Pop and Hiss makes some noise at a Pacific Grove zoning hearing, and there’s more to come.

Kevin Bacon didn’t show up to Pacific Grove City Hall yesterday, but in his stead over 60 people did, both in-person and online, almost all to heartily support a proposed downtown all-ages live music venue with a bar and record store named Pop and Hiss, in the face of a few residents in opposition.

Pam Marino here. Days before the hearing to consider an appeal to Michaela Kuenster’s conditional use permit, I interviewed Kuenster about the opposition for a story that appears in this week’s paper.

“We’re living in the town of Footloose, but I’m about to ‘Kevin Bacon’ it,” she joked with me, referencing the 1984 movie starring Bacon, in which his character, Ren McCormack, stands up in defiance to small town leaders over a ban on rock ‘n’ roll music and dancing. Kuenster used the movie’s theme music playfully in her Instagram posts asking supporters to write letters to the city and show up on Monday to a zoning administration hearing.

Her campaign worked. Normally zoning hearings are dry, technical affairs attended only by a few, but it was standing-room only inside the chamber on Monday morning. One by one, supporters shared with P.G. Community Development Director Anastacia Wyatt—serving as the zoning administrator—why the town needs Pop and Hiss.

A few themes emerged during the hearing. P.G. doesn’t have enough interesting activities, including for children, teens and families, many supporters said. Numerous musicians spoke—including Kuenster’s father, TJ Kuenster, Glen Campbell’s music arranger for 35 years—applauding her vision for an all-ages venue where young musicians can get their start alongside seasoned professionals. 

Restoring vitality to a downtown area that currently has numerous empty storefronts was another theme. Several pointed out that the building Kuenster is currently remodeling at 215 Forest Ave., a former silkscreen shop, has been empty for over a year. (It sits next to another empty storefront that once housed a florist.)

The few who were there to oppose the use permit followed a familiar theme often voiced by those in P.G. who combat nearly every new proposal, as in, “I’m not against, but…” (Examples: ‘I’m not against affordable housing, but not here,’ or ‘I’m not against a skatepark, but not here.’)

On Monday the opponents voiced a variation: “I’m not against the venue, but the process used was wrong.” The resident appealing the permit, Inge Lorentzen Daumer, pointed out there was nothing in P.G.’s code for a music venue like Kuenster’s and thought the planning staff was incorrectly using a workaround to grant the permit. Lorentzen Daumer said she was glad people supported the venue “but not at the expense of Pacific Grove’s municipal code.”

In her ruling, Wyatt disagreed with Lorentzen Daumer. She said the code may be outdated, but businesses like Pop and Hiss fit within the downtown commercial zone. She did direct staff to redo the permit classifying it as either a restaurant or pub and to repost the permit for another 10 days.

Based on past behavior, I expect Wyatt’s decision will be appealed to the P.G. Planning Commission, and probably City Council after that. Two planning commissioners were present yesterday and Mayor Bill Peake was watching via Zoom, so they likely are expecting it too.

Kevin Bacon didn’t show up yesterday, but the spirit of Ren McCormack did. If Pop and Hiss is to come to be, that spirit will need to keep showing up. Hopefully the town’s leaders will be open to allowing this venue to bring more live music to Pacific Grove.