Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

No.

Good morning, everyone.

I like to call this meeting of the July 25th Planning Commission, Elrond County Planning Commission meeting to order. Madam Clerk.

23rd, Mr. Chairman. 23rd. 23rd? You said 25th.

Oh, so 23rd?

Pretty sure that's what it is, yes.

23rd, okay.

We're going to have a clear record around here.

Okay, 23rd. Yeah, okay. Been a busy week. Madam Clerk, can we get a roll call, please?

Commissioner Williams?

Here.

Commissioner Hanson?

Here.

Chair Praga?

Here.

Commissioner Costello? Here. And Commissioner Spahr?

Here.

Let the record show that all are present.

Thank you. And... Commissioner Costello, would you like to lead us in the pledge of allegiance? 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.

Thank you.

OK. Next on the agenda would be the approval of the consent calendar. But before we accept a motion on the consent calendar, I have a question on the minutes. When you look under the minutes, we continued or moved the Calvary Chapel conditional use permit hearing to today and the minutes do not reflect that it reflects that we uh held it that the hearing was there there's no there's no mention that we can so chair your commission did not continue that item that was pulled before that but on the agenda on the minutes it doesn't reflect that we pulled it uh perhaps it could just be deleted from the minutes if i just remove it

Because it was not on your agenda.

OK. So then when we make a motion, I'd like to have part of that motion that the minutes reflect that the item was pulled and scheduled for today's meeting.

OK.

Pardon? Me too.

OK. So do we have a motion to accept the consent calendar?

Comment.

Oh, yeah. Public comment. Thank you. Is there any public comment on the minutes on the consent calendar?

All right, now taking public comments specifically regarding the consent calendar. Individuals will have three minutes to address the planning commission. The timer will notify you when you have 30 seconds remaining and again when your time is up. Public comment will be taken first from those in the planning commission hearing room and then from those on Zoom. For those participating by Zoom, use the raise hand button. If you are joining the meeting by phone, press star nine to indicate a desire to comment. Please voluntarily state your name for the record. Now taking public comment from the room. And now taking public comment from Zoom.

There is no public comment. There's no public comment. I'd like to entertain a motion on the consent calendar.

I would move approval. With the minutes and the minutes as amended and the consent calendar and the agenda today.

Second. We have a motion and a second. Is there any discussion? OK, can you take a vote?

Commissioner Williams, how do you vote? Aye. Commissioner Hanson?

Aye.

Chair Fragar?

Aye.

Commissioner Costello? Aye. And Commissioner Spahr?

Aye.

Motion passes 5-0. OK.

Next on the agenda is open forum. This is an opportunity for anyone in the public to address the Commission on anything that is not on today's agenda.

Now taking public comment in public forum. Individuals will have three minutes to address the Planning Commission about items that are not on today's agenda. The timer will notify you when you have 30 seconds remaining and when your time is up. Public comment will be taken first from those in the Planning Commission hearing room and then from those on Zoom. For those participating by Zoom, use the raise hand button. If you are joining the meeting by phone, press star nine to indicate a desire to comment. Please voluntarily state your name for the record. Now taking public comment from the room. And now taking public comment from zoom. There's no public comment.

Next. On the agenda. is a hearing to consider consider conditional use permit calvary chapel i'd like to open up the public hearing and do we have a staff report item number two hearing to consider conditional use permit cup25-0014 calvary chapel

