Council opens the door to fortune tellers downtown
EarthTones owner asks council to add ‘intuitive arts’ as an allowable use downtown
When the Paso Robles City Council met on Tuesday, it had two items on the agenda to clean up code in the city, making amendments to its zoning code. Both items included language about where fortune telling and related services would be and would not be allowed in the city. The issues of fortune tellers locating in Paso Robles came up when one approached the city to open such a business in Paso Robles.
Fortune telling and related services — such as card reading, palmistry, psychics, etc. — are subject to approval of a conditional use permit in mixed-use and all commercial zones, except TC-1 and regional commercial. The staff report reflects EarthTones Gfits & Gallery owner Mary Uebersax’s request to the planning commission to add “intuitive arts” to the list of uses and that it be allowed in the TC-1 zone. The commission did discuss allowing those uses listed above, not including intuitive arts in part of the TC-1 zone north of 13th or 14th streets, though it did not include that change in its recommendation to approve the amendment. The commissions said that issue could be considered in the future.
While Uebersax said that EarthTones, located at 1319 Park St. in downtown Paso Robles, does not currently offer any of those services, it does sometimes have special events that include people in the intuitive arts.
“I’m wondering why the downtown wouldn’t be appropriate for it?” Uebersax said. “We decided we would try and see to get on the Main Street Agenda to see if there is any [opposition] or educate them. If we can have associated arts in Paso Robles, why not in the downtown?”
Uebersax said she will speak at the next Paso Robles Main Street Associaton’s meeting.
“Mary and I went down and talked to Norma Moye and she indicated that it wouldn’t be a problem,” Councilman Steve Martin said. “If the main street merchants don’t have a problem with it, I don’t have a problem with it.”
Martin asked if the issue Uebersax brought up could be discussed after she meets with Main Street. There were two different motions approved the second item: the city’s semi-annual review of the Uptown/Town Centre Specific Plan, and included the second was Martin’s request.
Community Development Director Ed Gallagher said that he thinks what EarthTones is doing is covered by the code. He cautions against putting “intuitive arts” in the code because it is undefined and would allow people to classify their services as “intuitive arts.”
Changes made by the first item: Code Amendment 14-006: Fortune telling and Building Height Limits
- Allows fortune telling, psychics and related services in commercial and office professional zones subject to the approval of a condition use permit, but not in areas that the city has identified as gateway location.
- Gives planning commission authority to approve height exceptions in conjunction with a planned development rather than the city council.
- Allows for non-habitable architectural roof and tower features of a building to exceed the height limits subject to approval of a site plan for the Development Review Committee.
Changes made the second item: Specific Plan Amendment 14-001: Uptown/Town Centre
- Allows retail sales or personal services at 1740 Spring St. because it was developed as an allowed use on property that had been previously zoned C-2.
- Groups gyms and health/fitness spas with studios for dance, martial arts, arts, music, etc. as permitted uses.
- Amends Table 5.3-1 to allow transitional and supportive housing in all zones in which residential uses are permitted and amended the definitions of transition housing, supportive housing and target population in section 5.9.
- Corrects an inconsistency for side yard setbacks for one-story buildings to read “five feet.”
- Allows for non-habitable architectural roof and tower features of a building to exceed the height limits subject to approval of a site plan for the Development Review Committee.
- Amends Section 5.4.6.B to allow the construction of all kinds of residential buildings between 14th and 16th streets.
- Amends code to change building heights and third and fourth area limits for flex block, flex shed and linear buildings.
- Requires hotels to provide 100 percent of the parking requirements for hotel rooms 30 percent of one space for 400 square feet for accessory uses.
- Cleans up the off-site parking code to make Section 5.7.2.B subject to the requirements in subsections A and B.
- Requires that 30 percent of all required spaces must be compact spaces that are 8 feet wide by 16 feet long.
All changes were approved 4-0 with Councilman Fred Strong absent, though he did join the meeting later on.
