Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Call this meeting to order. Please let us stand for the Absolute. And a moment of silence. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

You may be seated. Laura, may we have roll call, please? Uh, yes. Commissioner Sautille, present. Commissioner Edison, present. Commissioner Ciro, present. Commissioner Morose, present. And Commissioner Paul, present.

Well, welcome to the Alcohol Planning Commission meeting. This meeting is being livereamed on the city of Alcohon website. Appeals of final decisions of the planning commission made this evening must be filed in writing with the city clerk before 5:00 p. a.m. Monday, January 5th, 2026, and must include the payment of a filing fee. If you wish to speak on either a non-aggenda or agenda item tonight, please fill out a request to speak card located by the secretary and give it to the secretary who will call you up to speak when the agenda item comes up for public comment. We ask that you give us your name, spelling your last name. Speakers are limited to three minutes. The display on the podium as well as other monitors in the chambers will show time counting down. At 30 seconds, the podium clock readout will turn red, signifying you have 30 seconds until the end of your time. Applicants and individuals representing groups of people may be allowed more time if appropriate. All public hearing meetings should be dis addressed to me as the chair of the commission and not to individual commissioners or to staff members. Please turn off all electronic devices if you have not already done so. Pursuant to city council resolution number 114-79, a commissioner who has received evidence related to a matter before the planning commission other than an unescorted view of the subject property is required to disclose such information at the hearing. At this time, we will uh take comments from any member of the public on any item of business within the jurisdiction of the commission that is not in the

agenda. Under state law, no action can be taken items brought forward under public comment except to refer it to staff for administration or place it on a future agenda. Is there anyone who wishes to address the commission under public comment? Please come forward. Okay, next is the consent calendar. A single motion will cover all items on the consent calendar. Does the commission wish to pull a consent calendar item for discussion? No. Okay. Does the staff wish to pull a consent calendar item for discussion? No changes from staff. Thank you. Okay.

I move to adopt the consent calendar. A second. Okay. Uh motion by made by Commissioner Sautille, second by Commissioner Circle. Please vote. Motion carries by unanimous vote.

Okay. And now my screen is black. How do I turn? Oh, there it is. There it goes. Okay, never mind. I got it going. Okay, the second item is a King auto sales conversion and the request is to convert RV dealership to an auto dealership. It's SQA exempt and staff recommendation is approved. Uh staff,

good evening planning commissioners. My name is Mike Vion, senior planner with the community development department. Item two on this agenda, this evening's agenda, as you mentioned, is a request to amend conditional use permit 1390 uh to authorize an automobile dealership with general vehicle sales at 1131 Broadway. The subject property is located between North First Street and Oro Street on the south side of Broadway and totals 19,500 square ft. The property includes a modular office building addressed as 1131 Broadway approximately 1,500 square ft in area which is visible at the top left corner of the image. The uh immediately behind it along the Westerly property line is a 140 ft storage building. The site includes a 6ft chain link gate along Broadway and an unenclosed single bin trash enclosure along the easterly property line and 6ft perimeter block wall. With the exception of the landscape area, the site is completely paved. Note that an unpermitted outdoor vehicle lift is present south of the building behind an existing chain link L-shaped mesh screening fence. Uses in the vicinity include an automotive body repair shop to the west, single family residential to the south, a boarding care facility to the east, and various commercial uses north across Broadway. The subject property is uh designated general commercial by the general plan and has a consistent zoning designation. The general commercial zone requires a CUP to conduct auto sales including for cars, trucks, motorcycles, or recreational vehicles. In 1990, planning commission granted CUP 1390, which authorized the recreational vehicle dealership with accessory detailing of

inventory, but prohibited service and repair. In 2008, when CUP 1390 was last renewed and reauthorized by the planning commission, the approving resolution included a condition explicitly limiting the dealership to RV sales without an amendment to the CUP. RV dealerships operated at the site under the authority of the CUP until roughly the end of 2022. In April 2025, code compliance activity commenced related to the operation of a car dealership with auto repair. This compliance activity resulted in the removal of unpermitted temporary structures and the subject CUP amendment application which proposes the conversion of the existing RV dealership into a car dealership. As with the existing CUP, the application proposes accessory detailing of inventory but no repair. The application indicates that dealership sales are primarily online, anticipates and anticipates only two employees with one present at a given time. As a result of the online sales model, on-site customer interactions are primarily scheduled sales appointments, scheduling those appointments with walk-in customers, and vehicle delivery appointments. The dealership is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. No new structures are proposed with the amendment and the site is fully improved. As shown in the site plan here, existing paved areas will be restriped for display and customer and employee parking, though none is required pursuant to state law. Two stalls are provided for employees, one for the dealership employee and another for the private security company also present in the office and seven for customers. 13 display spaces concentrated at the north end of the site and along the easterly property line are also striped. All stalls meet parking regulations with minimum dimensions and appropriate

