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Local gym owners urge commissioners to reject Planet Fitness, warning of economic harm
Summary
Multiple local fitness operators and residents told the commission that a national chain’s low-cost model would drain local spending and threaten small businesses; commenters described their community contributions and asked the city to prioritize local operators.
A string of public commenters told the Santa Paula Planning Commission on Oct. 15 that a Planet Fitness at the former Big Lots space would threaten locally owned gyms by undercutting price points and redirecting local membership dollars out of town.
Vanessa White, who said she and her husband owned a gym on Main Street for 12 years, described the personal and financial commitment of operating a local club and warned: "Opening a Planet Fitness in Santa Paula will probably put every small gym owner out of business here with the exception of Courtney at Fit and Fine." Several other commenters echoed that concern, describing volunteer programs, youth coaching and local sponsorships that they said chain operators would not replicate.
Bobby Gutierrez, who said he invested close to $100,000 building his facility, told commissioners his gym provides youth programs, batting cages and classes that keep money circulating locally. "As a small business, we have contributed immensely to this community," he said.
Luis Cisneros, who identified himself as the owner of SP Fitness, said small gyms are community hubs and that dollars spent locally support jobs, taxes and community engagement; he asked commissioners to weigh whether a national chain would preserve those local ties.
Commissioners acknowledged the concerns during deliberations but noted the CUP decision is site-specific and that approvals in other downtown locations could be made by right under existing zoning. The commission ultimately approved the CUP 4–1; several commissioners said the public comments informed their deliberations and that they were troubled by the potential local-economic impact even while concluding the findings could be met for this site.
