Planning commission approves dessert-and-coffee shop at 226 Main Street with outdoor seating condition

The Seal Beach Planning Commission voted 5-0 on April 6 to approve a minor use permit allowing a 1,150-square-foot coffee and dessert shop at 226 Main Street, adopting Resolution 26-04 and imposing conditions including an 8-foot minimum clearance between a bench and outdoor tables.

Associate Planner Patricia Garcia presented the staff report and said the proposal includes 20 indoor seats, outdoor tables on private property, a service (walk-up) window, and tenant improvements limited to electric cooking equipment. Garcia told commissioners the site currently provides nine on-site parking spaces shared among three tenants and staff’s analysis projected the new use would increase demand to seven spaces, leaving a two-space surplus. Garcia also said the project is exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) categorical exemption, Class 1, for minor tenant improvements.

The applicant, George Horrix, who said he currently lives in Belgium and plans to relocate to the U.S., described the shop as a coffee-and-dessert concept that will also serve Belgian waffles and operate on two levels with dine-in and takeout options. “We do,” Horrix said when asked whether coffee would be offered alongside desserts. Leasing agent Shauna Cloherty, owner of Bay Town Realty, spoke in support and said the concept would be a new offering on Main Street and “the main intention is the Belgian waffles,” which she said fit the street’s mix of eateries.

During questions, commissioners sought clarification about whether the permit applies only to 226 Main (and not 224 or 228), whether outdoor seating sits on private property, and how permanent benches in the public right-of-way are handled. Staff clarified the minor use permit covers outdoor dining on private property and said permanent benches in the public right-of-way are managed by Public Works and may require a separate annual encroachment or memorial bench process.

Before the vote, commissioners agreed to amend the conditions to add an explicit requirement that an 8-foot minimum clearance be maintained between the bench and outdoor tables to aid enforcement and ensure pedestrian clearance. The amended motion was seconded and passed unanimously. The clerk recorded five "yes" votes and no abstentions; the commission noted a 10-day appeal period begins the day after the decision.

The applicant was advised that outdoor seating on private property requires the minor use permit, while any bench or encroachment in the public right-of-way requires coordination with Public Works and a separate permit process. Staff will provide the applicant with the final signed resolution and conditions and will monitor compliance as required by the permit.