reverse space. The previously identified mesh chain link screening fence aligned with the building in the rear third of the site separates and screens backstock vehicles which may not be prepared for sale from the display lot. The trash enclosure will remain. However, further site development will necessitate upgrades to city standards in accordance with code requirements. The site plan also shows the four unpermitted temporary structures that were already removed as a part of the comp compliance efforts. Despite this limited scope of work, there are three primary concerns with existing and proposed site conditions that are addressed in the draft resolution. First, a condition is incorporated to require the removal of the unpermitted outdoor vehicle lifts as all work must occur indoors according to the zoning code. Second, the orientation of the display spaces near Broadway may encourage reversing into the ride-of-way, which is prohibited by parking regulations for standard parking stalls. Consequently, a condition prohibiting reversing into the right of way for any purpose is included. Third, the mesh screening fence is unsightly according to the zoning code. The methods of screening outdoor uses is determined by the planning commission with the conditional use permit. Thus, a recommended condition requires integral screening slats or an acceptable alternative to ensure a long-term aesthetic appearance. The proposed conversion of the RV dealership into a general automobile sales dealership is exempt from the review requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to the class one exemption for existing facilities in section 15301 of the SQA guidelines. Required findings to grant the conditional use permit can be made in the affirmative. The proposed use is consistent with the scope of uses anticipated in the general commercial land use designation as well as the policies of the general plan goal number

nine related to economic development. The use is also existing and alterations are limited limited to striping necessary to provide sufficient parking. Further, an auto dealership consisting exclusively of vehicle sales, display, and inventory storage is not anticipated to result in nuisance conditions from noise, odors, or other objectionable characteristics, nor incompatibility with adjacent uses. No public comments were received. Staff therefore recommend approval and are available for questions. I would also note that the applicants are here in the audience should you have any questions of the applicant. This concludes staff's report. Thank you. Um, Michael, I do have a question. I noticed on the depiction there that the parking is uh diagonal. So, if the park is diagonal, cars would have to back up in order to park or can they uh is there enough room to turn around?

The uh this the northerly stalls there, those are all display stalls. So, you you should not anticipate that cars are regularly pulling in and out of those stalls. But um to answer your question, yes, the site provides adequate space to reverse out of those stalls and turn and turn around before going to the streets. Okay, very good. Um fellow commissioners, you have any uh questions?

I just have one question. Uh it says to amend the cup for auto sales. Does that remove the possibility of RV sales? because I know that was the original uh or the amendment in 2008 was RV only. Is this now car only, car and truck or is it it's it's broader and it's to be consistent with the zoning code land use categorization where it lumps in uh trucks, cars, RVs under one umbrella. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Yes.

Uh mine is really simple. Well, it seems like it's very straightforward. Um, I did reading your report, you said that there should be no backing in and the pictures, every single car is backed in. Um, it's going to be the same owner, right?

So, the property owner is unchanged. I think the concern though is is not necessarily um the vehicles that you probably see stored uh reversed into the angled stalls because they're they're situated so that the front end is is visible from the street which is probably desirable from a sales perspective. But the the concern would alternatively be if those were to be driven front end in there could be an inclination to reverse back out of those stalls into the public ride ofway um resulting in a dangerous potential conflict. I see that was it for me. Thanks.

Any other questions? Okay. Uh Laura, do we have any speaker cards? There are no speaker cards. Um, would the owner uh like to come up and speak? Yeah, come on. Come on up. Sure. And Mr. Chairman, if we can uh go ahead and open the public hearing. Oh, yes. I open the public hearing. Uh, do I have a second? Okay, let's vote. Open public hearing. Um, vote by Commissioner Sautille, second by Commissioner, was it Pollock Rude? Okay. All right.

