For years, this scenic Russian River Valley enclave has worked to foster a community supportive of local businesses, in part, by making it difficult for large chains to move in.
In 2018, Sebastopol leaders created an outright ban of certain chain businesses — particularly restaurants and hotels — from its downtown.
But this month, one of the nation’s largest pizza chains plans to open up in that exact downtown area — much to the concern, and surprise, of many locals.
The new Little Caesars restaurant was somehow approved in error, city officials recently admitted, as first reported by the Press Democrat. The approval of the new franchise for the chain appears to have been granted despite being directly in conflict with the city’s prohibition of “formula,” or chain, businesses in its downtown.
Officials with the city of Sebastopol owned up to the mistake, but said it was too late to reverse course on the Little Caesars project, according to a statement shared on the city website. The city didn’t immediately respond to questions about how the error might change enforcement of the ban moving forward.
“The City regrets this oversight, accepts full accountability for the error, and remains committed to transparency, accountability, and the consistent enforcement of city policies and procedures,” the statement said. “We appreciate the community’s understanding and patience as we strengthen our processes.”
The statement did not say how the project was incorrectly approved, but said officials with the city’s administration have already started a “comprehensive review of the permitting process to identify the cause and implement corrective actions.”
Beyond the ban of certain chains in its downtown area, Sebastopol zoning laws for commercial areas outside of the downtown district specifically regulate and require additional permits for “formula businesses,” which are chain businesses with 25 or more locations nationwide, according to the city. Little Caesars Enterprises Inc., based in Detroit, was founded in 1959 as a single, family-owned restaurant, but it has since expanded dramatically, with locations in all 50 states and in 30 countries, according to the business.
The Press Democrat reported that the Little Caesars planned for Sebastopol, located at 231 Petaluma Ave., plans to open sometime this week.
