Placerville commission approves Market on Main exterior string lighting with limits, 4-1

The Placerville Planning Commission approved site plan review SPR 25-02 Tuesday, allowing existing unpermitted string lighting at Market on Main, 585 Main Street, subject to conditions that remove a lower exterior strand and limit fence lighting to a single top strand on the interior fence or along the front. The motion passed on a 4-1 roll call; Commissioner Smith voted no.

Applicant Carissa Dunlap told the commission the lighting was installed to make the business visible and to improve employee and patron safety on a narrow, set-back walkway. "Mostly, it's just the concern is for us to be visible," Dunlap said, adding the site is darker than other downtown storefronts and that the setback and a nearby creek make the area hard to see at night.

Commissioners and staff discussed whether plug-in string lights are temporary holiday fixtures or permanent lighting fixtures. A public commenter raised a Title 24 / energy-code point suggesting plug-in lights may be treated differently under state energy code; commission members disagreed that the installation was temporary, noting the lights are installed year-round and "run with the land." Staff emphasized the distinction matters for local lighting and site-plan rules.

After public comment and deliberation, the commission settled on a compromise to preserve safety while limiting visual clutter and potential precedent for excessive fence-mounted lights. The commission approved the project with conditions that: - Remove the currently installed lower strand of lights on the west/exterior fence; allow a single top strand on the interior (east) fence and along the front facade/seating area as an option if the applicant can feasibly reconfigure power; - Allow the currently installed building/porch lighting to remain; - Require missing or spent light bulbs to be replaced within one week of failure; and - Limit approvals to the project description as amended by the commission.

City planning staff said if the applicant later seeks more robust safety lighting (hard-wired fixtures), those fixtures would be reviewed under the municipal code and would not necessarily require a new site plan review so long as they comply with the city's exterior lighting standards. The commission also recorded CEQA findings for a categorical exemption, consistent with staff analysis.

Vote and appeal The motion to approve SPR 25-02 passed 4-1 (Chair Keeney, Vice Chair Lepper, Commissioners Sylvester and Stratton voted yes; Commissioner Smith voted no). The decision carries a 10-day appeal period.

Context and cost The commission and public discussed the cost and process: one public speaker said the permit process is costly for small businesses; the transcript records a permit figure of $500 for the review. Commissioners noted the city's interest in balancing safety, historic-downtown character and avoiding precedents that encourage multiple layers of fence-mounted string lights.