Ventura Municipal Code Art. 2 New or Modified Use Permit or Director Permit for Alcoholic Beverage…

A. Except as otherwise provided herein, no person shall establish a new alcoholic beverage establishment without first obtaining a use permit or director permit in the manner provided by this chapter.

B. Any new alcohol beverage establishment shall require the processing of a director permit application in compliance with this chapter, consistent with Section 24.500.030 and Chapter 24.505. A director permit shall be used for most ABC license types, including ABC license types 01-25, 29, 40-47, 49, 53-54, 59-67, 69-70, and 73-86. A director permit for alcohol beverage establishments shall be processed administratively, except that, a use permit, consistent with Section 24.500.030 and Chapter 24.520, shall be required for ABC license type 48 for on-sale general – public premises, ABC license type 50 for on-sale general club, ABC license type 51 for club, ABC license type 52 for veteran’s club, and ABC license type 90 on-sale general – music venue, typically issued to bars, night clubs, music venues, or other similar uses. ABC use types not specified here may not require a city permit, unless otherwise determined by the director to require a director permit.

C. Modification to an existing use permit or director permit for an alcoholic beverage establishment, including expansion, changing the alcoholic beverage establishment’s type of ABC alcohol license or the modification of any condition in the existing use permit or director permit for the alcoholic beverage establishment, shall require the processing of a director permit application in compliance with this chapter.

D. The director may forward an item otherwise considered administratively as a director permit to the director’s hearing or planning commission, consistent with Section 24.500.060(D).

E. A use permit or director permit shall not be required for a special event function, provided all of the following criteria are met:

1. The person, group, business, or organization sponsoring the event obtains all permits required by any other applicable city regulation in order to lawfully conduct the special event; and

2. The person, group, business, or organization sponsoring the event obtains the appropriate temporary license or authorization from ABC for each of the dates the event will be held. (Ord. No. 2019-006, § 2, 6-10-19; Ord. No. 2025-005, § 2, 11-18-25)

An application for a new alcoholic beverage establishment use permit or director permit or to modify a use permit or director permit for an alcoholic beverage establishment shall be in the form prescribed by the community development director, shall contain all of the information required by Section 24.500.030, and shall also include all of the following additional information:

A. The name of the person(s) or entity(ies) applying for an alcohol license from ABC;

B. The type or types of ABC licenses the applicant is seeking for the alcoholic beverage establishment;

C. The name of the proposed alcoholic beverage establishment;

D. The true and complete name and address of each lender or shareholder with a five percent or more financial interest in the proposed business or any other person to whom a share or percentage of the income of the alcoholic beverage establishment is to be paid;

E. The name and address of all existing schools, churches, hospitals, parks, playgrounds or other alcoholic beverage establishments within 300 feet of the proposed alcoholic beverage establishment as measured from the closest exterior wall of the proposed alcoholic beverage establishment and the nearest property line of the above referenced uses, along a straight line extended between the two points, without regard to intervening structures;

F. The alcoholic beverage establishment’s proposed operations and training plan; and

G. An application for modification of an existing use permit or director permit for an alcoholic beverage establishment shall identify the requested modification(s) to the conditions and, where applicable, the new type of ABC alcohol license. (Ord. No. 2019-006, § 2, 6-10-19; Ord. No. 2025-005, § 2, 11-18-25)

An application for a new use permit or director permit for an alcoholic beverage establishment or a modification of a use permit or director permit for an existing alcoholic beverage establishment, or any modification of a deemed approved establishment, shall be accompanied by an application fee in an amount established by resolution of the city council, based on the estimated costs of reviewing and acting on such applications. (Ord. No. 2019-006, § 2, 6-10-19; Ord. No. 2025-005, § 2, 11-18-25)

A. The director of community development or their designee shall consider each application for a use permit or director permit for an alcoholic beverage establishment, provided such use permit or director permit is for an alcoholic beverage establishment within the time and in the manner provided for by Chapter 24.505 or 24.520.

B. The decision-making authority may approve issuance of the use permit or director permit for an alcoholic beverage establishment only if all of the following findings can be made in an affirmative manner:

1. The proposed alcoholic beverage establishment conforms to the general plan and is consistent with the purposes and requirements of this zoning ordinance;

2. The proposed alcoholic beverage establishment will not contribute to an undue concentration of alcoholic beverage establishments in the area, unless a finding of public convenience or necessity is made;

3. The proposed alcoholic beverage establishment will not detrimentally affect nearby neighborhoods considering the distance of the alcoholic beverage establishment to residential buildings, churches, schools, hospitals, playgrounds, parks, and other existing alcoholic beverage establishments;

4. The proposed alcoholic beverage establishment will be compatible with existing uses, or the general character of the surrounding vicinity, and be consistent with the public health, safety, or welfare, due to hours of operation, generation of pedestrian or vehicle traffic, lighting, noise, vibration, odor, security, or other factors; and

5. The proposed alcoholic beverage establishment is not located in what has been determined to be a high-crime area, or where a disproportionate number of police service calls occur, unless it can be shown that the proposed alcoholic beverage establishment will not significantly add to the crime rate of the area or contribute to a disproportionate number of police service calls.

C. The city shall prepare a mailed approval letter notification, consistent with Section 24.560.040(C) to indicate the approval of the director permit for an alcoholic beverage establishment and shall outline the appeal deadline for the action as noted in Section 24.460.260 and as further described in Chapter 24.565. The action to approve the director permit shall not become effective until such appeal period has concluded. A mailed approval letter is not required for a use permit, as the use permit will have a mailed notice associated with the hearing. (Ord. No. 2019-006, § 2, 6-10-19; Ord. No. 2021-017, § 57, 12-13-21; Ord. No. 2025-005, § 2, 11-18-25)

A. Approval of an application for a use permit or director permit for an alcoholic beverage establishment shall be subject to the operational standards and training requirements set forth in Article 4 of this chapter.

B. Approval of an application for a use permit or director permit for an alcoholic beverage establishment may also be subject to other additional conditions determined to be necessary or desirable to ensure that the particular use authorized by the permit will be established, operated, and maintained in accordance with the findings required by Section 24.460.240, including, but not limited to, conditions that:

1. Require the exterior areas of the premises and adjoining parking lots to be illuminated in a manner that provides adequate lighting for alcoholic beverage establishment patrons while not disturbing surrounding residential and commercial areas;

2. Require litter and trash receptacles are placed at convenient locations both within and outside the alcoholic beverage establishment and are emptied on a daily basis;

3. Prohibit fixtures or furnishings that encourage loitering and nuisance behavior;

4. Reduce opportunities for patrons to congregate and obstruct neighboring properties and public rights-of-way; and

5. Otherwise maximize opportunities for surveillance and control of the premises and areas around the perimeter of the premises. (Ord. No. 2019-006, § 2, 6-10-19; Ord. No. 2025-005, § 2, 11-18-25)

Any applicant or other person aggrieved by a decision granting or denying an application for a use permit or director permit for an alcoholic beverage establishment may appeal the decision within the time and in the manner required by Chapter 24.565. (Ord. No. 2019-006, § 2, 6-10-19; Ord. No. 2025-005, § 2, 11-18-25)

Every owner of an alcoholic beverage establishment issued a use permit or director permit pursuant to the provisions of this article shall post a copy of all operational standards, training requirements and any special conditions of the permit in at least one prominent place within the interior of the alcoholic beverage establishment where it will be readily visible and legible to the employees, and make available a copy upon request to a city official. (Ord. No. 2019-006, § 2, 6-10-19; Ord. No. 2025-005, § 2, 11-18-25)