Presentation by benjamin van houten, project manager, nightlife entertainment sector. Good afternoon, members of the commission. Thank you for allowing me to speak today and thank you to regina for inviting me. I want to briefly introduce myself and my role in the office of economic and Workforce Development. My name is ben van houten, project manager for nightlife and entertainment oed. That is a new position as a result of a multiyear conversation, stakeholders in the nightlife entertainment has been having for greater connection to city hall and City Services. Obviously the comptrollers study last year about the value of nightlife to the city, a 4 billion industry and that doesnt even take into account the big outdoor daytime festivals. 4 billion, 48,000 employees in the city, and its also an industry that has some of the most complex regulatory hurdles to starting a business and a lot of touch with various city agencies to keep one of these businesses going and successful. So, give
Public health would. I think it would be both. Can the Public Health Department Share the information with the planning . Thats exactly whats happening here. Public health is sharing information with planning. Planning is checking it to make sure it matches the planning code. Thats why theres a fee. So, they will share it. Theyre sharing information. Then should they not charge the fee . I mean its provided by the Health Department. You could potentially roll the fee into one fee and planning could take a bit of the Health Departments fee. I think this is probably the way it works for most use applications so, thats why theyre proposing it in this case. Fully understand the commissions desire, which we share to keep the barrier to cottage food operation as low as possible because its something we all want to see happen. Director dickendrizzi. Im sorry. Commissioner obrien. Do we have any examples of Cottage Industries that have set up in the recent past, any examples we can look at to
Important, i think, i would request that the Commission Consider the alternative levels of Planning Department involvement in this. This could be a conditional use application. It could be a hearing at the commission. It could be a za hearing, that sort of thing. Any one of those levels of process where a cottage food operator would require significantly higher fees. So, we would encourage the commission to look at the level of this fee and, you know, again, i think planning can always provide i know other departments, ive seen the spreadsheets behind the fees of what they estimate in terms of the staff time involved and that sort of thing. Were more than happy to ask planning to provide that. You should have that. I do ask you to consider the alternative involvement from the Planning Department and where this fee falls on the spectrum of what planning, what level of engagement planning has. I dont i cant describe to the logic of comparing this to something that does not exist at prese
Cottage industries that have set up in the recent past, any examples we can look at to see how the process took place . [multiple voices] we can check. There could be to the extent that a cottage food operation is defined as an accessory use within a residential dwelling unit, its not allowed until now. There may be some. Theres some of everything, but im not a irway of it. Theyre not actually allowed right now. So, the answer is no. The only thing i would say is so, you know, you have a primary residence today and the owner decides they want to use this building for a new use. And i think its fair to say that that automatically triggers Regulatory Oversight that would give the Planning Department frankly a change of use in a building is always going to go to the Planning Department and im pretty sure theyll have some convincing arguments about things like if theyre going to put a window in to sell stuff out of a window they cant do that. They can sell, but there are other restrictions
Commissioner dwight . Yes. Commissioner obrien . Yes. Commissioner ortizcartagena . Yes. Commissioner yee riley . Yes. Commissioner right . White . Yes. The item passes 7 to 0. Thank you, justin. Next item, please. Item 6, presentation and discussion on the role and function of the new nightlife and entertainment sector position in the invest in neighborhoods initiative. Discussion item. And we have a staff presentation by benjamin van houten, project manager, nightlife entertainment sector. Good afternoon, members of the commission. Thank you for allowing me to speak today and thank you to regina for inviting me. I want to briefly introduce myself and my role in the office of economic and Workforce Development. My name is ben van houten, project manager for nightlife and entertainment oed. That is a new position as a result of a multiyear conversation, stakeholders in the nightlife entertainment has been having for greater connection to city hall and City Services. Obviously the compt