Good morning, Commissioners. My name is Michelle Drehobel, Assistant Planner for El Dorado County. Thank you, Rhiannon, for reading the project description into the record. Today I will present the proposed project submitted by John Christasia for a conditional use permit for a proposed 2,298 square foot Sunday school classroom addition to an existing legal nonconforming church with alternative landscaping plan. The original building permit for a warehouse was approved in 1991. Then in 1998, a tenant improvement included a change of use that was clearly described in the application to change from a warehouse to a church with classrooms. The TI permit was approved both by the building and the planning department in 1998. Today's zoning reflects churches are not allowed in this zone, so a conditional use permit is required to expand the legal nonconforming use. The Planning Commission is the regulatory authority for expansion of legal nonconforming uses. The project parcel consists of 3.18 acres on the northeast side of commerce way approximately 300 feet north of the intersection with pleasant valley road located in the diamond springs area. The project parcel has a general plan designation of industrial with adjacent parcels designated industrial with commercial and multi residential multifamily residential nearby. The project parcel is owned industrial low the proposed use is not consistent with this owning, however, the existing church is legal nonconforming. The site plan for the proposed project shows the existing buildings in the proposed 2298 square foot Sunday school classroom addition, which includes a small entry lobby and restrooms. The next two slides show the project plan elevations that were presented to the diamond springs Eldorado Community advisory committee meeting on April 16 of 2026. The specific color is to be determined, but will be consistent with the existing structure. The grading plan displays the 80 foot PG any easement and slope along the frontage road commerce way, additionally, it shows the existing location of the propane tank and the proposed new location of the propane tank outside of the PG any easement. This slide displays the proposed alternative preliminary landscape plan was screening for the relocated propane tank. The developer has provided a conceptual landscape and irrigation plans consisting of shrubbery and required trees. Final landscape plans would be required as part of the building and grading permit. The request for alternative landscaping appears to be necessary due to the existing parking lot, PG&E easement, and existing landscaping along the north, south, and east property lines. The landscaped buffer along the road frontage has been reduced due to the topography or the slope of the slope. But the intent to satisfy the requirements exists within the proposed landscaping, which includes planning a variety of shrubbery and required trees, including drought tolerant plant species along the road frontage and on the west side of the classroom addition. With Commissioner approval of the alternative landscaping plan, the project as proposed in condition would be consistent with this policy. Staff has reviewed the project and has determined conditional use permit CUP 25-0014 is categorically exempt pursuant to section 15301 class one of existing facilities of the CEQA guidelines. A quick clarification, staff references this as example C, but it is example E in the CEQA guidelines. This proposed project consists of 2298 square foot addition, which does not exceed the square foot footage allowance for this exception. Staff recommends the Planning Commission take the following actions. Find conditional use permit to be categorically exempt pursuant to CEQA guidelines section 15301 and approve conditional use permit CUP25-0014 based on the findings and subject to the conditions of approval as presented with two exceptions. Add condition 34, Diamond Springs Eldorado Community Advisory Committee, that the exterior of the classroom addition be consistent with the color and design of the existing building to support the verbal comment received by a member of the Diamond Springs Eldorado Community Advisory Committee. and add condition 35 for landscaping prior to approval of a building permit, the final landscape and irrigation plan shall be substantially consistent with the landscaping plans exhibit H and comply with zoning ordinance chapter 130.33 landscaping standards and the county's community design standards for landscaping and irrigation standards with the model water efficiency landscaping ordinance MOLO. Thank you for your attention to this application presentation. And the applicant, John Christasia, is present to assist staff with answering any questions you may have regarding this proposed project.

OK. Do we have any questions for staff? Mr. Hanson?

Yes. Thank you. Good morning. Very good presentation. I just have a pretty small question, at least at this point, which is the screening of the relocated propane tanning it's on the plan but uh my question is because the way that came about through a public comment should that be that the screening be an additional condition of approval um yes i agree we can definitely make that an additional condition of approval okay that's all i have for you

Just one one question or clarification the PG&E easement. Yeah the figure there that's I just want to make sure I'm clear that's an overhead line as you look at the church from the road there's overhead power lines to the right. And on this figure that shows, I think it shows that there's one like certain that the easement is to the right as you look at the church from the street.

Yes, that is correct. The on the grading plan is probably the most evident where the PG&E easement is.

All right. I just want to make sure I understood that correctly. Thanks.

That's all. Any more questions for staff? Would the project proponent like to make a statement? No? OK. OK. Public comment?

Now taking public comment specifically on item number two. Individuals will have three minutes to address the planning commission. The timer will notify you when you have 30 seconds remaining and again when your time is up. Public comment will be taken first from those in the planning commission hearing room and then from those on Zoom. For those participating by Zoom, press the raise hand button and make sure to unmute yourself when called upon. If you are joining the meeting by phone, press star nine to indicate a desire to comment. Please voluntarily state your name for the record. Now taking public comment from the room. And now taking public comment from Zoom. There's no public comment.

Since there's no public comment, we'll bring it back to the Commission. I just have one quick little question for staff. This is a 2200 and something square feet classroom. That's awfully big. Is it just going to be for 20?

3,000 square feet or less.

Yeah, less. That's an awfully large classroom. Is that going to be used for anything else? Do you know? So hold up. Can you just come on up so we can get you on tape?

