Board recommends land-use change and grants parking variance for Whitty Whisker cat café on Old Mission

The Planning & Zoning Board voted to recommend a small-scale land-use amendment to the City Commission and to grant a minor variance reducing required off-street parking from nine spaces to seven for Whitty Whisker, a downtown cat café seeking to move to 70 Old Mission Ave.

Attorney James Whitehouse, representing the applicant, told the board the parcel is zoned commercial but the future land-use map still lists it as residential low density. “It’s surrounded by commercial low intensity uses,” Whitehouse said, asking the board to recommend the map change so the zoning and land-use designations are compatible. Staff recommended the change after reviewing the comprehensive plan.

The board also considered a minor variance to reduce the off-street parking requirement to seven spaces, arguing that Old Mission Avenue has significant public parking and adjacent commercial lots. Supporters from the café described the operation’s role as a rescue partner and adoption site: Catherine Whisker (Whitty Whisker) said the café “partners with a local cat rescue” and reported strong adoption statistics from their current location, including nearly 700 adoptions over five years.

Several board members said the location and surrounding public parking made the variance reasonable; others emphasized the need for staff-enforced conditions about employee parking and signage to direct customers to public lots. After discussion, the board voted to recommend the land-use amendment to the City Commission and separately approved the two-space parking variance.

Because the board’s action on the land-use map is a recommendation, final approval must come from the City Commission at a future meeting. The variance is effective upon the board’s order and will be recorded in the docket for the property.