I have a question for the Brentwood Planning Commission.
What exactly is the standard?
I am dead serious because after watching this commission deal with The Grove at Brentwood in May, Vinnie’s Emporium in June and Magano’s Well on Tuesday, I’m not sure anybody knows anymore.
And before someone starts screaming that these were three different applications — congratulations, Sherlock. Of course they were different.
That’s not the point.
The point is how the same Planning Commission behaved while considering three businesses involving alcohol, extended activity and downtown land-use questions.
Watch all three meetings and the personality swings are incredible.
- The Grove: How do we make this happen? Received enthusiasm
- Vinnie’s: How many reasons can we find to kill this? Received an interrogation
- Magano’s: How do we make this happen? Received assistance.
Apparently Vinnie’s picked the wrong month.
The Grove: Roll Out the Red Carpet
In May, The Grove came before the commission with a major downtown project: a two-story, multi-tenant commercial development with a huge outdoor gathering area, entertainment and future businesses potentially selling beer, wine and spirits.
Many of the future tenants weren’t even known yet.
Did that scare the Planning Commission?
Apparently not.
The Grove was viewed as an opportunity to activate downtown, create gathering space, bring entertainment and generate economic activity which was Approved 5-0.
And I agreed.
This is exactly the type of investment Brentwood should encourage.
Remember that pro-business attitude, because it disappeared weeks later when apparently everybody forgot it.
Vinnie’s: Everybody Panic
Then came June and Vinnie’s Emporium.
Remember, the same city, same downtown, same planning commission… but a completely new personality.
Vinnie’s wanted to take over the former Brentwood Emporium and change its alcohol license from a Type 41 beer-and-wine restaurant license to a Type 48 license allowing distilled spirits.
Suddenly, the mood changed.
DEFCON 1.
Alcohol…Late-night activity… Noise… Police… Neighbors… Twenty-one and older… Family-friendly downtown.
Staff argued that a Type 48 license would change the land-use classification because food would no longer legally be required and people under 21 couldn’t enter. That’s a legitimate distinction.
But the applicant said the kitchen would remain. Entertainment would remain. The business would operate within previously approved hours.
Commissioner Anita Roberts exaggerated her worries about serving liquor to potentially hundreds of people, parking, neighborhood impacts and what happens when everybody leaves.
Chair Kris Brand even visited Vinnie’s Concord operation and described it as a first-class establishment. He apparently didn’t find the surrounding neighborhood descending into chaos.
Then Vice Chair Rod Flohr took it another step.
Flohr lectured the applicant about the Downtown Specific Plan, declared that Brentwood already had plenty of businesses and essentially told Vinnie’s that if it wanted to operate here, Vinnie’s needed to conform to Brentwood — Brentwood wasn’t going to accommodate Vinnie’s. He finished with the equivalent of don’t let the door hit you: “Thank you, but we are fine.”
The city had hundreds of public comments with overwhelmingly support, however, it was denied 5-0.
The commission didn’t appear interested in asking how reasonable conditions could make Vinnie’s work.
It appeared interested in explaining why it wouldn’t — one of the most anti-business friendly meetings I’ve ever seen.
Magano’s Well: Hey, We’re Pro-Business Again!
Now comes August 18, 2026 where Magano’s Well asks to extend alcohol service until 11:30 p.m. on selected nights.
And just like that, apparently the “fun” Planning Commission is back.
Unlike Vinnie’s, nobody told Magano’s to “conform”.
Now it is Brentwood needs more places for people to go.
Now it is businesses need opportunities to flourish.
Now downtown needs more variety.
Now an extra 90 minutes after 10 p.m. isn’t some looming threat to civilization.
Now Commissioner Gerald Johnson actually contributes something useful where he suggested whether Thursday-Friday-Saturday might work better than Friday-Saturday-Sunday.
And here’s the thing: I like that approach.
Government should work with businesses.
Ask questions. Protect neighbors. Establish reasonable conditions. Then figure out whether there’s a path to YES.
That’s economic development.
But where the hell was that attitude with Vinnie’s?
- Vinnie’s got: What could go wrong?
- Magano’s got: How can we make this work?
The figuring out how to get to “YES” philosophy apparently wasn’t available in June.
And Then There Is the Police Review
Then we get to perhaps the most obvious inconsistency.
For Magano’s, city staff contacted Brentwood Police and reviewed approximately two to three months of history associated specifically with the business.
