Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

We're ready. We're ready.

Good evening. I would like to call the March 17, 2026 Planning Commission meeting to order. Please note this meeting is being hosted through live stream on the city website and by teleconference via Zoom. I would like to remind the planning commissioners to have their microphones turned on in position so that the audience can hear. Director Monnique, will we have roll call, please?

Commissioner Ver Montes here. Commissioner Hill here. Vice Chair Worth here. Chair Beam Sturfer here. Commissioner Hill, can we do an invocation flag, please? Please join me with the invocation. Lord, we ask that you bless this meeting and give us the wisdom to make the best informed decisions as possible. In your name we pray. Amen. Amen.

Join me in the flag salute. 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. Agenda item number four is public comment periods for items not on the agenda. Are there any members of the public present that would like to comment on an item not not on the agenda? No, chair. And nobody on teleconference via Zoom? No.

Okay. With that, we're going to move on to the approval of the minutes. Does the commission have any comments or corrections? No. I'm good. None. Okay. I have a motion. I motion to approve the minutes of planning commission meeting of March 3rd, 2026. Second.

May I have a roll call? Commissioner Verantes. Yes. Commissioner Hill, abstain. Vice Chair Worth I, Chair Beamsterfer. Yes.

We're going to go ahead and pass the uh receive and file with the uh Browns Act because our uh city attorney, Leo Sari, is out with the illness. So, we're going to continue that to the next meeting and move on to discussion action items. Okay, we have a presentation for discussion action item for our general plan annual progress. Thank you, chair, members of the planning commission, and the community. I'm Monique Elanise Fater. This evening, um, we're going to present the general plan progress report for 2025. So, every city and county in California is required to have an adopted general plan to guide the long range and long-term uh development of the community. This is prepared in accordance with detailed statutory requirements. The city of Hemtt general plan establishes the fundamental policy framework to guide decisions related to land use and development, public services and facilities, public safety, resource management, recreation, culture, and the overall health and

quality of life in the community. The general plan presents the vision for the city's future and embodies goals, policies, and strategies to turn that vision into a reality. The plan is comprehensive yet flexible enough to respond to emerging trends and challenges. The plan is long range looking ahead to the next 20 years to 2030 while at the same time providing guidance and clarity for near-term decisions on daily project review. The city uh of hemmet general plan uh was adopted in 2012. There are 11 uh elements of the general plan. Land use, community design, circulation, community services and infrastructure, public safety, open space and conservation, recreation and trails, historic resources, art and culture, and housing element. State law requires that cities submit an annual progress report on the general plan to the city council and the governor's office of planning and research and the housing and community development department HCD. The main purpose of a periodic review of the city's progress is in meeting its general plan vision uh to grant the city council an opportunity to adjust or modify policies or approach and ensure the city is meeting its stated goals. While the city has been submitting uh housing uh progress reports annually um to the housing and community development, uh we are also um including this submittal to the office of planning and research. On May uh in May of 2021, the city

council established overarching priority goals for the city outlined in the strategic plan. The strate strategic plan uh provides more uh refined action items that align with the goals, policies and programs of the general plan. The following strategic plan objectives have been established as a framework by the council as provided um in this presentation. Quality of life, economic opportunity, community engagement, partnership and collaboration, and organizational effectiveness. as provided in the staff report packet u that was also uh published on our city's website. The general plan progress report for 2025 is composed of the following. The purpose of the general plan, adopted general plan amendments, proposed general plan amendments, our community profile, our housing element progress, implementation of programs completed or underway, and recommended implementation programs for 2025 through 2027. for um some of the commissioners that were not with us uh during that time. Over the last couple of years, uh we uh adopted our safety element. Um there was legislation in 2018 uh SB 10 uh 1035. Uh the intention behind that leg legislation was to identify new information relating to flood, fire, and other climate hazards not uh available during the previous uh revisions of our public safety element. Um that also included a climate vulnerability assessment that is also available on our city's community development planning page.

Also adopted was the environmental justice element. In 2016, state passed Senate Bill 1000 to help improve air quality, food access, safe and sanitary homes, and public facilities equities in housing access, as well as promoting physical activity and active transportation, civic engagement, educated education growth, and preservation of culture. Also, um, in June of 2024, the California Department of Housing and Community Development certified the city's housing element for 2021 through 2029. Uh, the city must um monitor the city must monitor um and report on the results um of these programs through the annual progress report submitted in accordance with government code 65400. as part of the uh regional housing needs that was assigned to the city uh for the period of 2021 to 2029. Uh the progress that we've made over the past uh five five years has been quite substantial. Um the the graph provided uh before you here uh it provides an illustrative snapshot of how many housing units the city built uh within those periods. The first column in gray is the fifth cycle period. So the uh planning period starts October 15, 2021. So anything before then um was identified just forformational purposes um prior to our in our fifth cycle we um constructed in that year 157 units. However, overall since 2021, the city has constructed 131

residential units and 22 of this includes accessory uh accessory dwelling units, but excuse me, a total of 88 accessory dwelling units, 1,213 uh residential single family homes. So, we are um we're working towards meeting our regional housing needs. However, we are not at this time um uh on target uh for meeting our affordable housing needs. Excuse me, Monique. Can you get them to increase the power on that? It's very hard to read. Can you blow it up a little bit?

We can certainly try. It is also um in your packet um in the staff report provided. If you like, I also have a copy here for you. If you'd like to look at a copy, we can get a physical copy for you.

Yeah, the staff reports a little bit u just as difficult to read. So, if I if you don't mind if I'm just going to go ahead and um describe what um those units are if that's okay. Sure. Go ahead.

Okay. Um for 2021 we constructed uh 20 ADUs and 112 single family homes. 2022 uh we constructed 28 ADUs and 321 single family homes. Uh 2023 uh we constructed um uh 7 ADUs and 283 single family. So I'm going to go to the next slide because I think that's really what we need to uh look at a little bit better. Um, and I can go back to this slide, but this provides a better um, illustration of the amount of growth that we've had in the past um, five years. This is the uh, uh, the overall housing uh, built. And as you can see that through the graph that um, we've had some increases u, and um, there has been a cycle of of construction. In 2025, we did see a bit of a drop, but we believe that's due to the the current market conditions um and the the cost of construction as well as interest rates. However, uh the city of Hemet has been holding steady in their growth of of residential construction. Um I also I'm going to go back to this h this slide just for context in your staff report in the housing element progress report it also provides demographic information uh very in very very informative on where we are in terms of um population growth um our household income uh as well as um where our um population is working what type of industries uh has um has an excellent um snapshot of how we're growing and the um what our demographics are in the community.

