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Planning Commission approves El Rodeo Grill at 20 Fourth with safety inspections required
Summary
The commission approved a conditional-use request for a full-service restaurant at 20 Fourth Street (El Rodeo Grill) provided DBI, Fire and Health inspect the building and report before any permits are issued, following neighbors' concerns about persistent fire-damage and ventilation.
The Planning Commission unanimously approved a conditional-use request to open a full-service restaurant at 20 Fourth Street — the proposed El Rodeo Grill — but added a condition requiring that the Department of Building Inspection (DBI), Fire Department and Health Department inspect the property and provide a report to the commission before any permits are issued.
Planning staff described the application and noted mixed public comment. The building’s ground floor is proposed for a grilled‑meats restaurant; the upper floors are residential and include lingering fire damage and a pending building-permit application. Planning staff recommended approval, subject to conditions, and flagged the need to coordinate mechanical and exhaust work with DBI and Fire.
Project architect and sponsor representatives described the work completed for the commercial space and introduced a pollution-control vendor. "The pollution control unit will pull out 99.9% of all the smoke and particulates from the end of the hood," testified Bob Junholm of RKG and Associates, who said the technology would reduce odors and airborne grease when properly installed and maintained.
Neighbors urged caution, recounting a 2007 fire that severely damaged the building and complaining that exterior and egress conditions at the rear had not been fully abated. One neighbor said the charred holes remained and raised concerns about pigeons, fire egress and long‑standing code cases. Planning staff and the project sponsor said a building-owner permit application is active and that the tenant has invested in ground-floor improvements and permits.
Commissioners voiced support for the restaurant as a neighborhood-serving business but repeatedly pressed for assurance that the building as a mixed-use structure is safe and that the mechanical exhaust location will not cause nuisance or safety problems for adjacent residences. The motion that passed requires DBI, Fire and Health inspections and a staff report before any permits are issued. Commissioners said that final certificates and any operating permits will depend on those agencies’ findings and required corrections.
What happens next: Sponsor work on the ground floor will continue through the permitting inspections; DBI/Fire/Health inspections and their reports will determine whether permits and certificates can be issued.
