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Commission recommends two drive-through restaurants at Ceremony Shopping Center; staff requires traffic study and pedestrian upgrades
Summary
The Planning Commission recommended City Council approval of two use permits and design reviews for drive-through restaurants at Ceremony Shopping Center (a ~5,250 sq ft Building A with 11-car queue and a ~2,800 sq ft Building C with 12-car queue). Staff said both projects meet CEQA Class 32 infill criteria but will be conditioned on a traffic study and include planned pedestrian and ADA improvements to the mall.
The Daly City Planning Commission on July 7 voted to recommend that the City Council approve two use permits and design reviews for drive-through restaurants at Ceremony Shopping Center and accepted staff's plan for pedestrian improvements across the center.
Planning staff presented two applications: UPR0326017020/DR0326017021 (Building A, ~5,250 sq ft, an 11-car drive-through queue, and 21 required parking spaces) and UPR0326017022/DR0326017026 (Building C, ~2,800 sq ft, a 12-car queue). Staff determined both projects meet the criteria for a CEQA Class 32 categorical exemption for infill development but recommended that the commission require a traffic study as a condition of approval to evaluate circulation and pedestrian/bicycle safety.
Kurt Utterback, market officer for Regency Centers, the property owner/applicant, said Regency has invested in the center's renovation and listed tenants now or soon to be on site; he asked the commission for support. "We respectfully ask for your support and approval on the project," Utterback said.
Commissioners asked about bicycle parking, disabled parking and ADA compliance; staff pointed to the city's green building code and said bicycle and accessible parking standards would be enforced at plan check. Staff also described prior traffic studies prepared during the mall's renovation (including two traffic signals installed with developer contributions) and said the current restaurant proposals would have less traffic impact than a previously proposed hotel; nevertheless, public works will require a focused traffic study to evaluate mitigation options such as a stop sign at the Callan Boulevard exit.
The commission moved and seconded recommendations to forward both sets of permits to the City Council; roll-call votes recorded three commissioners in favor. Staff also used the meeting to present (non-agendized) pedestrian improvements for the center: replacement of a removed sidewalk at the Cowan entry, two proposed stairway connections from Cowan Boulevard (subject to ADA plan check), five improved crosswalks with ADA upgrades, resurfacing and ramp repairs, and new pedestrian landings to improve crossings near Dave & Buster's and Crunch Fitness.
Why it matters: The approvals would allow new restaurant and retail activity at a major Daly City shopping center and are paired with required safety studies and planned pedestrian upgrades intended to reduce conflicts between vehicles and people walking or bicycling.
What's next: Both recommendations will be presented to the City Council (staff indicated the council hearing is scheduled for July 27); staff said the city traffic engineer will attend that meeting.