This slide represents the applications and housing entitlements in the pipeline. Uh currently we have overall applications submitted for housing entitlements are 35 applications that we've processed. Um there are 5,120 residential units approved and that was either through a tentative track map development uh site development review model home complex. Um some of the commissioners may recall uh Mixweeni Farms has received a lot of growth. We have a lot of growth on the west end and Rancho Diamonte. um the um on the uh western edge of the city along Warren and Mustang. Uh we do have um quite a bit of growth happening over there in the last few years which is representative of that graph uh graphical illustration. We do have a total of 157 100% affordable units entitled that are working their way through um they had to go through their tax financing uh process and they will be um we anticipate that they will launch construction uh by uh by next year. They also have a phase two on the on the same property which will be coming back to the to the planning commission for phase two of 50 additional um affordable units. So total housing units that are approved and pending um are 7,41 uh 410 um units which which has been an increase since last year. So in 2025 there were recommendations uh provided uh to the city council by the planning commission. Um those included uh for a recommendation that that the community focus on uh maintaining our

housing element programs. Um identifying ways to um uh reduce congestion uh roadway congestion systems, revitalizing revitalizing the downtown uh tourism, economic development. We we had an HMT rises strategy that was approved by the council as well as the business assistance and retention program. Um the Hemtt beautiful landscape guidelines and standards also um to take a look at our updated um development fees maintaining open space and expanding our open space recreation bikeways, bike paths, pedestrian trails, and off-road trails. um including recreation opportunities, camping, aquatics and hotel program in the Diamond Valley Lake area, engaging in prospective investors through the International Council of Shop Shopping Centers ICE Convention annually as well as to continue to work with um torch strategies that reduce criminal activity such as burglaries and vandalism impacting the business community. Um, two additional uh recommendations have been added uh for the planning commission's consideration that we'd also include um based on our housing um our our environmental justice element that we also include the historic and cultural resources, cultural celebration and historical education as well as food access um and community gardening. With that, it is uh respectfully recommended that the planning commission recommend approval of the 2025 general plan annual progress report to the city council to be submitted to the governor's office of planning and research and the state department of

housing and community development. Uh this concludes my presentation. I'd be happy to for that presentation. Director Monnique Commissioner, do we have question for staff? Um yeah, I have a couple questions. Um on one of the graphs it said um estimated 24,500 employed new residents. Does that mean the jobs will be coming from the city or just employed in general? I believe it was under um it was under table five. It says 24,500 new employed HMT residents. 20 on table number five

underneath the table number five. Okay, so in table number five we have a total of um and if it's if there's not if there's a typo or a correction I need to fix that. There are 38,266 employed populations in our community of 16 years and over and over. Gotcha. Okay. I'm more talking about like the graph at the or the thing at the bottom. says, "As identified in the adopted housing element, he is estimated to experience an employment growth rate of 116%." Yes. 24th. Is that the city itself or he residents just being employed elsewhere?

No, that's actually uh employment um new employees within. So that also represents new growth in the community. Okay. New residents uh between 20 2012 and 2040. Okay. Um and uh on table seven the math is incorrect. Um the numbers it should be 744. It should be 7445 not 7410. Okay, we can correct that.

Yeah, it says draft so I figured it's it's fine. Um now with that estimate the the the 7,000 um do we expect that by 2029 by this by this cycle's uh marinas or

well so we plan so the city um the city of Hemet does not um construct the homes the developers do. We don't have control of when they are when they pull permits. Uh but what we do have is we have right now currently entitled for development meaning they can go right to building permits and development is 5,120 units. Um of that there are 283 residential units pending and that's going to be coming to the planning commission through in the form of tenative parcel maps and track maps. Okay. Okay. Um thank you. I have no further questions.

Hi Monique. Thank you for that. Um, can we go back to the reena table? So, there's a a row down there called above moderate, and you've got a number 154 in there, 112, 321. Where does that number come from? Those are um those are the houses that were actually built and that received finals final permits in that year.

Okay. Um so I guess what we're missing in here are the rows of Reena for above moderate the go the goal for that. Uh okay. Um so yeah so above moderate the the actual arena allocation uh was 3,748. Okay.

So we have a total remaining to meet our above market rate of 2535 to be constructed not necessarily just planned but actually constructed. So we're a ways away from meeting arena goals. However, we are planning for it and we're making that our our development in our development community. We're making that possible.

Okay. And then for the moderate, we've got uh reena allocation of 1174. You've got numbers in there for 21 through 25. And then so that's a total of 88. Yes.

Okay. All right. I see the math there. That above moderate row was really bothering me because I didn't know what was the prior number and it's like where did these numbers come from? And uh so I think you answered it. Thank you. Um there there's a there's a math math um error on that one on that same table for 2021 too. But um can you go back to the slide Monique on the 14 or 15 um elements? I the staff report shows 15, the presentation showed 14. I wish I had my computer.

Okay. Yes.

So, there's 11 there. And then the next I'm sorry the the the next slide. The next Okay, keep keep going. It's towards the end. Yeah, there we go. So, there's 10 there and then the next slide there's Okay, so there's a total of 14 and the staff report has 15. The last two are the same. I'm just wondering where it's off, but I guess um two three four five six seven 14 15

but the last two are are are in addition. Yes, I see the the issue in the staff report. Um I did not include the additional uh 12, 13 and 14 which should be 12, 13, 14, and 15 are on the next page. Uh it should be it should be 1213 and 14. So I that was 1213 and 14 was omitted in the staff report. Oh it is actually and yes I see what you mean. I think there maybe have been um okay we'll make sure that we double check that and that it's corrected.

So I my I just have a kind of a general comment. Um and this was in the staff report. This is where there there was some input requested from the planning commission. And so, um, you know, I I I I'm assuming like like you mentioned the that the that the the new ones are kind of pursuant to state requirements in terms of environmental justice and things of of that nature. Um, but number two, roadway systems evaluation. perform an evaluation of the existing roadway system to address safety, congestion, and traffic. You know, when we had our work session with the city manager last meeting, you know, the signals and traffic that that seemed to be the absolute top priority of the commission, and it continues to be uh an issue that I I hear about a lot, just just the just the signal coordination, the problems with with traffic. So just kind of in a general sense that that this seems like a really big effort, a really big in initiative. It would be great to get some progress on that item in some tangible way and some way that that that the community is realizing. Are are any of is is this independent this general planet amendment independent of the effort that we worked with the last last meeting in terms of providing those recommendations to the city council? Those are two separate um things.

