Supervisors uphold Cambria Christmas Market permit on unanimous vote

San Luis Obispo County supervisors on Sept. 13 unanimously upheld the Planning Commission’s approval of a five-year “temporary event” operating permit for the annual Christmas Market in Cambria.

In voting to approve the permit and the project, the supervisors denied an appeal of the commission’s approval. Neighbor Roland Soucie had filed that appeal.

Market opponents have until Tuesday, Oct. 4, to file another appeal, this one with the California Coastal Commission.

Supervisor Bruce Gibson told North Coast Advisory Council members and observers Sept. 21 that he believes, if the market is “run as a tight ship, it will work for the neighborhood.” He said CHP officers can enforce parking bans in nearby residential areas and along high-traffic Burton Drive and Eton Road.

The market sets up hundreds of thousands of lights, holiday displays and up to 26 temporary vendor booths in the center of the 23-acre grounds of the Cambria Pines Lodge and at the adjacent Cambria Nursery.

The holiday market has operated since 2012 with some impacts to the surrounding residential neighborhood and East Village-area businesses, especially from parking and bus traffic. Previous one-year permits were granted by the state Coastal Commission, which now has turned permitting responsibility over to the county.

The new five-year permit would be subject to four pages of conditions and two pages of findings that require adherence to detailed plans governing parking, lighting, and pedestrian and traffic safety.

Council seats

In other actions Sept. 21, advisory council members unanimously elevated Area 2 alternate John Nixon to regular member status, to fill the vacancy left by the death of Mike McLaughlin. That leaves open Nixon’s former alternate seat, representing the Happy Hill/Leimert/Moonstone Beach areas.

Some other alternate seats remain open. They include representation for San Simeon, the Latino/Latina seat and the business seat.

People interested in applying to fill the vacant seats can contact council Chairman Ted Siegler at http://northcoastadvisory council.org/contact-us.

This story was originally published September 28, 2016 at 9:43 AM with the headline "Supervisors uphold Cambria Christmas Market permit on unanimous vote."