Gelson’s plan to build a tapas and wine bar still alive after commission grants extension
Gelson’s Market was granted an extension by the La Cañada Flintridge Planning Commission Tuesday that will keep alive its plans to expand its Foothill Boulevard location to include a tapas and wine bar sometime in the next year or so.
Representatives of the grocery store chain originally sought a conditional use permit in October 2014 that would allow for on-premises sale of wine and craft beers within a bona fide restaurant operating inside the store.
At the time, the project was described as consisting of a 350-square-foot indoor dining area with 22 seats and a 715-square-foot, 36-seat outdoor patio. Planning documents state the restaurant would offer “an expanded menu of light bites,” along with the sale of wine and craft beer for consumption on and “instructional tastings to be conducted by suppliers.”
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In an interview Monday, Gelson’s president and chief executive Rob McDougall described the vision for the space as something that would add value to the customer experience and offer greater opportunities for socialization between shoppers and in-store experts.
“I’m looking for every opportunity I can to provide in our stores what I call ‘touchpoints,’” McDougall said. “You don’t get those when you shop online. Those are things that separate us.”
At Tuesday’s meeting, some commissioners expressed concern the originally proposed outdoor patio would impinge upon pedestrian flow, potentially forcing foot traffic out into the parking area near two handicapped parking spaces.
“I voted against this the first time, and I will continue to vote against it,” Commission Chair Jeffrey McConnell said, stating his dissatisfaction with a potential lack of access, no plans for a security guard and on-site alcohol sales being offered between the store hours of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
A Gelson’s representative who attended the meeting said she couldn’t speak to pedestrian access, as she was simply seeking an extension that would allow for work to begin as soon as this year, but would pass comments along to Gelson’s officials.
McDougall said Monday in the wake of the grocery chain’s 2015 purchase of eight Haggen stores, plans for renovations and additions at other sites have been pushed back. The La Cañada store project, still in the study phases, was at least a year out and would not likely include outdoor seating, the executive said.
As a fail-safe, commissioners agreed in a 3-2 vote to grant a 12-month extension with an added condition the project not move forward to the design and review phase until the issue of outdoor walkability was suitably addressed.
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Sara Cardine, sara.cardine@latimes.com
Twitter: @SaraCardine