Good evening, commissioners and the staff. Um, my name is Khaled and I will be represent I'm I'll be representing King Auto Sales. So, which is a family-owned business and uh have you read all the conditions of approval? Yes. Uh we went through all the conditions of youth permit uh uh for with uh uh Mike and we agreed upon that and um we acknowledged uh of um anything that are uh not in compliance to bring them into compliance and yes you do agree with the condition. Yes, I do agree with it.

Okay, very good. And you heard uh Commissioner Edison's concern regarding the diagonal parking. If you're with a front in the tendency would be to back up into the street and and that is a condition of approval that you can't do that. Uh for that one uh for that one we have five available parking lots for customers. Uhhuh. Which uh which will be used for customers only. I think that was uh for the reversing level. Uh I think you addressed that for customers for the receivable re reversible right

to clarify it would be for for any purpose. So you wouldn't be allowed to reverse out of the property back into the public street. Yes. Right. Yeah. I agree with that. It will not it will never go reversibly uh out of um out of the the um the lot. Right. So you would uh turn around if and then go up uh forward going moving forward. Yes. Okay. Got it. Uh any questions? Yes. Come here.

That is correct. Of course. Any other questions of Khaled? No. Okay. Thank you, Khaled. Oh, how do you spell Khaled? Uh, K H A L I D. Okay. Thank you. Of course. Thank you. Right. Um, any then? What else? Right. Well, I I move to close public hearing. Okay. Motion made by Commissioner Sautille, second by Commissioner Pollock Rude. Please vote. Motion carries by unanimous vote. Okay.

So, what say you? Pretty straightforward. Does anyone wish to make a motion? If my screen was on, I know what you mean. It goes off every every minute every few seconds. If I got to the top. I'm still trying to master these things and I haven't yet. I guess I'm too old. All right. I will move to adopt the next resolution in order approving the SQUA exemption of amendment to CUP number 1390 subject to conditions. I second. Okay. Motion made by Commissioner Pollock Rude, second by Commissioner Circle. Please vote.

Motion carries by unanimous vote. Great. Okay. The next item, is there a going home button here? Let's see. If you find it, let me know.

Yeah. So I don't have to scroll over everything. Bear with me. I'm trying to get to the beginning here. There it is. Okay. Item three, the project name is zoning code and specific plan number 182 updates. The request is amendments to the zoning code and specific plan number 182 and a SECO exempt and staff recommendation is recommend to uh to go to city council for approval.

Yes, Noah. Great. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Um this item was originally initiated by the planning commission on November 4th of 2025. Uh it was at that meeting that the uh planning commission adopted a resolution of intention directing staff to look at uh potential zoning code amendments. Um the issues that uh we were directed to look at and are proposed in uh the draft resolution tonight are to uh first to increase flexibility for residential building uh design standards. Uh that's uh primarily related to detached garages. Uh we've had a couple of requests for detached garages uh that are um essentially 400 square feet with a single uh or with a uh a garage door across the front. Uh the concern uh for the from those individuals was that they didn't want to have windows on their garage door because they wanted to be able to protect um you know like a classic car or uh other similar valuables. Um so we didn't have objections to that. So we're proposing that as a change in the design standards uh to allow that as an exemption. Uh we're also proposing to allow existing emergency sleeping cabin projects uh to expand from six units uh directly to 10 units. In the code right now, it's a two-step process where it's if you have an existing project of six units, you can expand to eight units and then you have to wait one year and then expand uh to 10 units uh after that year period has elapsed. Uh so the the currently proposed edits will allow them to directly expand from six to 10. Uh we're also proposing to uh improve some of the definitions for tobacco retailers. Uh one of the issues was that a tobacco retailer was only it was defined essentially through the smoke shop definition which said you were a smoke shop if you were 16 cubic feet or greater of tobacco display. Uh for a tobacco retailer it didn't say anything about the maximum display area. So we're adding that for clarification so that if someone comes in uh they can understand what the limitation is. Uh and then we are also proposing to modify the process for um review of administrative decisions by the planning

