Commissioners Want More Analysis on Rooftop Bar

City officials say they are in favor of the concept of a rooftop bar on El Camino Real in North Beach, but they want more information on how the noise and parking will affect neighbors before they approve permits.

Many residents and officials are looking for more lively dining and entertainment venues in North Beach, a neighborhood widely agreed to be in need of revitalization. The planning commission discussed the rooftop bar application at its meeting Wednesday and decided to continue the item.

Commissioners asked for more clarity on the details of the planned North Beach Rooftop Bar and Grill, such as parking impacts and a sound decibel study, said Commissioner Nesa Anderson said in a phone interview Thursday.

The commission received eight emails supporting the project, and three people showed up to the meeting to support it. Neighbors across the street and the veterinarian next door to the property spoke against approving the bar. The doctor said he has already worked to remedy neighbors' complaints about dogs barking at night, and worried that diners and drinkers next door would aggravate them further, Anderson said.

The applicant is James Gutierrez, who owns several commercial properties in town, said he would work on securing parking agreements with some nearby private lots to remedy the parking issues, Anderson said.

The new business will be looking for permission to operate its bar and restaurant with an open rooftop dining area and neon signage with a vintage ‘Route 66’ feel, though the commission expressed some concerns about using neon, Anderson said.

The restaurant is also looking to offer outdoor dining and live amplified music, according to staff reports, but would not have live music on the rooftop after 10 p.m., Anderson said.

City staffers calculated that if live music were limited to 93 decibels at its source, the music wouldn't violate the city's noise ordinance. But commissioners wanted more info on how that would sound across the street and at other nearby locations, Anderson said.

The Rooftop operator is also asking for a cultural heritage permit for the long-vacant commercial space at 1509 N. El Camino Real. He'll need it to make modifications to the historical building, which was erected in 1948.

The addition of the open rooftop dining area will add more than 2,700 extra square feet of space, according to the city staff reports.