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El Cajon planners direct staff to schedule revocation hearing after repeated compliance concerns at The Palms
Summary
After staff reported repeated complaints that The Palms (143 East Main Street, CUP No. 2115) may not be operating as the public restaurant required by its conditional-use permit, the commission directed staff to schedule a revocation hearing and to monitor the business in the interim; an owner representative told the commission the venue is open to the public and will take steps to comply.
The El Cajon Planning Commission directed staff to initiate a public hearing to consider revocation of Conditional Use Permit No. 2115 for The Palms Restaurant and Banquet Hall at 143 East Main Street after staff reported repeated complaints and site visits indicating the operation may not be functioning as the public restaurant the CUP requires.
Staff told the commission the permit-authorized use requires the location to operate as a restaurant open to the public in conjunction with a card-room license. "Merely that they're not operating as a restaurant as required by the conditional use permit," the staff member said when asked to summarize the complaints and recent site-visit findings.
At the meeting, Ferris Stefan (speaker 8) appeared on behalf of the operator, Frank, and said the business is open and serves meals. "The place is open for a restaurant. I personally go there almost every Wednesday," Stefan said, adding that printed menus are being prepared and that the operator would post an open sign and accept walk-ins. Stefan asked the commission to allow staff to verify compliance before proceeding to a revocation hearing.
Commissioners stressed the downtown aim of maintaining active Main Street-facing businesses. Staff noted earlier inspections found windows sometimes blocked and that the CUP site plan requires front-window activation and entrance accessibility; staff said that if the operator prefers a private-event model they could pursue a CUP amendment or relocate. Because earlier staff efforts to secure sustained compliance had not resolved the issues, staff recommended scheduling a revocation hearing and monitoring the business until the hearing date.
Commissioner (speaker 5) moved to direct staff to proceed with the revocation hearing process and to monitor The Palms in the interim; Chair (speaker 1) seconded. The commission agreed to direct staff to schedule the hearing and to continue inspections and follow-up communications with the owner and operator.
Staff also noted the historic context: the CUP required restaurant operation when it was approved in 2010, and the property owner (David Malikiar) previously sought to change the use in 2017 (denied). Staff said the property owner and operator were contacted by staff in advance; the owner was not present at the meeting but indicated an intent to attend a future revocation hearing if scheduled.
The commission's direction triggers a formal revocation-hearing process; staff will monitor operations and provide additional data and inspection reports leading up to the hearing.
