Tiburon delays decision on Pointe Tiburon coffee trailer; asks staff for design and wastewater plans

The Tiburon Planning Commission on Dec. 9 continued the conditional use permit application for Paradise Coffee, a proposed coffee trailer at 1775 Tiburon Boulevard (Pointe Tiburon Plaza), and asked staff to prepare a draft resolution that would conditionally approve the use once the applicant provides additional technical and design details.

Samuel Cook, the applicant, described a grab-and-go coffee trailer (he described the unit in the hearing as about 18 by 12 feet) that would operate daily from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., employ one to three staff per shift, have no on-site seating and rely on nearby plaza restrooms and staff parking in the plaza’s rear. Cook said deliveries and set-up would happen before opening (around 5–5:30 a.m.) and that the trailer would be moved on a periodic basis to empty gray water at the San Rafael Sanitary District; he told commissioners he planned to cover wheels and the hitch with landscaping and a low box to blend with the plaza.

Staff noted that the site is governed by the Pointe Tiburon Precise Plan and that the code does not explicitly address mobile trailers in this plaza; staff is treating the proposal as a new use under the PDP and processing it via a CUP. Commissioners asked whether a small shed or box used to screen the hitch could convert the unit into a "structure" triggering design review; the size and permanence of any cover would affect that determination. Staff said they had not yet received details about the proposed shed/cover and that design-review and building permit requirements could apply depending on final details.

Several commissioners expressed general support for the concept (making downtown more convenient for commuters and encouraging pedestrian vitality) but stressed the need for specific operational safeguards and parity with other vendors. Key items the commission asked staff and the applicant to address before returning with a draft resolution included: - A wastewater management plan (frequency and method of gray-water removal and whether the San Rafael Sanitary District will accept the planned operation); - Confirmation of delivery and pickup hours and a plan to limit service-related impacts (staff and curb management); - Parking arrangements for staff and refuse/compost/recycling handling details; - Clarification of how the trailer would be moved onto and off the lawn to avoid turf damage and whether a permanent cover would be proposed; and - A design concept (landscaping/screening) to minimize visual impacts and a recommendation whether staff should refer the project to the Design Review Board.

Chong Cook, the property owner, spoke in favor of allowing the trailer and said high sewer-connection costs made using the flower-gazebo location infeasible; he pledged to keep the plaza’s appearance high-quality.

Commissioner Williams moved to continue the item and direct staff to return with a draft resolution conditionally approving the project that addresses the enumerated issues; Commissioner Woodward seconded. The motion passed on a roll-call vote.

What’s next: Staff will work with the applicant to produce a draft resolution and supplemental materials addressing wastewater, delivery hours, parking, screening and whether design review is appropriate. The commission will review the draft at a future meeting.