Westminster planning commission approves CUP for indoor pickleball facility after code-enforcement fines disclosed

The Westminster Planning Commission voted unanimously on June 3 to approve a conditional use permit for Pickle Ball Escape, an indoor pickleball facility at 14800 Golden West Street, authorizing the recreational use within an existing 35,144-square-foot commercial building.

Mary Salman, a senior planner with the city, told the commission staff had determined the site met zoning and parking standards: the project requires 44 parking spaces and the property currently provides 86. Salman said the facility’s first floor is about 25,000 square feet with 11 courts and a maximum first-floor occupancy of 69 (62 players and seven employees). Staff recommended adoption of Resolution 2026-006 and explained that the operation had already been active and that several code-enforcement citations had been issued.

The commission’s approval included an amended condition requiring all outstanding code-enforcement fees be paid within 10 days for the resolution to take effect. During public testimony a representative for the applicant said the assessed fines totaled $5,800 and that the applicant planned to pay them promptly if the CUP was approved.

The applicant, who identified himself as Michael, said he applied for permits before signing the lease but began a soft opening while waiting for the process to conclude because of lease and financing timelines. “We applied even prior to signing the lease,” Michael said, adding that the business had relied on a short free-rent period and that staff had been assisting the operator through the entitlement process.

Commissioners pressed staff on safety and inspection issues. Salman said the Orange County Fire Authority and code-enforcement staff had conducted joint inspections and had not identified conditions that warranted a shutdown; she explained that a new certificate of occupancy tied to tenant-improvement plan checks would follow planning approval and building-permit review. Staff also clarified that the operator did not have a Westminster business license and that building plan check and a tenant-improvement review would be required after the CUP was granted.

Several commissioners acknowledged the community benefits of additional indoor courts in Westminster but raised concerns about precedent and public-safety risk when businesses operate before completing required approvals. One commissioner urged stricter earlier enforcement in cases that pose life-safety risks, even as others noted the city’s practice of working with small business applicants to gain compliance.

Property owner John Eddie, who testified the family has owned the building for decades, said tenant improvements were minimal and that insurance coverage had not been affected. The owner said the site previously housed industrial and audio-supply tenants and that the conversion to an indoor recreation venue involved limited structural changes.

The motion to adopt Resolution 2026-006 (CUP 2025-0204) was made by Vice Chair Anderson and seconded by Commissioner Joseph W.; commissioners Andy W., Joseph W., Tommy W., Vice Chair Anderson and Chair Wilbert voted yes. Staff read post-decision instructions: any appeal to the city council must be filed within 15 days; staff reiterated that the fines must be paid within 10 days for the resolution to become effective and that the operator will need to complete building plan check, obtain a business license and obtain a tenant-improvement-based certificate of occupancy.

Next steps for the applicant are to pay the outstanding fines, complete required building and business-license steps and secure final OCFA and building approvals as part of tenant improvements. The commission’s decision grants permission for the indoor recreational use to operate under the conditions set in the adopted resolution.