Planning Commission approves beer-and-wine permit for paddle-sport clubhouse at 21 West 7th Street with security, hours changes

The Planning Commission voted to adopt Resolution No. 2026-01, approving a conditional use permit for on-site beer-and-wine sales (ABC type 41) at a proposed restaurant and outdoor paddle-sport clubhouse at 21 West 7th Street after amending two site-specific conditions to address security and hours.

David Welch of the National City Planning Division summarized staff’s recommendation, including a finding that the proposed clubhouse and restaurant are categorically exempt from CEQA under Class 3 (new construction of small structures). Welch described the proposal as an outdoor-seating restaurant accessory to a paddle-tennis/pickleball facility, with proposed alcohol hours from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily and the consumption area entirely outdoors. Staff noted police risk-assessment comments and recommended standard conditions from Council Policy 707 plus site-specific measures such as on-site security, security cameras capable of capturing adjacent sidewalks and signage to discourage alcohol use prior to sports participation.

Marco Polo Cortez, representing the applicant, said the business would be a highly regulated restaurant and that the applicant would cooperate with conditions. Cortez objected to a portion of condition 17 requiring a service to escort patrons to vehicles beyond the premises, calling that provision potentially overly burdensome and a liability for the operator. “There’s a the provision…that the applicant’s attorney … believe is a little bit much is the condition where they have to walk people to their cars for liability purposes,” Cortez said.

Commissioners’ discussion centered on public-safety, parking and lighting concerns at the Roosevelt Avenue site and on whether mandatory escorted walks to parked cars were feasible or desirable. Commissioner Valenzuela questioned the utility of signage asking patrons not to drink before playing sports; Welch said the language was a modest recommendation from a nonprofit reviewer and could be accommodated if reasonable. Commissioner Quinones warned about crime and parking near the site and said the location made the security requirement consequential: “It’s just an accident waiting to happen because of all those factors that I’ve mentioned,” Quinones said, citing poor lighting, semitrailer parking and foot-traffic patterns in the area.

After debate, Vice Chair Castle Salgado moved to approve the CUP (finding it CEQA-exempt under Class 3) and to modify condition 17 so that courtesy walks by security would be available at a patron’s request within a one-block radius and to limit the required security-guard hours to roughly 5–11 p.m. Commissioner Valenzuela seconded the motion. The secretary declared the motion approved; the record states the motion was approved with commissioners present. The commission directed staff to forward the decision to the City Council as required by procedure.

Staff and commissioners noted several standard conditions remain: adherence to Council Policy 707, responsible-beverage-service training and measures to ensure alcohol sales remain accessory to food service (annual review of sales receipts to confirm food sales exceed alcohol sales). Several commissioners asked staff to follow up on lighting plans, camera coverage, and how tournaments would be handled through future temporary-use permits.

The resolution adopted (case file number 2025‑27CUP, APN 555‑052‑15) approved a conditional use permit for beer and wine sales at 21 West 7th Street, subject to the conditions in the draft resolution as amended by the commission.