Frequent lines at the nearby Starbucks and the busy drive-through window at McDonald's say they also care about the convenience and consistency of local corporate franchisees, but the packed council chambers prompted city officials to consider a response to calls for limiting chain stores and preserving the area's eclectic feel.
"I suggest we tee up the discussion about big boxes and chain stores we had nine months ago," said Councilman Jim Grady after the crowd had dispersed. Grady said that much of the heavy lifting on the subject may have been done as part of a draft Local Coastal Program, and that ordinances to "prevent the predatory actions of big boxes and chains" were something the council could consider.
 Raman Bechar, left, owner of Coastside Gourmet Coffee holds his head in his hands as he talks with customer Raymond Teague of El Granada on Thursday. Teague is one of the shop regulars who started a petition aimed at saving the beloved coffee and tea shop. |
Councilman John Muller was similarly motivated and asked if city staff could get involved in mediation between the landlord and tenant involved in the coffee shop dispute.
For the moment, however, city officials say there is little they can do to intervene.
"We can absolutely come back with a regulatory guide about ordinances and analysis about other communities," said City Attorney Adam Lindgren. As for immediate council action that would impact Bechar's particular case - Lindgren waved red flags after the crowd had gone.
"The issue is that there was a huge crowd of people in here, and the business and property owner, and they are all gone," said Lindgren. "I think there would be Brown Act issues and fairness issues with regard to immediate action."
The Brown Act requires that all city business be done in public. Lindgren felt that any special instructions issued by the council in the marked absence of interested parties were improper.
City staff was directed by the council to schedule the topic of chain-store regulation and ordinances for a future discussion and to assess and present any work the city may have already done on the subject.
"As far as ordinances, that's not anything that's going to happen now, or right away with regard to Raman," said City Councilwoman Marina Fraser after the meeting. She said the council could not intervene in a matter between two private businesses, even if it meant that one party would be priced out of the market.
"We can't stop it, and people wouldn't want us to, because then it would be like communist Russia," she said.
With regards to "big box" stores, the council may be able to hold the line.
"No one wants a Wal-Mart or a Home Depot," said Fraser. "That would wipe out every store in town."
Fraser said that she had been impressed that the landlord in the Bechar case, Mike Shami, had appeared in person in front of a potentially hostile crowd at the council meeting - and impressed that Half Moon Bay residents had treated him with respect and even applause in such a charged atmosphere.
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