That'll be more of a a strategic uh the strategic uh work plan for the council. uh based on the feedback that was provided they will receive a workshop in which they will identify and they will go through the same uh exercise of airwater chocolate on what the priorities are. Uh also collecting the feedback from the planning commission which is going to be um incorporated into um their their workshop. Uh this now is uh more or less the the report we send to the office of planning and research and HCD on what we're doing about it. So I anticipate next year in my report to them will be an update on um what we've been doing to address that. So most likely it'll include any any action CIP projects that have um included that in that. So they are two but to answer the question yes they are two independent processes but they align at the same time.

Yeah. So so so this is kind of more of a almost a governing this is this is what we're reporting to the state that we are doing the workshops that are being done with the commission and council and staff is to say this is how we're going to do this. Yeah. This is how we're going to do what are we going to do? What is the action plan for that specifically? um by the council. This is a um recommendation which will most likely uh filter into the outcome of the uh workshop with the council.

Gotcha. Yeah. So there's a there's a there's some there's some really cool overlap between some of the recommendations that came out out of that the Simpson Park. It was it's not on here, but it kind of ties in um in regards to item number 10, open space, recreation, bikeways, bike paths, etc. Um, and I and then I I'm not sure if there's any particular order of priority, but I would hope so because I hope that roadway systems evaluation and signal is I hope we have something really cool to uh report to the state next year of something that we've done. Um, I just I was driving out of town again on Friday and I hit absolutely every single red light when there was no reason to. all the way from State Street all the way out Sanderson until I got into Seno and I was just Anyways, um but aside that I guess maybe just prior to sub um submittal just um just to double check in terms of some of the tables and the map and stuff like that. So but thank thank you for the presentation.

Pretty much all my questions got answered, but just a couple of uh suggest comments on the group housing. I know that's statemandated. I know county has an issue with group housing where they're not notifying the neighborhoods or parks that there could be registered sex offenders or people that could be living in those group housing. Are we even though statemandated are can we put any type of like a restriction or clause to that to prevent that from happening in the city?

That's certainly something we can um look into. um we would have to do the the research on what are the state laws or what is the requirements for that. Um we could include that in uh as a report back to the planning commission on what are we doing in those in those situations just for awareness.

Okay. I know we really haven't seen that come to the table yet in about housing. So I know it's obviously it's going to be coming. So, um, also with the 12 million that the we got from the county, well, not we, but Riverside County got from helping with the homelessness and some of it is serving to him in San Valley. Do you know how much of that 12 million we received? That's an excellent question. um our community solutions coordinator uh Christian Tikas could help um respond to that question and look into it on how we're partnering with um other agencies uh to for that grant. Uh but no, I do not know the exact amount that is allocated to the city.

Okay. The other basically the reading numbers or the typos are what I kind of caught right off the right off the bat. But I don't have any other questions for Director Mon'nique. Commissioners, any more before I open up public hearing? Yeah, I have a go back. Um Mon'nique, I know this new climate vulnerability thing that we're reporting. Is there anything I'm kind of curious what that is as far as uh what we're reporting? Are we reporting anything in that area?

Uh yes. So there actually is a very compre there quite comprehensive report that was prepared um as part of our safety element update um that is available on our community development uh page um uh under the safety element and environmental justice element. Uh the the answer is it's getting hot. Yes. uh and that was and that uh was prepared um is it is on our city's website but overall we are seeing climate change and that is uh present and the analysis that was prepared. Okay, I'll take a look at that. Thank you.

Okay. Well, thank you for that, Director Monique. With that, we're going to go ahead and open up public hearing. Are there any members present that would like to make a comment on this item? No, chair. And on Zoom or conference? No. No. All right. With that, we're going to go ahead and close public hearing and direct this planning commission provided direction to staff. We don't need to. Can I have a recommendation from someone?

Yeah. I you know with the uh with the input u received um from the commission I recommend that um approval of the 2025 general plan and a progress report to the city council and submit to the governor's office of planning and research and the state department of housing and community development. I'll second it. Can I get a roll call? Commissioner Vermont. Yes. Commissioner Hill. Yes. Vice Chair Worth. I. Chair Boomster. Yes. That passes four to zero.

We will now move on to action item 8A for public hearing items. Can we have a presentation from staff? Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, members of the planning commission. Jordan Walton, associate planner with the community development department. Uh, tonight for your consideration is a conditional use permit 25-004 and public convenience or necessity 25-003. Uh the property owner and applicant for this project is uh Ahmad Mutla. Uh this application is a request uh for approval of a type 20 ABC license uh for offsale beer and wine uh and findings of public convenience or necessity uh to allow a uh beer and wine sales at an existing uh gas station and convenience store. Uh the public convenience or necessity is required uh because this uh census track is currently overconentrated. The planning commission is responsible for reviewing uh requests for the sale of alcoholic beverages for off-sale consumption under a conditional use permit and for and for public convenience or necessity in cases that the California uh department of alcoholic beverage ABC uh reports that a census track is overconentrated. Uh here is the number of allowed offsale licenses allowed in a census track uh

before PCN is required. Uh it's a little bit hard to see but for this census track which is 434.05 uh the allowed number is three and uh currently uh here is the number of active licenses within a census track and ABC reports that there are currently five. Uh so this would be the sixth license in the census tract. So here is a map of the uh the active ABC licenses as well as the proposed. In the red is the application uh for you before you today which is Palm Valley Noble Mobile and the other five locations have all have active uh ABC licenses within the census track and uh the active licenses are either a type 20 or a type 21 license. Here's an aerial view of the project site. Uh surrounding land uses uh consist of an auto repair shop, a vacant lot, and a vacant commercial building, as well as a check cashing store. Here's a uh the general plan land use map uh for this project. Uh the the project is designated community commercial. And then here is the zoning. It is designated general commercial C2 zoning. And it does allow for a uh a alcohol sales at a convenience store subject to a conditional use permit. And here is the floor plan uh for this project. Uh the floor plan does identify uh where the proposed uh uh beer and wine will be uh stored as well as displayed. And then here are the required uh cup findings for this project. These are the required alcohol cell findings. Uh in addition to the regular

