Split Decision for The Rellik

The Planning Commission voted to allow The Rellik to move forward with its plans to paint the front of 724 First St., the building next door to the popular downtown watering hole that the owners have leased to use as a storage space. 

At the same time, the commissioners voted to continue the issue of the window sign in part because they couldn't agree about whether it is a window sign, a regular sign or something else.

The commission voted to continue the sign issue, instructing the owners to apply for a sign permit and a sign permit variance.

Eight people spoke to the commission, each asking that owners of The Rellik be allowed to move forward with their project and that the requirement that the sign be removed be rescinded.

Josh Wilson spoke for many when he said the commission should try and make it easy to do business in Benicia. 

"They've turned that building around," said Wilson, referring to 726 First St., where The Rellik is.

 "I think it is a graphic," said Commissioner Belinda Smith.  "This is a process issue. I resent that they (Historic Preservation Review Commission) have become a regulatory group.  Because of the fact that HPRC never should have looked at this issue in the first place.... I will support the applicant."

"It's really a distance thing,"  said Smith, pointing out that the window sign ordinance doesn't  specify how close a sign needs to be to a window in order to be considered a window sign. 

"I thought it looked great," said Don Dean, who voted to uphold the HPRC decision. "It's unfortunate it has to come to this." 

"It operates as a sign," said Rod Sherry. "I also think the ordinance is sufficiently vague that it could be viewed as not a sign or not a window sign. I'm really reluctant to cause one of our local merchants to redo something that's going to cost them  money and possibly hurt their business."

"I don't want to enforce the sign ordinance that is broken," he said.

It is now up to city staff to try and interpret the rules and bring back a recommendation to the Planning Commission in July.