July 3, 2025 Zoning Administrator Meeting - Use Permit Approval for Cannery Row Residential Conversion
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July 3, 2025 Zoning Administrator Meeting - Use Permit Approval for Cannery Row Residential Conversion
On July 3, 2025, Zoning Administrator Levi Hill called the meeting to order at noon. Staff present included Planning Manager Levi Hill, Principal Planner Fernanda Roveri, Senior Associate Planner Chris Schmidt, and Recording Secretary Eric Cabrera. The main agenda item was a use permit (UP 250087) for converting a vacant second-floor commercial space at a Cannery Row property into four one-bedroom residential units. The meeting also included approval of the May 15, 2025 meeting minutes.
Minutes Approval
- The May 15, 2025 zoning administrator meeting minutes were presented for consideration. No public comments or staff edits were offered. Zoning Administrator Hill, who was present at that meeting, reviewed and approved the minutes as submitted.
Discussion Item: Use Permit UP 250087 - Second-Floor Residential Conversion
- Staff Presentation: Senior Associate Planner Chris Schmidt presented the project. The applicant had previously obtained a coastal development permit waiver (approved in 2024). The project involves converting the vacant second floor (formerly used for storage and office) into four one-bedroom residential units. No additional floor area is proposed. Each unit will have dedicated storage. The applicant will secure parking passes at the Cannery Row garage. The first-floor retail use will remain. Exterior modifications include expanding existing windows to meet current code requirements.
- Findings for Approval: Staff recommended approval based on three findings: (1) consistency with the zoning ordinance, including a parking plan and storage requirements for mixed-use residential development in the Cannery Row district; (2) consistency with the general plan and no detriment to public health, safety, or welfare; and (3) compliance with conditions, including a parking agreement for residential parking.
- Applicant Comments: Vince Balstrike of K Real Cobra, the applicant, thanked staff for their patience through the process, noting that COVID and coastal permit delays had extended the timeline. He expressed appreciation for the recommendation for approval.
- Public Comment: No public comments were offered, either in person or online.
Key Outcomes
- Approval: Zoning Administrator Levi Hill approved the use permit (UP 250087) with the incorporation of the previously approved residential parking plan (associated with use permit 17-0485) and the conditions in the draft resolution, plus two additional conditions.
- Additional Conditions: (1) The project shall incorporate the recommendations of the attached acoustical noise mitigation report, with evidence of compliance submitted with building permit applications. (2) Prior to final inspection, the applicant shall secure residential parking permits at the Cannery Row garage consistent with the previously approved residential parking plan.
- Appeal Information: The decision is appealable to the Planning Commission within 10 days of the meeting. Applications for appeal can be found online or at the planning office.
- Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned with no further business.
Meeting Transcript
Noon. Hereby called the July 3rd, 2025 zoning administrator meeting to order. My name is Levi Hill. I'll be serving as zoning administrator for today's meeting. Recording Secretary Barrera, will you please announce staff present and remind the public how they can participate in the meeting? Are we not set up? Okay, sorry. No, we're good. We're good. Um staff members present today. We have our planning manager Levi Hill. We have our principal planner Fernanda Roveri. We have our senior associate planner Chris Schmidt, and we have myself recording secretary Eric Cabrera. Information on participating in this meeting and providing public comment, including remotely by Zoom or telephone is on this meeting's agenda, which is online at Monterey.gov forward slash agendas. Remote commenters will be muted until it is their turn to speak, and a timer will be shown on the screen. If you're connected on Zoom, the timer is accurate with no delay. In the chamber, we recommend keeping phones and devices muted to prevent audio interference with the meeting. Thank you for participating in your city government. Thank you. Item two, the consideration of the May 15th, 2025 meeting minutes. I see no members online and no hands raised in the chambers. Okay, thank you. Seeing and hearing none, I was present at the May 15th meeting. I have reviewed the draft minutes and have no edits. The May 15th, 2025 VA meeting minutes are hereby approved as submitted. If there are any members of the public wishing to speak on items not on the agenda, please approach the podium or online, use the raise hand function. I see no hands raised. Thank you, Zoning Administrator Hill. My name is Chris Schmidt. I'm a senior associate planner for the city. The applicant uh during that time pursued a coastal development permit waiver, and they finally received approval for that waiver in 2024. This has been attached to the staff report for reference. The project description involves conversion of the vacant second floor to four residential one-bedroom units. No additional floor areas proposed. There is storage dedicated to each residential unit. Uh, the applicant would uh apply for parking passes at the cannery row garage. Uh, and the first floor retail use would remain. And um, this is the only graphic that I've provided today. It's just a simple floor plan. Um, that second floor, I think, had been used in the past as storage and office use. It's currently vacant, so this is the new floor plan. Uh, there are three findings needed to be made to approve a use permit. Uh, the first is consistency with the zoning ordinance. This uh staff was able to make this finding. It includes a parking plan and storage as required for develop uh mult mixed use and residential developments in the cannery row district. The use would have to be consistent with the general plan and would not be a detriment to the public health safety or welfare of residents or the surrounding workforce. Uh staff was able to make this finding. This is a a modest conversion to a use that is in great demand in the city. And three, the use will comply with conditions, including the requirement for a parking agreement to meet the residential parking plan requirement of the city code. So with that, staff recommends approval.
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