cup findings, uh our municipal code specifies that additional findings need to be made specifically for alcohol cells. And then here are the public convenience or necessity findings that is also outlined within our municipal code as well. So uh with respect to the uh project itself um uh staff evaluated the requirements within the munipal code and consulted with the HIMT police department uh for the review of this application. Uh staff had several concerns in relation to this project. Uh this is stemming from the number of existing alcohol uh uh alcohol licenses located in the vicinity which is uh currently at five as well as uh the HIMT Police Department reporting that the uh that the HIMT Police Department has had an overwhelming amount of calls for service within the census track. And uh we uh between a two-year period, it was evaluated that there was a 1435 uh police calls for service within uh this project site and the surrounding area. Uh some of these calls uh include uh things like petty theft, uh disturbance, uh indecent exposure, trespassing, battery, suspicious circumstances under the influence, shoplifting, robbery, brandishing a weapon, DUI, vandalism, drug sales, and assault. Uh additionally, we also located a church within a 600 ft uh buffer area, which you can see here on this slide, uh marked in red. Um and within our municipal code, particularly to the additional requirements under the conditional use permit findings, uh alcoh new alcohol uh new proposals for alcohol sales are not supposed to be located within a 600 ft uh radius from property line to property line. Uh so it was unable to make that finding. Uh in

addition to the alcohol the uh the finding for the church uh in in these cases uh staff found that uh there were several findings that uh we were unable to make uh within for for this project and projects within the municipal code uh must make all the required findings under the section that under the sections that it applies for. In this case we found several uh so we were unable to recommend approval for this project. And then here really quickly, this area marked in red is the study area that we uh identified the 1435 calls for service within uh the census track. Then as mentioned uh the HIMT uh professional standards officer indicated that the addition of another business with a type 20 uh business uh ABC license could lead to an increase in quality of life uh quality of life calls for service in this area. And uh for the public hearing for this project uh on March 7th, 2026, the city gave public uh public notice by advertising in the press enterprise and by mailing to property owners within a 500 foot radius of the project site on uh for this for this hearing today on March 17th of 2026. And because of these items relating to the number of active licenses uh buffers from sensitive receptors and safety concerns from the number of calls for service within the area, it is respectfully recommended that the planning commission deny conditional use permit 25-04 and public convenience necessity 25-003. Um I am available to answer any questions and we have brought the hemmet professional uh standards police officer here today who will be also be able to answer any questions that you may have for the calls of service. And that concludes my presentation. And thank you.

Thank you very much for that presentation. Commissioners, any questions for staff? Yeah, Jordan, thanks for that presentation. Um, I just have one question. Is this going to allow also um the single cans or is it just going to be like the six packs or like bigger packs? Uh, this one, if if the project were get to uh be approved, we would uh strongly recommend conditions of approval uh for things such as uh you know, package cans versus single sale. Okay. Thank you. I have no further questions. Hi Jordan. So the number is the number that are allowed in that area is three without a public convenience or necessity. Yes. And currently there are five.

Correct. So this would be number six. Correct. Just wanted to make that clear. Okay. What about other areas throughout the city? Are we over um allocated for those as well? most of the area along the uh major Florida commercial corridor there's about four census track and I can I know at least three of the four are over concentrated okay and of the what did you say it was 1,135 1,435

okay of those calls how many of them do you think are alcoholrelated Is that is there any way to answer that uh directly to alcohol related? We don't point to the numbers related to uh intoxication, DUIs, things like that. Correct. We do have the uh the HM professional standards who may be able to elaborate on that anymore. Follow Well, maybe maybe he can elaborate on that. Okay. Um I don't have any other questions uh other than that.

Okay. Thanks, Jordan. uh the census track that's directly east. So this project is on the west the eastern boundary of that of the current of its census track. The one directly to the east is it also overconentrated. That's one of the census track that I'm not very clear. I know the one on the very far east of town is overconentrated and the one that's directly uh east of this location is over concentrated. So the one that's directly east of this one is direct is overconentrated. Directly east. Yes.

Yeah. Okay. So that's so it's it's it's a concentration on the west side. It's a concentration on the east side of of the project. Um just a couple um curiosity questions. The the rationale that that is it the radius of 600 feet that was included in your analysis. Um what is what is that? Is that from our municipal code? that is directly from the municipal code. Uh there it's under ordinance 1858. Um it's actually referenced in this Yep. 1858. That's referenced in the staff report and that's essentially the ordinance that uh brought us here today. It was approved back in 2013 and it set the standards for alcohol related sales. Uh before then it was uh it was uh alcohol related sales were permitted by Wright within the city of HIT until then. Uh actually four out of four out of the five uh currently active census tracks were all ABC licenses that were before the ordinance took effect. Uh the fifth one had a license before it uh before uh the ordinance took effect, but it lost it for a temporary point in time because the building suffered fire damage and it was able to receive its license back.

Gotcha. Gotcha. So there's so so within this particular census track, there's been nobody that's been approved since that since that ordinance was adopted. There actually was one but but just the one that because they had a fire and they No. So, there was another one that was approved. I want to say it was a couple of years ago. Uh, but that business location and it uh it was uh denied by the planning commission then received approval from the city council on appeal but they moved business locations.

Gotcha. Okay. Then so so there's a 600 foot and then the other question is in regards to the calls um that that boundary that was reviewed and maybe this is a a question for the off for the officer. What's the rationale for that? Cuz that's a long long linear. Is is there a is there a rationale? Is it like the direction of traffic or or or is there any reason why it was that?

Yeah, we can have uh Sergeant Gomez comment on that if he can provide any additional feedback on the kind of the radius. I believe kind of the rationale behind that was uh just uh just trying to uh capture the just the overall calls for service that they received within a certain block of the city. that and and we can get to that. And then the final thing I have is um just kind of in general within the city um what would be criteria that would justify um recommendation of approval for a public uh uh convenience or necessity.

