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Planning Commission approves use permit for Sky Wellness Center massage services, 4-1 vote
Summary
The Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit to add massage services to an existing personal-care business (Sky Wellness Center at 20651 Lake Forest Drive, Suite A111) subject to municipal code requirements and license inspections; the motion passed 4–1 with Chair Bill Wach opposed.
The Lake Forest City Planning Commission voted 4–1 on Feb. 6 to approve a conditional use permit for Sky Wellness Center to add massage services at 20651 Lake Forest Drive, Suite A111 in the Foothill center (as described in the staff report). Ron Santos, planning staff, presented the application and explained that the existing tenant space is about 1,245 square feet and currently houses reception, two skin-care rooms, two massage treatment rooms, a restroom and employee facilities. The applicant proposes to keep hours of operation from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily and to expand staff from three to as many as six employees if the permit is approved.
Santos said the Lake Forest municipal code and recommended conditions require a city-issued massage‑establishment license (renewed annually) and that each massage therapist hold a California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) license. The municipal code (chapter 5.07) calls for a code‑enforcement inspection before license issuance and a background investigation by the Sheriff’s Department; inspections may later occur on an unscheduled basis in response to complaints. Santos told the commission that no public comments had been received on the application and that code enforcement had no active cases at the business; the Sheriff’s Office routed the application and provided no comments.
The applicant addressed the commission and said the business has been operating at the location and will follow city code and CAMTC regulations. Commissioner remarks reflected differing concerns: one commissioner said the city already has numerous massage options and expressed concern about proximity to a Montessori school and broader countywide issues in similar establishments; other commissioners asked staff about the two-step approval process (use permit then city massage license) and whether the city planned any further code updates. Planning staff said any code revisions would be considered through broader strategic‑plan and workshop processes.
The motion to approve the conditional use permit passed 4–1 with Chair Bill Wach voting no. The approval is conditioned on the standard municipal requirements described in the staff report, including the massage-establishment license, CAMTC certification for therapists, and inspections and background checks required by chapter 5.07 of the Lake Forest municipal code.
