Pacific Grove shuns certain types of businesses hoping for diversity downtown

Pacific Grove said it’s getting picky about the types of businesses it will allow downtown. On Wednesday night, city leaders approved a moratorium on certain types of new businesses downtown. The Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce said it’s time to bring more variety to the businesses moving into the city’s downtown area, to help bring more money into the city.

“It was a hobby that turned into a business,” business owner Leon Hittner.

Hittner said he’s enjoyed working at his clock shot for the last 27 years and he also enjoys his city. He likes the idea of welcoming in anyone that wants to set up shop.

“If there are more businesses over here, quite possibly we’re going to attract a lot more people to the area,” Hittner said.

From the chamber’s point of view, Hittner’s opinion is important. But the chamber also has other concerns.

“If you get a retailer or a restaurant or you’ve got a revenue producing entity, the city really needs the revenue,” Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce president Moe Ammar.

Ammar said what this city doesn’t need more of is benefit shops. Right now the city has 13 of them including nonprofits, thrift shops and consignment stores. Ammar said those shops only pay sales tax and their business license tax is limited to only $15 a year. With that said, a prime location has just opened up on Lighthouse Avenue and with it, an opportunity. After 50 years of being in business, Trotter’s Antiques has officially shut its doors.

The chamber said it’s not about shutting businesses out of Pacific Grove, but bringing in a business that could match or exceed the revenue that this one brought it.

“We love those benefit shops so much that we have actually printed a map that shows you where they are,” Ammar said.

While Hittner agrees there might be too much of the same types of businesses, he’s not afraid of a little competition.

“The more antique shops there are the more attractive it is for customers to come to the area because then they can go through all of them,” Hittner said.

A hobby that turned into a business, is alright with city leaders, just as long as it keeps the focus on business.

The moratorium will only last for 45 days. That’s enough time for the city’s planning department to draw up a law for council to approve.