Marina City Council may consider Dunes’ food, despite no vote from the Planning Commission.

In just two months, the game has changed in Marina. Or at least, the sentiments of its Planning Commission have changed.

In a stunning reversal from its decision May 28, which approved a change in the city’s general plan to accommodate a restaurant development at the The Dunes, the commission denied another general plan change that would redesignate the property from “multiple use” to “retail/services.”

The May general plan change recommended allowing lower density developments in areas designated for multiple use. That means more parking and less floor space. The staff recommendation to amend that decision Aug. 4 came out of a fear the previous decision could negatively impact the density of future development in The Dunes.

But Aug. 4, the commission – which has two new members, Kathy Biala and Adam Urrutia – expressed a different sentiment about changing the general plan, and the development itself.

The Planning Commission voted 5-2 to deny redesignating the property to “retail/services” (Kenneth Turgen and Virgil Piper dissented), which would have made the previous approval of relaxing density requirements apply to the proposed project, and not future development at The Dunes.

The vote did not nullify their May 28 approval. It’s unclear if the project will now now to head to City Council with the May 28 recommendation.

“Decisions are appealable,” City Manager Layne Long says. “[Developer Scott Negri] likes his proposed tenants, so we’re going to meet and try to come up with some solutions.”