Yeah, that could be uh something that we looked at I want to say about a year ago off of the west uh western end of town at El Centro Corner. uh they were look they were uh required to go through a public convenience or necessity. One of the things that we looked at was the uh the low population within the census track. Part of the reason why uh it uh part of the reason why they had to do a public convenience or necessity was because uh there was actually zero uh licenses allowed before uh one was required. Uh however, uh staff evaluated and uh looked at the general plan and saw that uh that the western end of town was designated as a major corridor for commercial uses within uh the general plan. So that was one of the justifications for making the findings. And there were also uh one of the only uh convenience the only convenience store location within that census track that was applying for ABC license. All of the other two licenses within that active census track were big box retailers. Did you write all that down or that's

Well, thank you. That that's that's all I have. It's just basically one one question. Um it's more for him at police, but it did mention in the 166 called that that address in particular, 45 of them were shoplifting in general. Yes.

And you know that that's kind of a big number. That's a little over one and a half per per month of somebody stealing something out of that store. that doesn't have alcohol in it. So that that's kind of a big concern for me that that number could double not triple because there's alcohol there. And uh so that's something that him police will be able to kind of follow up on. When it comes to Living Way Fellowship Church, um how long have they been there? Uh the Living Way Church is pro has been there for I want to say about 13 years. Uh there was another church prior that closed I want to say around 2014. So, it's at least been used uh for a church use for the last 12 years.

So, did planning commission override when Walmart came into that location to have alcohol? Because Walmart uh typically a Walmart wouldn't qualify or wouldn't have to go through the conditional use permit process because uh typically big box retailers are exempt within our municipal code. And for the ABC, uh I believe our municipal code specifies specifically that any uh retailer that sells alcohol that's less than that has less than 5% of their foil area dedicated to it and is 25,000 uh square feet or more does not have to apply for a conditional use permit.

Interesting. Okay, any other questions for staff? Okay, we'll have we'll go ahead and have him police department representative come up.

Good evening. Good evening. Good evening. Thank you, Mr. Walton. Um, I believe Commissioner Hill, if uh I could just go down the line. I believe you had a question about the data, the data that was provided. Yes. Can you state your name? I'm sorry. Yes. Sergeant Gabriel Gomez with the city of H Police Department. I'm currently the supervisor for the Professional Standards Bureau. Okay. And then my question was out of the total number of police calls that were in that area that Commissioner Worth was talking about, how many are alcoholrelated? Do you know?

I I couldn't speak and I don't want to appear to be biased. uh you could condition them for uh assaults or batteries could potentially be involving alcohol, but along the lines of DUI or drunken public uh public nuisance panhandling, the granular data would have to be broken down on a almost case by case basis. So, I'd hate to make uh a biased decision on that. All right, let me ask this question then in a different way. In your experience as an officer on the street, when you go to a call, how many what percentage of calls are influenced by alcohol?

A vast majority are influenced by mental health or alcohol. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. And my my question was just in regards to to the rationale for that that area, the geographic area. It was along Florida Avenue corridor uh and a little bit further to the west. Um it has the site and then it has several other locations. Was there was there a rationale as to why that was that? The data was simply provided uh based off the necessity of the city but there was no ror it was asked to from this location as the location. Can you provide that data?

Yeah. Yeah. is just it's it's definitely the out of all of the locations it's the it's it's one of the highest highest ones. So, okay. Thank you. That's I was just I was kind of curious as to the shape of the of of the polygon if there was a reason for it.

And from the reports, he police department obviously does not recommend this because of saturation and the police calls and the safety level of the citizens. The two factors that the Hemet Police Department uh s made a suggestion based on was a confirmation of the oversaturation of the area according to ABC's uh the 20 type 20 and then additionally that it is our most saturated busiest criminal activity within the city along our commercial corridor. Interesting. Okay. Thank you very much. Any other questions for Sergeant Romans? No. Thank you, Sergeant.

Thank you very much. With that, we're going to go ahead and uh open up public hearing. Are there any members present that would like to comment on this item? Yes, Chair Boomster. Uh we have Ahmad Mutla with three minutes followed by Brett Ingstrom and who who also has three minutes. Okay. Correction, chair.

Okay. You're not necessarily limited to three minutes if you feel you need to talk more than that. So,

I'll try I'll try and keep it concise. Uh I know. Um first off, I'd like to thank Jordan on a a lot of work. appreciate the uh detailed staff report and appreciate all his efforts. Uh my name is Brett Instrom. I'm here on behalf of the applicant which operates the Palm Valley Station located at 903 West Florida. As stated, we have a pending conditional use permit request to allow the sale of beer and wine for off-site consumption via Department of ABC 20 license. I would like to reiterate that the request is for beer and wine only. We are not requesting full alcohol. The applicant is both the business and property owner and has joined me this evening. He will be available to comment or answer questions as needed. Subject business is located at the intersection of Florida and Palm Avenue. The site is commercially zoned and located within the C2 general commercial zone. Nearby properties along Florida include a variety of services, retail, and restaurant uses. Excuse me. Business owners operated this location for nearly 40 years. Uh he has other locations in the vicinity. I just found out he went to high school here. He's been in the area for 50 plus years. I'll let him elaborate. Applicant has recently spent in excess of $1 million to improve and update the property. This expansion included expanded and upgraded fueling stations, improvements to the building, improved lighting and security, and the addition of a retail store. The result is a clean and modern operation. Part of the overall plan with a retail store was to include the sale of beer and wine. Beer and wine sales would not be the main focus of the operation, but is nonetheless an expected amenity in many updated service stations. The applicant sale floor is approximately 727 square ft. They would agree to limit their beer and wine display to approximately 15 square feet, which is about 2% of their floor area.

The desire to add beer and wine sales to their business is also in response to the request made by many of the business's patrons. They would prefer a convenient one-stop location for purchases instead of being forced to visit a second business to complete all their purchases. The applicant has a security system uh security camera system covering both the interior and exterior of the business. Cooler cases displaying beer and wine will be locked daily at the hour. Beer and wine sales are deemed to end. Also to be noted, the applicant has agreed to stop beer and wine sales at 11 pm daily. So this might help with any late night issues. The applicant and all employees will be required to attend a department of ABC lead training program which will instruct them on the responsible sale of beer and wine, including proper IDs and avoiding making sales to intoxicated or problematic individuals. The applicant would also readily agree to the operating standards established in the city's own alcohol sales performance criteria which are included in the staff report. In regards to the number of police calls in the area, the applicant has operated in this location for almost 40 years and has had a long has a long-term interest in the site and the neighborhood. In an effort to support the Hemtt Police Department and promote the safety of the neighborhood, the applicant and his employees have been vigilant of any issues in the area, whether on their property or not, and have alerted the police department. This well-intended participation has unfortunately led to a larger number of police calls in the area. So, we believe the number of calls is not truly indicative of the situation around the subject site, and it would be unjust to penalize the applicant based on his efforts to improve the safety in the neighborhood. Excuse me. For example, I believe there

