Taft planning commission approves miniature golf conditional use permit, denies parking variance

The Taft Planning Commission on Dec. 3 unanimously approved a conditional use permit for a permanent miniature golf course at 419–421 Kern Street and denied a variance that would have reduced parking requirements.

The project applicant, Bernard Herman, told commissioners he would comply with all requirements and thanked staff for their assistance. District planning staff explained the application had been continued from a prior meeting and recommended approval of CUP 2024-07 with conditions while denying variance application 2025-3. Staff said the project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act under the finding referenced in the staff report.

Commissioners pressed the applicant on operations and site treatments. Herman said the course will operate during daylight hours and that the full frontage, including the strip between the curb and sidewalk, will be landscaped in accordance with the downtown specific plan and a planning condition (planning condition No. 8). He also provided the enterprise’s online presence, which the record shows as taftminigolf.com and social media under Taft Mini Golf.

A motion to adopt the planning commission resolution approving CUP 2024-07 with the stated conditions and denying the parking variance was moved and seconded; the roll call vote was 5-0 in favor. As one commissioner summarized after the vote, “that motion was adopted by a vote of 5 to 0.”

The action concludes the commission’s review of the proposed mini golf course; required landscape plans and final building approvals remain subject to review by the building department.