Good morning, commissioners. I'm John ,, project architect, and I also have Pastor Eddie Anderson to answer further questions. So the idea is to create a room where they can subdivide because right now the kids, sometimes they have what they call kids church and then they split off into their classrooms. And so the idea is that they would have kind of their own space and then they would divide up into their own groups for classrooms.

So basically, it's a multipurpose room that can be... Right.

Primarily it's to house the kids because, yeah, they're running out of space.

Correct. Okay, so I had... Do we have any other questions? Go ahead.

So this space is for expansion. Does that indicate that the church is growing in membership?

It's actually to address the current needs that we have, because even right now, there's not enough space for the kids. Sometimes they have to use outdoor spaces, so this would be kind of a space just to house the existing kids. I don't know as far as growth.

We've seen a lot of Good morning, my name is Eddie Anderson. I'm the assistant pastor at Calvary Chapel. We've seen a lot of families actually just growing, not necessarily a lot of growth in the church, and so a lot more kids, that kind of thing. A lot of babies. A lot of babies. Congratulations. Yeah, thank you.

And they'll be in the parking, so we're good. OK, do we have any other questions?

No.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Well, I'll bring this back to the commission.

All for motion? OK. I move that we approve this matter as presented by staff with the additional conditions, two of which were articulated in the staff report, and the third one would be the one that I've proposed regarding the screening of the relocated propane tank.

Second. We have a motion and a second. Any discussion on a motion?

No.

Seeing none, Madam Clerk, can we take a roll call?

Commissioner Williams, how do you vote?

Yes.

Commissioner Hanson? Aye. Chair Fragar?

Aye.

Commissioner Costello? Aye. And Commissioner Smarr?

Aye.

Motion passes 5-0. OK.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Now we're up to staff and commissioner updates. Staff, do you have any updates for us?

Very quickly, thank you, Mr. Chair. Rob Peters with planning. Just that on the 721. or this last Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting, the rainy condo conversion was approved by the Board of Supervisors based on the recommendation of the Planning Commission. So that item was heard and that also the tobacco item was reheard and ultimately the results were the same as before where the board directed staff to remove or rescind the zoning ordinance sections, but did not initiate an ROI for further review. City Council Chambers, And then, lastly, that we do intend to have and have items scheduled for the 813 planning Commission meeting so August 13 at the next scheduled meeting.

City Council Chambers, Okay, now the rainy. City Council Chambers, conversion. City Council Chambers, Was that change or was our recommendation. City Council Chambers, i'm sorry, can you repeat that. City Council Chambers, finds the rainy. City Council Chambers, conversion. Is that approved by the Board of Supervisors as we recommended or did they change it?

Yes, as recommended by the Planning Commission.

Good, so with the condition that you've got to have more than, well, you can't rent it for less than 30 days. Perfect, that's good.

I recall conversations about the VHR discussion. It was as recommended by the Planning Commission, so I don't recall getting into that detail. I got it, okay.

Yeah, we passed it saying that there was, or any unit had to be rented for more than 30 days. To eliminate a vacationer. And not be rented for less than 30 days.

Again, I'd have to go back and look. I just, high level, yeah.

I wanted to make sure, because we had to put it, okay. City Council Chambers, Anything else.

City Council Chambers, yeah I have one item. City Council Chambers, A couple of weeks ago, we can have to go perhaps supervisor. PB, Harmon Zuckerman, Parlin and I. PB, Harmon Zuckerman, Had a tour of Marble Valley and lime rock sort of hosted by by Parker development. So we met with Kirk bow and a couple of his associates and a representative of limerick. It gave us a little half-hour presentation in Parker's office, and we went down and went on this essentially four-wheel drive tour, it was pretty fun, of Marble Valley. And that's it. Thank you.

Commissioner Williams. No, but I do have a question. Yeah. I, too, have done that same tour. Is there anybody in the commission who has not done that tour at this point? so we're all on the same page. When it eventually comes and hits us. Is everybody done? We'll make the declaration when it comes. OK, very good. OK, thank you. All right. No, I don't have anything.

Question and answer?

Nothing to add.

OK, the only thing I have is that I'd like to remind everyone, just for transparency, that if you have any plans on being away over the next few months, please let us know so that staff can do their job in the public and know when commissioners are gonna be away. Like I said, I'll be away the Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday of the first meeting in September, just so that they can schedule appropriately.

And I've sent out notes too, on October 22nd, I will not be available. Okay.

So if anybody has any plans, please let them know. other than that i don't have anything else so if there is nothing else i think we're going to be adjourned