are 1,000 calls for traffic stops. Out of 1435 calls, 1,000 for traffic stops, which should not be attributed to our applicant. Sorry, my throat's very dry. The area is also experiencing a number of tenant vacancies with recent closures of the Walmart and Starbucks directly across the street. A modern, clean, and well-lit business adds to the safety of the area and can help dissuade loitering, vagrancy, and other unwanted activities. The active business adds to the tax base and economic vitality of the area. This is again a positive when considering the Walmart closure. There are two other gas stations in the census track that have been granted ABC licenses. One of these with full alcohol. This gives them an unfair operating advantage even though our applicant has demonstrated his willingness to reinvest in the property and the city. We also have a question about the church and how long it has been there. Uh Jordan pulled it up. He said 13 years. I I believe him. Jordan's been upfront and forward about everything. I would like to ask if they do have um any entitlements, any sa building and safety permits, any business license to prove that they're legally operating. Um if they are not legally operating, I don't think that should be a detriment to our application. Excuse me. And with that, um I'd love to answer any questions you have.

Thank you very much, Commissioner. Any questions? Yeah. Uh thanks for that, Brent. Um, how long has the Apple How long How long have you owned um this mobile? 39 years. 39 years. The same location. Same location. And Jordan mentioned that before I believe it was an at will to sell alcohol. Did you ever sell alcohol before? Uh, we can ask the applicant those questions. Comes up and has his minute. Thank you. I'd like to introduce the applicant. We can Will you state your name for the record, please?

Sure. My name is Ahmad Mlak. I'm the owner of Palm Valley Mobile at 903 West Florida. Thank you. Okay. So, you were saying that uh you've owned it for 39 years, but you've never sold alcohol there. I uh worked as a mechanic in that location. We recently changed it from a garage into a full-blown food mart. Okay. Um mainly because seemed like a thousand gas stations opened in town and uh kind of took our business away. So, I had to kind of spend money there and uh bring some more customers in there for different reasons. And um I spent 1.4 million in that place just a year and a half ago

and it's not paying off because of the fact that I can't sell any alcohol. My beer and wine customers are going elsewhere and they're just going to get their gas there, too. So, um, that's how it's happening. So, that's the only reason I want to get the license.

Sure, we do appreciate you investing in the property and, you know, making it look, you know, better, um, than what it was before. Um, but is 2% of your overall square footage going to make that big of a difference? If we there's five things against you or five things against this application, is 2% really going to have that dramatic of a profit hurting? I mean, I really couldn't tell you. I'm just trying everything I can to keep that place open. Mhm. Um um I can give you a little bit of background about myself. I've been there for 40 years now. Mhm.

Um I operated that station from being a Chevron into a mobile and um you know different contracts. I've dealt with other oil companies at other locations, Unical Shell stations. Um but that particular corner has been my gold mine ever since I started and uh seen it going down last couple of years because whether the electric cars are coming or we don't have enough population in Hammet or there's 150 offbrand gas stations all over the place um that's affecting my business. So I have to do everything I can to keep it going. Um this is what I'm facing right now. You got Soba selling gas today for44. That's 20 cents below my cost.

Uh there's no way I can compete with that. Um you got Walmart selling as close as they can to Saboba just to keep their customers from going elsewhere. I cannot compete with that. You got 18 gas stations on Florida Avenue from one end to the other end and 13 of them are off brandands. That means they're buying 20 cents cheaper than what I'm paying. I'm the only one of, well, I have two of them, Exxon on Stanford, too, which is not in the city, but I have the only two out of five gas stations on Florida Avenue that are branded that have a logo on it that has valuable gas in it. The rest of them are all, you know, they come directly from the refinery into their tanks. There's no value to it. So, I have to be more expensive to be able to operate. Mhm.

And um not being able to sell beer and wine. And I hear this every day from my customers. Do you have beer and wine? And my cashier said, "Oh, he's working on it." And um and when I don't see that customer again, I know he's gone somewhere else. So we're losing basically we're losing gas customers over this issue. And I'm not really into beer and wine sales. I really don't want to sell alcohol, but it seems like it's a necessity for me right now to keep this place going. Um, another thing, excuse me, for the last 10 years, um, I've operated the business. My main focal point has been not just the customers, my employees. I haven't had anybody quit my stations for years. I have guys that have worked for me for 30 years right now. I don't pay minimum wage at any of my locations. I, as a matter of fact, I don't even know what minimum wage is. So, um, I'm trying to bring the standard up here to the employees. And, you know, minimum wage is not a living wage. So, I have to be able to make money to make these guys happy. Mhm.

This year has been the only year I haven't given anybody a raise because I'm not making any money. So So it's this is just a try to u maybe keep my employees and not let them go because anywhere else you go in these liquor stores or the gas stations, you got a kiosk with a shield, one cashier in there. All the things are open. You can go in there, do whatever you want. Nobody will stop you. at my stations during the 8 to 11 hours that I'm proposing to sell beer and alcohol or beer and wine. I have two people at least sometimes three people working. So my my payroll is through the roof and I I'm not willing to let these guys go. I have to do everything I can to keep them there and I'm going to do my best to keep them there. So I have a question for Jordan. I thought you were my friend. But this is all I have to say basically. You know, I've been there 39 years. I've been in the valley for 50 years.

Um I moved here when I was 16 years old. Everything I've done has been in this town. So um I'm just requesting a favor from you guys to maybe u look over what the gentleman said and what the ABC says because I'm not really there to sell alcohol. I'm there for convenience of my customers. This is not really an alcohol sales station. We're there just to keep our customers. And with that, that's all I have to say. Thank you for that. Um, I have no further questions.

So, Ahmad, thank you for your uh testimony there. Um, people that have credit cards for your gas station, they they come there just for the gas and really not the alcohol. Um, I mean, how I'm I'm trying to get a sense of who your customers are. Are they mostly the credit card companies that hold a credit card for your corporation that come in to get gas or is can you give me a percentage of We have about 30% cash customers and about 70% credit card customers and and out of those people maybe only 20% of them come into the store.