There were essentially no significant problems and Brentwood Police didn’t oppose the CUP.
Great.
But during public comment, even Danny Dohrmann pointed out the obvious favoritism that the Emporium received approximately two years of police review while Maganos got two months.
His request to staff was simple: be “fair and equitable” in the due diligence — bingo!
Two years versus two months. That needs to be justified and explained. If two years is the appropriate standard, pull two years for everybody.
If three months is enough, use three months.
But don’t investigate one applicant like you’re assembling a federal case and give another applicant the equivalent of a quick background check. Pick a freaking standard.
Police Are a Problem — Until They’re Fantastic
Public safety and police resources were part of the concern surrounding Vinnie’s.
Then during Magano’s, Chair Brand praised Brentwood Police for doing a “fantastic job” downtown and maintaining a strong presence after 10 p.m., particularly on weekends.
Great.
Again: Which is it?
If Brentwood doesn’t have adequate police resources for late-night downtown businesses, say so.
If Brentwood PD has fantastic after-hours coverage, fantastic.
But public safety shouldn’t become a movable argument depending upon which applicant is standing at the podium. This is not a serious planning commission.
Enough With “Family-Friendly”
Then there is Brentwood’s favorite buzzword: Family-friendly.
Vinnie’s Type 48 proposal was criticized because it would be 21-and-over.
Magano’s Type 47 operation was praised repeatedly as family-friendly. Vice Chair Flohr specifically cited that characteristic while discussing his support.
Can we stop pretending every downtown business needs to accommodate an eight-year-old? A successful downtown needs options. This includes Restaurants. Retail. Coffee shops. Entertainment. Family activities. Breweries. Date-night restaurants.
And yes, places exclusively for adults. Because, well, adults live in Brentwood too, and adults spend money.
A vibrant downtown isn’t Chuck E. Cheese with a farmers market attached.
The Grove blows a giant hole through the idea that Brentwood is terrified of alcohol-centered activity. The city approved a massive gathering destination designed around food, entertainment, shops and potential beer, wine and spirits sales.
Good! That’s exactly the type of project Brentwood should encourage.
But you can’t celebrate a giant future entertainment and alcohol-serving destination in May and then act like cocktails are going to bring down Western civilization in June with Vinnie’s.
Then turn around in August and start helping another restaurant figure out which nights it should stay open later. Come on.
Commissioner Rod Flohr demanding businesses conform to Brentwood.
Three Businesses. Three Different Personalities.
That’s ultimately the issue.
- The Grove: Huge gathering space, entertainment and multiple future alcohol-serving businesses? Fantastic. Let’s make it happen.
- Vinnie’s: Cocktails and an adults-only venue? Police! Noise! Neighbors! Family-friendly! Denied 5-0.
- Magano’s: Extended alcohol hours? Brentwood needs nightlife! Businesses need flexibility! Maybe try Thursday instead! Let’s make it work.
Again, these applications were not identical.
- The Grove was a multi-tenant development.
- Vinnie’s sought a Type 48 license.
- Magano’s remained a Type 47 restaurant.
Those differences justify different conditions and different analysis.
They don’t justify a completely different philosophy toward the applicant and it gives the appearance of favoritism.
Can anyone prove the Planning Commission intentionally played favorites? No. But did they create the appearance of inconsistent treatment? Absolutely.
When one business gets years of scrutiny and another gets months, people notice. When police resources are concerning in one discussion but Brentwood Police after-hours presence is celebrated in another, people notice. When commissioners search for reasons one applicant doesn’t fit but actively brainstorm ways to help another applicant succeed, people notice. And businesses notice too.
That’s the bigger problem.
I think The Grove deserved approval.
I think Magano’s should get its extended hours.
And I think Brentwood blew a huge opportunity with Vinnie’s.
The lesson shouldn’t be to become tougher on The Grove or Magano’s.
It should be to treat the next Vinnie’s more like Brentwood treated The Grove and Magano’s.
You do this by following your own rules. By applying the same predictable standards and applying consistent scrutiny. All while protecting neighboring properties and setting reasonable conditions.
Then get the hell out of the way and let businesses succeed.
It is stunning:
- The Grove got the red carpet.
- Vinnie’s got the firing squad.
- Magano’s got the concierge.
That’s not a coherent downtown economic-development strategy.
That’s City Hall making it up one applicant at a time.
Mike Burkholder
Publisher of ContraCosta.news
[email protected]
