Will Market on 8th become hot spot for National City?

Market on 8th, National City's sprawling food hall that opened almost a year ago in its emergent downtown, is growing. While its flagship brewery, Novo Brazil, is leaving, the goal is to make way for more craft breweries.

The National City Planning Commission on July 18 approved changes that - if approved by the city council - will bring live entertainment, the sale of beer and wine to go, and modifications to some of the most extreme hours ever proposed, stretching from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. daily for alcohol sales and 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily for the music venues.

Neighbors can already feel the vibration. But supporters say bring it on. Otherwise, no one will be putting National City on their to-do list.

"We're not here to create a nightclub," said Market owner Joel Tubao. Kombuchas after yoga could be on the menu, as the National City local envisions it.

"We built it as a stepping stone for more businesses to come in," he added. This is just a catalyst for what we would like to become."

Tubao sees the market as a community event center, and hopes to turn busy 8th street into a walker's dream.

The extended hours were meant to cover events that might occur outside normal market operating hours.

The market, located on 8th Street between A Avenue and Lantana Drive, now has 12 restaurants, two retail shops, and a beer garden. It has an existing conditional use permit, approved for Novo Brazil in 2016 for a tasting room, open from noon to 10:00 p.m. daily.

Planning director Martin Reeder said Novo Brazil will be leaving the market and its type-23 license will be transferred elsewhere.

Tubao proposes to change the beer tasting room license to a type-41 license, allowing on-sale beer and wine at an eating place, which will be associated with Weapon Ramen, a restaurant within the market.

The current beer bar area inside the market will remain as the location for alcohol sales.

Entertainment would consist of live music, DJ, and karaoke. The developer wants to add a bar on the rear patio and allow drinking on the front patio.

Commissioner William Sendt didn't want to allow off-site sales. "It's essentially a liquor store now," he said of the plan to convert the license. Commissioner Martin Miller suggested an acoustic study.

Dozens of speakers complained about the onslaught of nightly noise and parking nightmares the permit changes would bring to their streets.

"We want to have a quiet place to live," said Agnes Vasco.

According to Reeder, the live entertainment could be anywhere in the building or outside on the patio area.

A staff report says the proposed hours for live entertainment, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. daily, "far exceed all active live entertainment CUPs and pose potential noise issues, particularly as there are several residential buildings nearby."

Others called it a "no win" for neighbors, saying there's a complete lack of parking. "McDini's has taken the brunt" said Benjamin Adler, adding that calls to code enforcement have been made many times over litter, karaoke, and the public walkway.

There's a charter school next door that backs up to where the live music would occur, but Reeder said charter schools are treated differently than institutional schools when it comes to permitting.

Commissioner Miller made a motion to continue the item to another meeting to obtain more information, specify that a noise study be completed prior to commission approval, and revise the hours of operation.

"To me, the request from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. is not viable."

Commissioner Claudia Valenzuela offered a substitute motion to avoid delaying it another month and holding up the applicant.

Miller, the only vote against the new motion, disagreed. "Why is it so urgent" that this item moves forward now? "I think the noise study should have already been done."

The new motion modified the hours for entertainment more in keeping with the mixed residential setting to Monday-Thursday, 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday, 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.

For indoor entertainment, the hours would be 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.

It will next go to the city council.