commission. Uh we've brought those periodically to the planning commission based on the volume of applications that we had received. Uh what staff has observed is that typically that's happening about every 12 months. In the code right now it says it's to be occurring every 6 months. Uh but typically after 6 months we don't have enough of a volume to really come and report. So what we're proposing is to do that at a minimum on an annual basis. Sorry. And then lastly, uh we do have uh two changes uh related to uh state law. And so the two changes in state law are related to affordable housing projects uh which have prevailing wage contracts. They have to be approved uh ministerally. So that just means with the building permit. Uh so we're adding a reference to the government code uh for that. And then there's also a change uh in uh for junior ADUs. um as long as they have separate sanitation facilities. Uh state law will now allow the primary dwelling and the junior ADU to both be rentals as opposed to requiring the owner to be in one of those two units. Uh the second part of this request is updates to specific plan 182. Uh these were directed by the city council and that was at their November 18th uh 2025 meeting. Uh the city council at that meeting was primarily uh discussing light regulations in the downtown area. uh they had directed staff to increase flexibility for lighting displays as well as events um on city properties. Um one of the the discussion was primarily related to being able to um react um in real time to events that are occurring in the community. So the example that was provided was if uh San Diego State were to win like a sports championship, they might want to turn all the lights downtown to red. And so they want to be uh more dynamic in their responses as well as with uh New City America in their programming of the downtown area. So what we're proposing to do is to allow uh the city manager or their design to approve uh changes in lighting displays as well as um events on uh city property.

Um after uh the publication of the agenda, we did receive one public comment. Uh that was an email uh that I provided at the dis. Uh the email was uh from uh Donna Colbert um from CASA, that's the community action services and advocacy um organization. Uh they were recommending uh that uh the language uh that is updated as part of uh the tobacco uh related updates uh match what is located in uh title 8 of the municipal code. Um staff has no objections to aligning the language for the two. Uh all it would do is uh clearly state that uh positive identification is required in order to purchase tobacco. And then it would also indicate that each purchaser each purchaser and confirming that the proposed sale is uh to a purchaser who is at least the minimum age uh in state law uh for the uh being sold the tobacco. And so we have no objections to that language. Uh so if the planning commission is supportive of that change uh we would request that the motion maker incorporate that as part of the recommendation to the city council. So uh this project uh is exempt from squa and our recommendation is that the planning commission adopt the resolutions recommending city council approval of the zoning code and specific plan 182 amendments. And I'd be happy to answer any questions.

So therefore state law is 21 years old tobacco. Okay. Yes. And we used to have 18 on it before. So it conformed to state law. So now it's being changed to 21. Correct. To conform to state law. Okay. Got it. Any uh questions? Yes. Commissioner. So I I wanted a little verification. So um if we're building if there's a a 10-unit apartment and two of the units are going to be deemed um low income, the state's requiring that those jobs be prevailing wage.

No. Uh sorry. It's a specific change in state law that says um if there is a um certain type of project uh under the government code that is an affordable housing project and is built with prevailing wage that it has to go directly to um building permits without any discretionary action. But it's only for those two things together. It doesn't mean that every affordable housing project has to be prevailing wage. So you're saying if it was government funds they would have to be prevailing wage. I mean, is that what I'm I mean, private money can't be forced to go prevailing, right?

Correct. If if this developer came in with their own money, they're not going to be required to pay prevailing wages even if it's an affordable project. But if there is assistance through government uh subsidies, loans, um or grants, things of that nature, it could trigger the prevailing wage requirement. And under those circumstances, uh, the the law now says it's a ministerial project, not, um, a discretionary project. Okay. Just no different than if the city was doing a sewer system or something and, you know, it had to be prevailing wage because it was, you know, federal funds or or local funds. Okay. All right. I got it. Thank you.

Any other questions, Commissioner Circle? Uh just out of curiosity, and this doesn't affect the code amendment, but uh when it says light displays, are we talking like the street lights on Main Street? Are we talking the hanging lights, market lights? And a follow-up question is, are they LEDs that can just be programmed or is that manually switching bulbs?

So, we're primarily talking about the lights that are connected to the city infrastructure that are in the public rideway. So the bulb lights that are hanging from the street lights. Um however there are some of those lights that extend I believe into Prescott prominade. Um so those are extending essentially over private property that is under the control of the the city. Um those uh each of those lights are programmable where they can change uh dynamically and so there is that opportunity to switch them um as needed. That's awesome. As a maintenance guy, I was thinking about all the bulbs that someone would have to change to make them green or red for a weekend. That's awesome. Thank you. Yeah.

Ju just a clarification, that would only be required if Oregon Ducks won a championship.

