Make no Spinning Bones about it

It always amazes me to read complaints from folks about the proliferation of too many nail salons and too many Boba places and bemoan the fact that we don’t have enough unique establishments in Alameda.   Then when an interesting concept does try to open in Alameda (and establish business practices to make sure they can stay in business) there are others (maybe the same people) who then attempt to either stop the business from opening or severely limit the ability of that business to do business to stay in business.

A quick aside: you can be happy about neat new places opening in the City without crapping all over the concept of a bubble tea joint or a nail salon.  Because, look, if those businesses weren’t making money and providing income for their owners, they’d be closed down by now.  Perhaps we should be marveling at the entrepreneurial spirit of these small business owners rather than assuming an air of superiority because you, personally, have no idea who drinks bubble tea or gets their nails done so you can’t fathom how there are so many of these joints are open.

Anyway, the latest Planning Board brouhaha comes in the form of a new proposed barbecue restaurant on Park Street: Spinning Bones.   The brouhaha is over a small patio area in the back of the space. which was used by the bar that existed there without proper permits.  The restaurant is trying to get the proper use permit to use the space but it appears that residents who have suffered through the rowdy, drunk bar patrons at a bar down the street are attempting to punish the new restaurant tenants because of bad behavior from a previous and different use location.

It appears that the business is only seeking enough space for 15 customers in the back patio, which doesn’t seem unreasonable and according to the staff report the allowable operating hours for these types of uses for the zoning in that area is 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM. but staff is suggesting an end time of 9:00 PM to minimize the impact on residents which seems reasonable.

But what is unreasonable is the fact that one of the neighbors attempted to tank the alcohol license for the new business because of noise from construction and the possibility of too much noise when the business opens.  Not only that some residents want the Planning Board to limit the overall operating hours for the restaurant as well.

I guess we’ll see how business friendly this Planning Board is if they’re willing to limit, beyond the zoned and allowable operating hours, because of the complaints of residents who live in a mixed use neighborhood.

Staff is recommending approval of the patio use but that the use permit can be reviewed if there are three verified complaints.  Based on the complaint activity of residential neighbors, it looks like the business owners will need to mind this activity carefully because they aren’t shy about filing complaints.