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PrintPeet’s gets green light
THE CITY COUNCIL overruled the Planning Commission and will let Peet’s Coffee occupy this site on Broadway.
Robbi Pengelly/Index-Tribune
A parade of Peet’s proponents pleaded for their favorite coffee store Monday night while urging the Sonoma City Council to overturn the Planning Commission and approve a use permit that would allow the company to set up shop at 591 Broadway. Their passion was well-received.
Notwithstanding a recently adopted formula store ordinance that inspired a 4-to-3 vote of planning commissioners against granting the permit, all five City Council members enthusiastically embraced a Peet’s approval.
Councilmember Steve Barbose, who spearheaded the effort to develop the formula store ordinance, told the council and the packed meeting room, “It’s a mistake to assume that I think all formula stores are bad. What the ordinance does is guarantee a public discussion like this one.”
Barbose praised Peet’s as “a great place for young people to gather,” and explained, “I would feel totally different about this if it were a Taco Bell or Long John Silver’s …”
Mayor Joanne Sanders, a persistent opponent of the formula store ordinance, argued that, “If Peet’s had decided they didn’t want to roll the dice” on appealing the Planning Commission denial, “and moved on to the next town, look at what we would have lost.”
What might have been lost turns out to be some 25 jobs, five of them fulltime, with fulltime benefits for everyone working 21 hours-a-week or more. Peet’s will also provide both an early morning and a late night place to buy coffee and spend time in an inviting environment with leather chairs and free WiFi. Proposed hours run from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.
Henry Mayo, realtor, winery owner and owner of the building in question, told the council that Peet’s will bring “a diversity of employees” as well as “taste and class” and “a place for kids to hang out.”
A man named Joe told the council he routinely drives all the way to Petaluma to get Peet’s coffee, “and I go shopping while I’m there. Please,” he said, “give us our Peet’s.”
Clara Bock said she and her husband lived in Berkeley when Peet’s first opened there and became so fond of the coffee they had it shipped to Florida for 14 years when they moved there.
Ann Foley, who said she goes to Peet’s in Novato and Santa Rosa, argued that the attraction of a Peet’s store would draw foot traffic down Broadway from the Plaza, to the benefit of numerous Broadway businesses.
But while 15 of 22 speakers praised Peet’s, not everyone wanted to see the store in Sonoma.
Karla Noyes, who described herself as “Daniel in the lion’s den,” charged that the presence of a Peet’s “would be a threat to independent local coffee shops,” and that Peet’s patrons would end up parking in the nearby post office lot.
Bob Felder, chair of the Planning Commission, told the council he was “extremely concerned about the increased intensity of use” at the Broadway site, pointing out that trip generation “will increase from three to 258” in the morning hours, and from three to 91 trips in the afternoon.
Felder said he doubted the accuracy of a traffic impact study that found few negative consequences from the increased visits.
And Dave Mock, owner of the Hot Shots drive-through coffee shop nearby on Broadway, warned that 85 anticipated pedestrian patrons, most coming from the east side and having to cross Broadway, would be put at risk.
But the pro-Peet’s sentiment clearly carried the day and there was little indication from council members that they felt any differently.
Noted council member Tom Rouse, “People love Peet’s. I have a lot of friends in the Bay Area and I can’t tell you how many calls I’ve gotten from people who say, ‘How can you not have Peet’s?’”
Mayor Pro Tem Ken Brown added that, “The sales tax and the property tax are not insignificant.”
With that, the 5-0 vote was almost anti-climactic.
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Pass an ordinance and then ignore it----good going City Council! To all the junkies who say they have to leave town to get Peet's--- Why don't you go to Sonoma Market since that's their brew? How about supporting the local coffee places, City Council members? I'm sure you've heard of setting a precedent....Allowing Peet's in against Planning Commission ruling breaks ground for other similar sized chain businesses to push to open and cite 'special consideration' with Peet's example. Your grasping for the almighty dollar will slowly turn Sonoma into just another Napa style Disneyland.
Ken Brown as usual is all wet. Long John Silvers is a wonderful Seafood alternative - perfect for the Old Creamery store that sits idle like many other properties due to the snobbish attitudes the run the SVCAC and the City Council.
Glad that we have a centrally controlled economy here in Sonoma. Our leaders determine precisely who can open and when. They determine the hours of opening. And they give it to people they like and not those they don't like. Commercial viability does not enter into the equation.
This system was shown to impoverish Russia up to the end of the Cold War, and has effectively been dropped by all countries other than North Korea, but seems to get ever more entrenched in good old Sonoma. All we now need to do is kill the goose that is laying the golden egg and then we'll deservedly be the laughing stock of the western world.
I am so pleased that Pete's is coming to Sonoma. Small business owners like me will have a new place to hold meetings, there will be more jobs for young people and a vacant building at the entrance to our town will be filled with activity for years to come. I was disappointed when the planning commission turned Pete's down citing traffic concerns so I asked the businesses adjacent to the proposed Pete's locations about that concern and they all said that they would enthusiastically welcomed Pete's to the neighborhood and that they actually hoped for more traffic... to bring in more customers. Thanks!
Hey city coucil did you ever consider the coffee business only 50 steps away that have been there for many years now? Peet's opening will hurt them terribly and porbably have to lay off workers due to your approval. I am sick to death of the same city coucil members that can tell who can open and who can't. Where and the hell are Peet's customers going to park? Think of that council? Or maybe we can watch someone else get mowed down in the crosswalk in front of the store. New hotels, more tasting rooms=disaster for locals trying to get to and from work. Yesterday, it took me over 25 minutes to get one mile in Sonoma. I wish to god we could replace all of them.
Yea, Peet's, way to go Sonoma!!!!! Peet's is the only coffee my husband and I drink!
ps...To everyone upset about the other coffee providers not getting a fair amount of business...many of us do not frequent them because, we do not care for their coffees, and some people do...however, Many people would frequant a Peet's. Therefore,to each their own. Give all people what they want, not just some. If people go out of business, which I agree is sad to see, however, if they do, then the people have spoken.
This article is so one-sided it only talks about the all the good from Peet's coffee. Peet's was bought by a German conglomerate, Benckiser, last year who also owns a company that makes products that has not only killed rats but children, wildlife and pets. There are plenty of other coffee companies in California and for that matter coffee houses in Sonoma, so why would the city and people of Sonoma allow Peet's and Benckiser in their city? It is sending the wrong message to Benckiser that it is business as usual and the people of California don't really care!!! Also, the City is being short-sighted by looking at the 25 jobs to be gained and more revenues. Did they consider that the revenues would be at the expense of the local existing cafes and very little would be new revenues and could lead to the local cafes in letting go of their employees! Very good job of taking from your own local companies and putting it in the pockets of a German conglomerate that is not environment friendly!