisal restaurant
Summary
The Salinas Planning Commission on June 4 approved Conditional Use Permit 2024-033 to allow on‑sale beer and wine service at a 1,320‑square‑foot restaurant at 864 East Allisal Street, with conditions including surveillance, lighting and trespass signage; the permit is subject to a 10‑day waiting period for appeal.
The Salinas Planning Commission on June 4 voted to approve Conditional Use Permit 2024-033, authorizing an on‑sale beer-and-wine (Type 41) license for a 1,320‑square‑foot restaurant at 864 East Allisal Street in the Cardenas Shopping Center.
Senior Planner Thomas Wiles told commissioners the applicant, Aeropolito Vasquez Aureliana, requested the permit because the restaurant would be within 100 feet of nearby residences, which requires a conditional use permit for an on‑sale alcohol use. Wiles said the proposed restaurant hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily and that alcohol sales would be limited to beer and wine only between 10:30 a.m. and 8 p.m., served only on the premises; "no off sales of alcohols allowed," he said.
The nut of the commission’s action is the set of conditions added to the permit. Wiles said the Salinas Police Department raised no objections in a May 2025 memorandum and recommended conditions that have been included in the draft permit, including installation of a digital surveillance system, ample parking‑lot lighting, and posting of trespass signs enforceable under city code 21‑35. Wiles told the commission the applicant is responsible for complying with the conditions and coordinating with the shopping‑center owner on parking‑lot lighting.
The staff report identified nearby uses and distances: Sherwood Elementary is about 740 feet to the southwest and La Paz Park is about 1,618 feet to the northwest; residences are located within 100 feet to the south. Wiles also noted there are existing alcohol‑related uses in the vicinity, including a nightclub and several restaurants. The project was found exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act under Section 15061(b)(3), according to the staff recommendation.
One written protest from a nearby resident prompted the item to be scheduled for commission consideration rather than be approved administratively, Wiles said. In public comment, Alejandro Chavez, executive director of the Salinas United Business Association, told the commission the site previously housed other restaurants and said, "In that spot there was 2 previous restaurants that I know of. 1 was fish and chips, and then, after fish and chips, it was, El Milagro restaurant. And so those are the 2. And I believe I know fish and chips did have a, an alcohol license, a type 41." Chavez’s remarks were offered as background about prior uses at the location.
After brief questions from commissioners about who is responsible for installing lighting and cameras — Wiles said the applicant must install interior cameras and coordinate exterior lighting with the shopping‑center owner — Commissioner Meeks moved to approve the permit and Commissioner Ruck seconded. The roll call vote recorded four yes votes with no no votes and no recorded abstentions among commissioners present; two commissioners were absent. The commission chair announced that the permit has been approved and that the conditional use permit cannot be issued for 10 days, during which time any aggrieved person may file an appeal with the Community Development Department at 65 West Alisal Street.
Charges, distances, operating hours and other conditions in the staff recommendation remain part of the permit record. The commission’s approval granted permission for on‑premises beer and wine service limited to the hours and conditions described in the staff report.
Votes at a glance: Minutes approval — Motion to approve minutes from April 2025 (ID not specified in the record); mover: Commissioner Meeks; seconder: Vice Chair Purnell; roll call: Gutierrez yes, Meeks yes, Vice Chair Purnell yes, Commissioner Ruck abstained; outcome: approved. Conditional Use Permit 2024-033 — Motion to approve CUP 2024-033 (on‑sale beer & wine, Type 41 at 864 East Allisal Street); mover: Commissioner Meeks; seconder: Commissioner Ruck; roll call: Ruck yes, Gutierrez yes, Meeks yes, Vice Chair Purnell yes; outcome: approved; permit issuance subject to a 10‑day appeal period.
Ending: The commission record includes the staff report, the Salinas Police Department memorandum dated May 2025, the single written protest referenced by staff, and the conditions adopted by the commission. The applicant may proceed after the appeal period and issuance of the permit if no appeal is filed.