Yeah. And what my concern is, and if one of my lady customers wants beer, for example, or wine, she's not going to walk into one of those liquor stores down the street. Have you been, have you ever been to those liquor stores? You know what they look like? Yeah. I won't go in there during the daytime. So, and I'm not afraid of things,

but my customers need to have that freedom to be able to pick up just that one item that they want to take home with them. They're not drinking in the car. They're not taking it on the side of the street in the brown bag, you know, none of that stuff. And, you know, I don't think it's it's really a uh a nuisance to the public like the gentleman says or Jordan says because I keep that place very safe. I've been shot at protecting that place. I've been hit over the head with a rock once protecting that place. I protect my employees to my death if I have to. And that's the only reason I'm I want to keep this place going. Otherwise, I'd sell it and get out of town. There's no there's no harm done there.

People are still looking for gas stations. They buy them. As a matter of fact, I just sold one down the street on Sanderson. You saw it turn from mobile to G&M. Kind of an ugly place now, but that's what's going to happen. If I sell my stations, the mobile station is going to turn into one of these offbrand gas stations. So, and it's not good for the town. So,

Okay. Thank you. the um the shoplifting the there's 45 calls for um shop shoplifting. Have you seen a change in that in regards to

I'm going to explain that to you right now. Uh when I first started, I called City of Hemmed Police Department and told them that I'm having all kinds of issues here. People are just walking away with things and they're harassing my employees and you know, they throw their trash all over the place and do whatever they want. Basically, um they directed me to Captain Brock, Glenn Brock. He was on a task force to stop the shoplifting in Hammet. He told me, "Call for every little thing you see." And that's all I did. That's why you have so many calls. I wouldn't have called half of those calls if he hadn't told me. He asked me to do it. He said, "I need to get these guys a couple of times so I can arrest them and get them get rid of them for you." And that's what he did. We're not having any issues right now. My uh station doesn't have any shoplifting problems anymore. As a matter of fact, since Walmart left and that Starbucks left, I haven't had any issues. But there's nothing but empty properties around me. Looks really ugly. So you can that kind of answer my question there with the 40 shoplifting. Um I think if I have more questions for staff actually more than anything, but uh I don't have any other questions. They all got answered up here.

Yeah. And I I I just I mean I just I want to thank you for it sure it certainly it seems very heartfelt and uh sincere um and genuine and uh uh it it makes it a lot tougher that way. Thank you so much.

Thank you. I just going to have a closed public hearing and have staff come up to the podium again for a couple questions. I have two questions in reference to what the gentleman said earlier about the church. Is the church in good standing with all is paperwork or what whatever they need to submit everything in good standing with the church?

I verified with the uh business license before ahead of this meeting if they had any documentation uh for the church. Uh they did say that they did have records of the church being there for uh many years, but I can uh if if if you so choose, I can double check with the business license to see exactly which business license they have with the city currently. Okay. And then the other question is the applicant when he did his million.4 renovation to that corner, uh did everything did he meet all the standards what he proposed? that everything all the guidelines everything was met or is there anything that was not met?

If I recall uh they did get approval from the city uh for the construction of the uh for the renovations that they did. Uh I don't remember off the top of my head Mr. Mik maybe he can comment on this but I think the only thing that is missing would be the uh trash enclosure and the R500B standard.

Can you expand on that a little bit? Yeah. So, we have a new trash enclosure standard that we have been uh bringing forward to you today uh for every every meeting uh for um for I want to say about the past one or two years now. Uh the city as of January of this year uh mandates that all projects uh meet uh the R500B standard uh for trash enclosures. Okay. We we can give you a chance to come back up for a public com for a public hearing, but I just wanted to make sure everything was in good standing there. So, the trash and culture are the only thing that is an issue a little bit. Yes. Any other questions for staff before we go back to the public hearing?

Is there any um going through that process with with the city? Um was there any discussion with Ahmad during that process of what his ultimate plans were during that period of time? overs. Was it was was any plans submitted showed, you know, a a a future beer and wine section? Was there any kind of even even if it's verbal and maybe that's a tough tough question to answer, but

we just evaluated uh based off what was submitted uh to the city, which was a tenant improvement. Uh we didn't expand as far as what possibly uh could could go in there. Um what we did do is that we before uh Mr. Mullik and his team submitted for the conditioner use permit is that we did have a preliminary review uh meeting for his application uh to let him know uh what our findings were or if there were going to be any issues and we did inform him of the overconentration and the number of calls of service within the census track. But that was for that was for this request that that wasn't for the request for tenative improvements of the 1.4 4 million.

Yes. Right. And and and and again within any of those those submitts or what was provided, was there any indication of what like a site plan? You know, oftentimes they'll show a a layout of where the register is and what what's where I I guess my only thought is was there a was there any indication given to to him during that process that this would be feasible or was or was the city clear that that this isn't a path that you can go down.

Well, it's a you know, when we look at a a a plan for a tenant improvement and they have a a display on on his application, we'll prove it for a display of you know, any of the approved beverages that he could have. If you noted on the plans on the tenant improvement that that uh this was also for the sale of beer and wine, then we we would have notified the applicant or any applicant who would have applied that uh while the tenant improvement for the you know the convenience store is okay to proceed uh the uh the alcohol component will be on hold until you obtain a conditional use permit. Gotcha. So yeah, that it's a it's it's clear that that's a separate a separate subsequent application process. Yes.

Any other questions for staff? No, chair. No. Okay. And do you want to open up public hearing? Did you want to say something? I wanted to talk about Go ahead and push to the podium. We'll go ahead and open up and give you a chance. Um Jordan mentioned about the trash enclosure. Enclosure. My trash is not open. This is closed. You have a brick wall all the way around it. I'm not sure what you're talking about. Can you elaborate on that?

Yeah, I don't have a image, but I'll describe what the trash enclosure standards are to uh are supposed to look like. Uh it's a double gate uh uh with a recycling and trash. Uh there's a roof, a enclosed roof, and an encro structure so that people can't uh uh throw their trash over. So if he if if I'm recalling if he meets the requirements uh we can add it if you were so choose to approve the project with conditions we would ra we would recommend that that be added as a condition and if the site already qualifies for it then the condition the condition is just there thank you very much

that's basically it I guess okay well thank you very much we're going to go and close Commissioners, comments, corrections, what do you think? Are we up for discussion here? Discussion.

