CITY COUNCIL APPEAL
Deny CUP PC26-018
STIIZY cannabis dispensary proposed at 13041 San Pablo
Avenue
Requested action: reverse the Planning
Commission approval and deny the
Conditional Use Permit.
Islamic Society of West Contra Costa County
1110 36th Street, Richmond, CA
Islamic Society of West Contra Costa County | City Council Appeal | PC26-018 01
CITY COUNCIL APPEAL
The decision before Council
Islamic Society of West Contra Costa County | City Council Appeal | PC26-018 02 We are asking for full denial — not additional conditions.
Why denial is warranted
01 Youth exposure Children ages 4–15 attend programming nearby five days per week. 02 Location conflict Approx. 50 feet between property lines on Rheem Avenue. 03 Traffic + transit Busy San Pablo & Rheem intersection with bus stop activity. 04 Secondary impacts Loitering, public consumption, noise, blight, theft/robbery concerns.
This is the wrong location. Conditions cannot solve 50 ft adjacency.
CITY COUNCIL APPEAL
Community concern is broad and measurable
Islamic Society of West Contra Costa County | City Council Appeal | PC26-018 13 This appeal reflects a clear community response — not isolated opposition. 500+
local petition signatures
100+
donors funded the appeal
$4.5K+
raised for city appeal fees
Dozens of concerned parents contacted the mosque to express support and concern for children who attend programs nearby.
Council should treat this as a significant quality-of-life issue for families, neighbors, and youth.
CITY COUNCIL APPEAL
Who we are: a pillar in local community
Islamic Society of West Contra Costa County | City Council Appeal | PC26-018 04 Islamic Society of West Contra Costa County
1110 36th Street, Richmond, CA
Services Provided
• 5 Daily Prayers
• Youth Education
• Food Pantry
• Community Events
• More
30+
programs per week
4–17
youth ages served
750+
Families served
CITY COUNCIL APPEAL
Proximity to children is the central issue
Islamic Society of West Contra Costa County | City Council Appeal | PC26-018 05 Approx. 50 feet
between property lines on Rheem Avenue
The propose STIIZY site is directly across the
street from our mosque and in the path that
families and children walk to our mosque
from nearby apartments and bus stops.
Children attend our mosque daily including for formal
classes 5 days per week.
CITY COUNCIL APPEAL
Youth protection requires consistent logic
Islamic Society of West Contra Costa County | City Council Appeal | PC26-018 06 The City already recognizes the need to protect
children from cannabis dispensaries by requiring
buffer zones from schools.
That same youth-protection principle should apply when
an organization regularly serves minors five days per week.
SCHOOLS YOUTH
PROTECTION
YOUTH-SERVING
MOSQUE
This is the same public policy concern in a different setting.
CITY COUNCIL APPEAL
Traffic, transit, and curb conflicts
Islamic Society of West Contra Costa County | City Council Appeal | PC26-018 08 San Pablo & Rheem already concentrates
heavy movement.
• Proposed site access is too close to intersection of San Pablo and Rheem which is a heavy-traffic corridor
• San Pablo and Montaya is also a busy intersection providing access to popular shopping complex with Smart & Final and AutoZone
AC Transit 72 line bus stop
A dispensary adds short-duration, high-turnover customer trips • Drivers entering proposed location could cross 4-5 busy lanes of traffic to enter
Result: more turning, stopping, pickups, drop-offs, create major safety risks for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.
CITY COUNCIL APPEAL
Pedestrian and child-safety conflicts
Islamic Society of West Contra Costa County | City Council Appeal | PC26-018 09 The site creates overlapping movements in the same small area.
Children
+ families
Bus riders
+ crossings
Customer
vehicles+ + At an already busy
intersection
The question is not whether any one movement can be managed. The question is whether Council should approve a new high-turnover use where these movements already overlap.
CITY COUNCIL APPEAL
Loitering and public-consumption risks
Islamic Society of West Contra Costa County | City Council Appeal | PC26-018 10 Proposed site frontage on San Pablo Avenue
Why this matters next to a mosque
• Burger King parking lot offers open, unsecured space with immediate access to food and drinks, creating a foreseeable location for post-purchase cannabis consumption.
• Burger King parking lot is directly opposite main entrance to ISWCCC and mosque attendees use Burger King parking lot for overflow Exposes congregants and children to cannabis odor, loitering, noise/disruption during prayer, impaired individuals, litter, and potential conflicts over shared/overflow parking used by worshippers and families • Monitoring or enforcement after approval is not a substitute for proper siting
The issue is predictable spillover activity immediately adjacent to a sensitive community use.
CITY COUNCIL APPEAL
This is a location problem, not a conditions problem
Islamic Society of West Contra Costa County | City Council Appeal | PC26-018 07 No condition moves the building.
More security still does not change youth proximity
Hours limits still do not remove daily adjacency
Parking rules still do not fix the bus stop / curb conflict Signage or odor rules still do not eliminate public exposure concerns If the core issue is incompatible adjacency, the appropriate remedy is denial.
CITY COUNCIL APPEAL
Other impacts support denial
Islamic Society of West Contra Costa County | City Council Appeal | PC26-018 11 These are not isolated concerns. Together they affect neighborhood quality of life.
Noise Disrupts daily prayers and youth
programming Blight Litter, odor, and loitering concerns Theft / robbery High-value retail risk near families Parking Short visits compete for curb space Council does not need to wait for these impacts to occur before denying an incompatible CUP.
CITY COUNCIL APPEAL
Cumulative impact: denial is the appropriate remedy
Islamic Society of West Contra Costa County | City Council Appeal | PC26-018 13 Youth-serving mosque + 50 ft proximity + busy intersection + bus stop + secondary impacts
=
INCOMPATIBLE LOCATION
Requested action
Reverse PC26-018 and deny the Conditional Use Permit.
This is not a matter of mitigation. It is the wrong location.