The Street Seen: Cats & Dogs to Replace Coffee ?
2663 - 2671 Main St @ Hill
The former Main St (at Hill) Starbucks has been extensively renovated and is slated to become a VCA veterinary office.
The owner, Redcar, is on the Zoning Administrator agenda (Item 3-B) for a Minor Use Permit (MUP). The site is Santa Monica zoned Neighborhood Commercial (NC (Main Street)). A change of use (from retail) to Veterinary Services in all Mixed-Use and Commercial Districts (MUBL, MUB, GC, NC) requires review and approval of a Minor Use Permit (MUP).
MUP's are required for uses that are considered slightly less desirable. With Veterinary Services the objections probably include noise, smells, chemicals, waste, hours and street visibility. The MUP is considered at a public hearing by the Zoning Administrator. Potentially more disruptive uses require a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) at the Planning Commission. The MUP goes with the building and the permit approved would apply to any veterinary office tenant. The proposed use must be undertaken and actively and continuously pursued, otherwise the permit expires 2 ½ years (for projects located in the Coastal Zone) after the effective date.
One twist here is that City wide, Medical Offices and Veterinary Services are required to provide 1 space of off-street parking per 250 sq. ft of space - which would be 18 spaces here. Redcar is providing no off-street parking. But since the Starbucks building (Mendota Block) is a City landmark, there is no requirement for new off-street parking regardless of use.