Okay. Any other questions? Okay. Well, does anyone wish to make a motion? And remember, we have a an amendment here before us. I will be we don't we need public Yes, we do need to open the public hearing. Oh, public hearing. That's right. Uh yes, let's open a public hearing. I move to open. I don't think we normally make motions to open. We just open the public hearing. Uh is there a speaker card? Require a motion. There are no cards for this item. Okay. Uh close public hearing. I'll second that. There we go. Okay. All right. Let's vote. I may have been a little slow on the button. May I have you vote again? Okay.

There we go. Motion carries by unanimous vote. All right. Now we can have Now I'll make a motion. Yes. I move to adopt the next resolution in order recommending city council approval of proposed zoning code with the amendment from CASA and specific plan number 182 amendments. Have second. Motion made by Commissioner Ciro, second by Comm Commissioner Pollock RDE. Please vote. Motion carries by unanimous vote. Great. And

Mr. Chairman, if I may, uh, for the zoning code and specific plan 182 updates, um, those were joint noticed for the January 27th city council meeting at 3 p.m. That's right. It's got to be approved by the city council. Very good.

Thank you. Thank you. And now I want to go to the top. There it is. Okay. Are there any other items? Just under staff communications. Um I just wanted to acknowledge our city attorney, uh Morgan Foley. I believe each of you were uh forwarded um information about Mr. Foley's uh retirement. I believe that we have the honor of being the uh final public hearing that Mr. Foley will be present at, which is quite the great honor. Yeah. Hopefully, it's my last night meeting after doing this for 38 years.

Yeah. What are you going to do now? Well, I'll be working up council with the law firm that I'm associated with and um handling very few projects. uh more or less what I can um what I could have time for, not what they want my time for. So much golfing, fishing, hiking. What are you going to do? Golfing is on the top of that list. All right, good. Thank you. Thank you for your

And I might want to mention in the audience is one of the associates in our firm, Dmitri Davis. Dmitri is a associate that's had some experience in municipal law. He, I believe, is going to be taking my place because the Jennifer Lion, who will be your city attorney come uh January 1st, uh will be handling council meetings and Demetri will be handling planning commission meetings. Great. Gotcha. Awesome. Welcome aboard, Demetri. Yes. So, this afternoon, you had the last supper, right?

Well, just for one more statement about Mr. fully uh just more than I I think you mentioned 38 years, but uh 27 I believe uh of those years was with the city of Elcohone. So obviously a wealth of knowledge and expertise when it comes to all these ordinances that we're writing all the time. And so he's just been a true blessing to everyone here at the city of Elcohone as well as to me as I have uh worked at the city. And so we just really appreciate and thank him for all that he's done. I echo those sentiments. Thank you for your service. And any uh mention regarding Tony Chute?

Uh yes. Uh so Mr. Chute is also uh retiring. Sorry, Mr. Chute obviously is not here at tonight's meeting, but uh Mr. Chute u the one thing that I think he held over Mr. Foley's head was that uh Mr. Chute had 29 years of total service uh with the city of Elcohone. So he he beat out uh Morgan by two additional years. Uh he as well um over the years I my experience goes back with Tony to 2001. Um, so about uh I was gone for a little bit while in the middle, but uh over 24 years of uh Tony being my friend, colleague, and and mentor, so he will also be sorely missed. Hey,

um just one additional staff communication. I just uh this will be uh obviously the last meeting of uh 2025. Um our next meeting is scheduled for uh January 20th of 2026. So, I just wanted to wish the commission a happy holidays and thank the commission for all their hard work throughout the year. It's always a good time to reflect and uh think about all the accomplishments that we made. I think we've done uh this is our fourth uh zoning code update uh that we've done this year. So, almost uh setting a record for this year. So, I just thank you for working with us and and helping uh guide and lead the city uh and for all the su the success that you brought for us. So, thank you. Thank you. Thank you as well. Merry Christmas. two. Yes.

Uh do we have any uh commissioner reports or comments? No, nothing. Okay. So, I move to uh adjourn to January 20th, 2026 at 700 p.m. We'll second that. Okay. Motion by Commissioner Sautille, second by Commissioner Pollock RDE. Please vote. Motion carries by unanimous vote. Hey, so we'll see you all next year. Yes. Thank you for the card. Yes. Thank you. So festive. He came with festive attire and festive gifts.