City Says Stand Must Lose Glass Storefront

The City Council has ordered the owners of an Ortega Highway fruit stand to remove a new glass storefront and scale back sales of non-produce items.

Giddings Ranch owners Tom Lewis and Scott Souders had urged the council to reverse the order, originally made by the Planning Commission on Dec. 9.

“It’s like me going in your house and telling you where to put your furniture,” Lewis told council members.

But City Council members said they denied the appeal because they said storefront modifications were made without a building permit. The alteration had been ordered to comply with Orange County Health Department regulations, officials said.

Without the glass storefront, the stand must assign 90% of its shelf space to produce and 10% to prepackaged items.