An appeal to halt plans to build a family oriented open air restaurant bar on Juniper Street in historic old town Murrieta by residents in the neighborhood was denied by the Murrieta City Council at its May 3, meeting. The site development plan and conditional use permit was initially approved by the Murrieta City Planning Commission Dec. 9, 2015.
The council, after hearing from more than half dozen Juniper Street residents and their children upset for fear the project would endanger children going to the nearby Murrieta Elementary School, create traffic and parking problems, deter fire department vehicles on emergency calls and create more problems for the police, denied the appeal in a 3 to 1 vote with Councilman Alan Long absent, but with new conditions. The appeal was filed by the residents in February
The action will allow Casey Jurado, owner of the property at 41958 Juniper Street and other nearby properties to go ahead with his plans to build the restaurant bar providing certain new conditions are met on its planned construction, name and operations.
The residents greatest concern, expressed in the public comment portion of the hearing on the appeal, was the serving of alcohol, noise and the possibility parking for the residents would be made difficult.
The Murrieta Planning Department initially approved the plan, after a public hearing and over the objections from four nearby in December. The commission seeing the property was in a commericial/residential zone allowing for Village Mixed Use (VMU) that allows for commercial use as well as 18 residential units per acre gave their approval but suggested Juardo make some changes in the ABC licensing that would allow for a restaurant bar, not just a bar. The changes were not made and the residents, made an appeal to the planning commission to halt the project.
Jurado appeared before the council, following additional discussions with the city staff, saying he was in agreement new conditions placed on his project plans by the planning department that included changing the Alcohol Beverage Control department’s section 48 license that would allow the serving of beer and wine on public premises (bar) to a section 47 that allows beer and wine to be sold at a “Bona Fide” public eating place (restaurant and bar with 50 percent of sale of alcohol to 50 percent sale of food in a full kitchen).
In addition, Jurado said he would change the name of the venue from “Murrieta Beer and Wine Garden” to the “Village Patio,” play only non-amplified music, provide the full service kitchen, play only subtitled televisions and build a higher wall at the back of the facility to reduce the sounds coming from the patrons. He had trouble with a condition that his weekend hours’ end at 9 p.m., yet at the meeting said he would agree to close at 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights instead of the midnight closing first requested. Jurado said he would revise his business model to meet the new conditions.
“I never intended the place just to be a bar,” said Juardo. “I want this to be a family place.”
He said his plans always had a full service kitchen included in the main facility and four food carts that would be selling specialty high end food items. The final project plans with the revisions will still need the council’s approval.
Still, with the changes offered, half dozen Juniper Street residents voiced objection to the project and wanted the Council to uphold their appeal.
Dawn Gilbert and Jenny Mayoral, Juniper Street residents, were the first to voice their concerns about the project before the council waving petitions signed by 131 residents who live in homes on Juniper and the streets surrounding the proposed development.
“There is still an increased risk here,” Gilbert said. She noted the added traffic alone would be a risk and it would impede residents using the library and the senior center.
Resident Carol Sierra said, “we are not against growth, but we want controlled growth in Old Town.” She said to her, Village Mixed Growth should be retail stores, offices and service centered business, “not a bar.”
“Alcohol is the real issue here,” she said. “An open air bar?”
“This just doesn’t fit,” said Michelle Von Ranzou. “I need my kids safe. There will be no parking for use.”
The residents said an alley that runs between Juniper and C Street on the side of the project property is used by children to get to school and traffic in the alley would endanger the children. The alley is not paved and narrow, but would be changed with the project. Juardo said the alley is full of weeds hardly ever used and the children have even built dirt skateboard ramps on it. It is some distance from the elementary school. It is more than two blocks away from the Juniper Street Fire headquarters.
“I live next door to this damn thing,” Dexter Misk said. “There would be too much traffic and no parking for us. Just listen to us. We don’t need this.”
Not only the adult Juniper Street residents came forward to voice their objections, Jenny Mayoral’s two daughters Mindy 10, and April, 8, read letters they had written to the council about what they want to see in the new Old Town Murrieta master plan being revised now.
“Good evening Mayor and council members, my name is Mindy Mayoral. I am a fifth-grader at Murrieta Elementary School and resident on Juniper Street,” Mindy said. “I am here today to speak about my concerns within my neighborhood. I have been listening and reading many discussions involving the open air establishment and the incoming business in the historic downtown are.
“Murrieta seems to be having an increasing amount of restaurants/bars being developed. Why do we have to have so many alcohol serving businesses near my elementary school. There are a total of nine places that sale alcohol within a one-mile radius of the Murrieta Elementary School and possible two more pending,” she continued.
“If I was in in charge of making decisions, I would encourage more kid-friendly places such as ice cream parlors, candy shops, art/potter classes, quilting shops, beading shops, music stores, book stores, toy stores, sandwich shops, taco shops and a museum that shows the history of Murrieta, she said. “After all the City of Murrieta is heavily populated with families who have children. The kind of establishments I mentioned would appeal to both residents and tourists. In conclusion, lets develop historic downtown Murrieta as a place where all ages can come and enjoy time with their families.”
Voting to deny the appeal was Mayor Randon Lane, Jonathon Ingram and Rick Gibbs. Councilman Harry Ramos voted to accept the appeal. Councilman Long left the meeting early. The meeting concluded at 10:30 p.m. after an extension.
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