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Nevada City OKs yoga studio at 310 Broad Street after debate over downtown retail
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Summary
After a lengthy debate about downtown retail vitality, the Nevada City Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit for a yoga studio at 310 Broad Street with a one-year abandonment clause and continued final decisions about exterior paint colors to a future meeting.
The Nevada City Planning Commission voted to approve a conditional use permit for a yoga studio at 310 Broad Street on a 3-1 vote after commissioners, city staff and business groups debated whether another studio in the downtown core would reduce street-level retail activity.
Jessica Hankins, interim city planner, told the commission the building — a contributing historic structure — was proposed to include a street-level retail area alongside the studio to keep the storefront active and attract pedestrian traffic. She recommended the commission find the project exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act and approve the CUP with the conditions outlined in the staff report.
The Chamber of Commerce and local merchants urged caution. “We as the Chamber are very concerned about the degradation of the retail and restaurant space on that block,” said Lynn, who identified herself as representing the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce, asking the commission to consider hours or other conditions to preserve downtown vitality.
The applicant and project representative said the front area would be staffed and used for local retail goods — yoga supplies and locally made items — to draw foot traffic even when classes are not in session. “We would be keeping the retail open and staffed to attract people from the street,” the applicant said in discussion with commissioners.
Commissioners debated enforceable options. City attorney Russ advised that a CUP can include conditions and can be revoked if conditions are violated; the commission also discussed including a time-based termination if the use was discontinued. The commission added a condition that the CUP would expire if the yoga use were discontinued for a period of one year or more.
The commission first found the project exempt from CEQA, then approved the conditional use permit (yes: Commissioner Simmons, Commissioner Nye, Chair Brown; no: Commissioner Hamid). The commission separately approved the architectural review for exterior repairs and many details but continued final approval of paint colors to a future meeting so the applicant and commissioners could refine color placement and accents.
Chair Brown summarized the outcome: the CUP allows the yoga studio with conditions intended to protect the downtown retail fabric while enabling the applicant to open, and the commission will finalize exterior color decisions at the next meeting.
The commission also directed staff and the applicant to finalize details for maintaining an active retail frontage and to return on the paint-color item next month.
