Back on the Berner
Chef Ian Algeroen’s restaurant finds a new home.
Skadi owner and chef Ian Algeroen has officially found a new home for his restaurant at the former Mammoth Brewing Company location on Berner Street. At Wednesday night’s Town Council meeting in Suite Z, Council members voted unanimously to approve an amendment to the North Village Specific Plan (NVSP) that would allow Algeroen to operate a restaurant in the former tasting room
Permitting the change from tasting room to restaurant proved to be a challenge earlier this summer, when the Planning and Economic Development Commission sent the proposed North Village Specific Plan (NVSP) amendment back to Town staff.
Although the Town is currently processing Algeroen’s building permit, he could not use the space without such an amendment, explained Senior Planner Sandra Moberly.
According to Moberly, the NVSP prohibited a restaurant at Berner Street unless it resides within a hotel. This is because the NVSP looks forward to a time when the current Berner Street properties would be demolished, and a “Vista Point” condominium project built in their place.
Fm Mammoth LLC proposed the Vista Point project in 2009, but when it intends to move forward with the project is unclear.
The scope of the NVSP amendment proposed in July was too broad to sit well with Planning Commissioners, allowing additional uses within the ‘Specialty Lodging’ zone of the NVSP, an 18.9-acre area within the 64.1-acre North Village. The Amendment would have opened these sites up to retail, restaurants, and service uses (i.e. Laundromat or copying), subject to a use permit. The current NVSP only allows uses such as lodges, bed and breakfasts, resort condominiums, employee housing, recreational uses, and public facilities.
The new NVSP amendment approved by Council on Wednesday narrows its scope by applying only to Specialty Lodging parcel zones containing a pre-existing commercial buildings. 94 Berner St., the new home of Algeroen’s restaurant, is the only parcel that fits that description.
“I’m excited to see Ian open up his restaurant there,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Michael Raimondo. Council member Colin Fernie agreed: “We’ve got an established business with a fantastic reputation, and we’d like to keep it here [in town],” he said.
