Pleasant Hill planning panel keeps fitness studio permit and approves expansion with conditions

The Pleasant Hill Planning Commission on April 14 closed a continued revocation hearing for Everfit Motion and decided not to revoke or modify the studio’s minor use permit, then approved an after‑the‑fact amendment to expand the business into the neighboring suite subject to conditions.

Staff told commissioners the original conditional use permit (PLN 18‑0014) for Everfit Motion at 1630 Contra Costa Boulevard, Suite C, was approved in 2018 and that the city had recorded verified complaints about noise and outdoor activity in 2023 and 2024. Staff said the city sent a certified letter of non‑compliance in January 2025 and continued the matter after a May 2025 hearing to give the business time to comply. "Staff have conducted several site visits and verified that he was in full compliance on each visit," the planner reported, and noted the city had not received any additional verified noise complaints since the May 2025 hearing.

The applicant’s representative, architect Steve Bowker, told the commission the studio had sealed doors, added fans for air circulation and otherwise mitigated leakage paths; he said a neighboring business emailed to confirm satisfaction with noise reductions. "We solved that problem," Bowker said, arguing the studio had operated in compliance for months.

After discussion, commissioners voted unanimously to close the revocation hearing and not revoke or modify Minor Use Permit PLN 18‑0014, directing the applicant to remain in compliance with permit conditions.

The commission then considered an after‑the‑fact amendment (ENT2025‑0041) that would allow Everfit Motion to occupy Suite B as well as Suite C, for a combined floor area of about 3,061 square feet. Staff said the expansion came to light when reviewing other tenant applications and noted the revised shared‑parking analysis was based on a parking inventory discrepancy: prior approvals and analyses assumed 137 spaces for the shopping center; a recent count found 128 spaces. To address that, staff included a condition requiring the parking facility be restored to 137 spaces.

Staff also recommended conditions limiting hours and occupancy, accepting a CEQA exemption, and requiring a bicycle rack with capacity for at least two bicycles. The staff report described shared parking functioning because tenants’ peak hours differ and recommended approval of the amendment subject to findings and those conditions.

Bowker said most complaints had come from Studio B and that mitigation there—closing doors, sealing leaks and limiting heavy equipment—had addressed the noise. He described shared parking as effective for the Carmelo Plaza shopping center and said the landlord had been notified of the permit conditions but had not yet confirmed plans for restriping or installing racks.

Commissioners pressed staff and the applicant on implementation details: who must perform restriping and rack installation, whether interior bike storage could satisfy the condition, and what happens if the property owner does not complete required improvements within the 60‑day timeframe in the resolution. Staff confirmed the conditions run with the land (the use permit benefits the property owner) and said the city would follow up with the owner and could work with the applicant if reasonable extensions were needed.

Commissioners ultimately moved to approve the use permit amendment as drafted, adding explicit clarification that the required bicycle rack be exterior. The motion passed unanimously on roll call.

Under the approvals, the city expects the property owner to bring the parking and bike‑rack conditions into compliance; staff said it would monitor follow‑up and return the matter to the commission if conditions remain unmet. The commission also received brief staff updates that the City Council had adopted a Climate Action Plan and that the city’s ADU pre‑approved plans were updated following a building code cycle.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:31 p.m.; the Planning Commission is scheduled to reconvene April 20, 2026.