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Commission approves juice bar use permit; conditions require water allocation and ADA restroom access
Summary
Planning commission approved a specialty-restaurant use permit for 'The Big Squeezy by the Sea' with conditions that the applicant secure required water allocation or amend an existing nearby use permit and provide ADA-accessible restroom access before construction permits are issued.
The Carmel-by-the-Sea Planning Commission voted April 9 to approve a use permit for The Big Squeezy by the Sea, a proposed specialty restaurant offering juices and smoothies in a downtown unit behind City Hall, subject to conditions covering water entitlement and restroom accessibility.
Steph (planning staff) told the commission the applicant intends a roughly 700-square-foot shop with about 14 interior seats and food preparation limited to juices, smoothies and similar items. The site has no water allocation for the new seats; staff recommended adding a condition requiring the property owner to either document sufficient water availability from the water management district or amend an existing nearby use permit (Katie’s Cottage UP 87176) to transfer seats before the Big Squeezy may operate.
Owner-operator Ash described the business as a small, farm-sourced juice and smoothie shop and said he would work with city staff on design details. Commissioners raised the store’s need for an ADA-accessible path to provide a restroom, and staff recommended a condition that the applicant work with building staff to create accessible interior circulation to a restroom; the commission added that as a condition prior to building permit issuance.
Commissioners also discussed concerns they had previously raised about "formula" or standardized food-service concepts; staff reported the applicant would operate an independent store with a distinct name, Big Squeezy by the Sea, and not as a franchise.
The motion approving the use permit included two explicit follow-ups: the applicant must provide evidence of water entitlement or an amendment to the Katie’s Cottage use permit before operation, and must provide an ADA-accessible restroom path prior to building permit issuance. The motion passed on a recorded vote with all members present voting in favor.
The decision allows the applicant to proceed to building-permit review with the conditions stated; building-permit approval and successful water entitlement review remain required before operation can begin.
