Less Heat, More Light On Muzo's Controversy

The media loves controversy.

From that standpoint what's not to love about the story of Marc Michieli, who wants to put a hot dog stand called Muzo's Grill on Castro Valley Boulevard. (Check our archive of stories on this).

Many see Michieli as the little guy getting the bureaucratic runaround.

Others see him as thumbing his nose at the rules meant to govern all businesses.

Those are opinions and viewpoints that people are entitled to hold.

But maybe this analysis will help clarify the record and rein in the rhetoric.

First, special regulations covering downtown Castro Valley Boulevard specifically preclude walk up or drive up food joints. Country staff have enforced those rules. The question is whether to make an exception for Muzo's.

Second, Marc started the upgrades to Muzo's before he got permits authorizing the work (as we reported earlier), and that accounts for some of the $17,000 he has spent this far.

Third, this issue comes before the Municipal Advisory Council on Monday, May 13. There is a debate underway about whether the MAC should be elected or appointed. That's a great question. But perhaps we should defer discussion until after this decision.

Meanwhile, here's a thing or two Castro Valley residents might want to consider.

In principle we all want locally owned shops. Have we made the process of starting a downtown business so complex and costly that only chains can jump through the hoops?

And if we do want to build more slack into the system, how do we manage that?

There is a planning process underway for folks who want to get involved.

It's the Eden Area Livibility Initiative (EALI).

You can read about it on a county web site. May 29th is when the next meeting on economic issues takes place (check the calendar of events here).

Meanwhile, let me reiterate two questions that were raised in a previous article involving a business versus bureaucracy issue:

• Is there one page or or place where a prospective county business owner can go to find out what approvals they need and where to get them?
• And if county officials can't boil all of this down to a checklist, how is a citizen supposed to navigate the system?