Fullerton : Second Restaurant OKd in Historic Porter House

The city Planning Commission in 1983 approved conversion of the historic Porter House to a restaurant, but with conditions including a review after its first year of operation.

The Simon’s Sweetwater Junction never made it past the first year, though, and nearby residents didn’t get a shot at telling the city what they thought of their new neighbor.

This week, they had that chance and took the opportunity to oppose another restaurant at the same site in the 700 block of West Orangethorpe Avenue. The neighbors lost their fight, however, when the City Council unanimously voted to allow the new restaurant to open.

The council agreed with city staff, which had recommended approval because most of the concerns by the residents were about issues that would have been resolved had the first restaurant stayed in operation and gone through a city review.

A main objection cited by neighbors, for example, centered on the use of an outdoor patio area for banquets and parties, which created noise and invaded the privacy of adjacent property owners. But the patio area had been constructed without proper permits and the new proposal calls for eliminating the outdoor patio, according to a report to the council.

The property’s owners also have said they will raise the height of a six-foot-high fence by two feet and add parking spaces for employees on an adjacent property, according to the staff report.

While upholding the city’s Planning Commission approval of the restaurant, the council changed a recommended six-month review to a one-year review to give the owner more time to implement the changes before facing evaluation.