Yeah, this is a tough one. Um, you know, we want to be very supportive of the businesses in town. One of the concerns that I have is that the allocation is three in this zone. There's already five. there is an unfair advantage with these two other facilities that have um that that are above the allocation. And you know, it's it's it's tough for me to deny this because of the unfair advantage and the fact that uh I I don't want to see this guy railroaded out of town or, you know, because of beer and wine um in supporting business within the the community. I hate to see another place fold up and leave.

I agree. Any any other

Yeah, it's kind of it's kind of tough. Um, you know, but 2% of the square footage of the property selling alcohol and Jordan, you know, did mention that if we do were to approve this, then they would probably recommend us to not sell single cans. And that's where I see a lot of I guess gas stations probably sell a lot of single cans. When I ask if it's a single can or a pack, maybe, you know, if it's just it's an overconentration for the police presence to be here, I feel like that says a lot as well. Um, I'm all for big business, but or I'm all for business. However, it's just really tough to uh go against five things that go against him. Um, the church being 600 feet away, I think it was like 583 feet. So that's, you know, it's within 600 feet, I guess. Um, I just, uh, yeah, it's it's it's a tough decision for sure, but yeah, that's all I have to say.

Commissioner, Vice Chair Witto on all that. Um the you know what from the general plan update uh one of the items is continue to work towards strategies that reduce criminal activities such as burglaries and vandalism impacting the business community. I don't think there's a question that that corridor that was was identified for all of the police calls is the worst part of town. That's certainly an area that I I would be very cautious of my wife or daughter um walking down that area. But I I I I question a couple things. One is the this this site is located at one end of that um that area and if you go further to the west you you get into a lot of other really bad bad areas and There's no question that that that's kind of the the the problem area of our of our city. I I I I wonder which would be better. And I I would I'd be interested to hear your your input on on this if is is is a is a empty building. um that you know um more conducive to problems or or with if there was a a good amount of control where it's really focused on it's not singles. It's it's it's it's specifically tailored towards the type of of interaction and and transaction that that that he described as just a more of a convenience of people driving someplace else and they're not opening them up and

you know that type of thing. Is there a is there a is there a balance point there somewhere to have more places like Walmart that's that's vacant, more opportunities for transients? more opportunity opportunities for people to not get the police called on um on them and you know versus having uh you know something that's targeted towards a particular type of customer that is well managed well well supported and I I I' I'd be I'd really be interested if you had any thoughts on that one way or the other. I to keep mentioning too the applicant is when they closed when Walmart closed and Starbucks closed a lot of the a lot of the transits in his area did slow down significantly but now he has empty spaces there which is you know not good either we want business but I don't know we can reopen a public hearing have the police come

reopen it um if we allow the police officer to speak we could reopen it to see if he has any Okay. Do did you want to come and answer that or gonna be open there for you to

Hello again. Um yes. So, uh Commissioner Worth, uh to kind of answer your prior question about the the justification of the west to east. You have two service stations that are going east. So, it's just a matter of I mean they run along that main corridor. Um to answer the question about the vacant properties, um it does present a problem because now in a perfect world, yes, we would like to believe that people are picking up point of sale beverage and taking them home and turning on Netflix. Um that's not what's occurring out there. What's occurring is whether it's a single can or a six-pack, that six-pack or that single can is being taken either by theft or by um purchase. And then those vacant locations are housing. Everybody knows that absentee or vacant properties, nobody's watching them per se. So that presents um a good habitat, one would say. Uh so there's that factor. Um the other factor I'd like to point out is um I can appreciate uh the commerce and the the the relationship that Captain Brock uh worked with to try and find this solution. Um, however, uh, I have pulled the data for this new time frame, um, to match last year's and it's up 17%. So, that's not quite represented, um, with the transient population not having activity, etc., etc. Um, I can pull that data if it needs to be brought back as well. Well, I I think I think to you know that the the fact that you're here represent you know illustrates your the you know the the the position, but it's just it's it's an interesting to me. It's an interesting I mean that area is is bad. We all know it's bad. Um and it's bad for probably a lot of reasons. Um, and you know, whether or not adding a couple

more feet of beer and wine sales would make it worse or or better or affected. Trying to balance that with kind of the freedom to the and and the the support for business to try to make a make a business. And so having having your perspective on on that, especially hearing the testimony here this evening and um the at least the rationale employed to say this is this is why it's being done and and so is that and maybe it maybe has no factor in in in your consideration and your recommendation because it's it's it's a it's one of data, one of facts, not not one of what could be,

right? and and the applicant and I specifically have had good dialogue over the last year and a half and this in this process. Um I do understand his concerns and obviously he's put a lot into this um us partnering with this project. I really wish there was a different way to go about about this issue. But unfortunately even as you mentioned traffic stops a lot of traffic stops are related to DUIs. Um there's a reason traffic stops are being made in that area. It's um it's a it's a high frequency area for crime

and um and I and I do appreciate it. I do uh we we spoke a little bit um about, you know, feeling kind of like uh the Hemet Police Department requested partnership and and more uh more involvement. But just because the phone calls are being made or not made doesn't mean those crimes are not being committed. Just means they're being reported or not reported. We can't manufacture that that that data. Yeah, I I think the I mean this this one is less than 10% of the 1,400 or or or it's about 10% of the 1,400 calls in in that air in that area. And so there's obviously a lot of activity. You guys are pretty busy along that that that stretch, but

Okay. I hope that helped. Just complicates it more. All right. Thank you very much. We're going to close public hearing. Oh, the open public hearing. Having comment. Sorry about that.

Sorry. Um I wanted to elaborate on the closure of Walmart and the Starbucks and the ice cream shop. Um Starbucks closed their dining room because they couldn't keep the homeless out. And then they finally decided to shut the whole place down because the homeless were just taking their business outside. Um, Walmart closed because they couldn't stop the shoplifterss. I'm not sure how two big corporations just give up that easily and leave when a small businessman standing there protecting that corner against all of this. And um there there has to be something to be said about that that I'm still standing there and these guys just left. So these big corporations get their beer and wine license like he said because they're big and they just take off anytime they want. What are they what good are they doing for you guys versus me? So another thing is that church you're talking about. I have never seen a single car in their parking lot. I pass by there every day. Every day I look at it. There's never anybody there. I think it's just a tax scam. That's all it is. So using that against me for that place, I don't think it's is right. So that's all I got to say. Thank you.

Okay. With that, we're going to go ahead and close the public hearing and uh go back to discussion again. I'm sorry. And then we'll just stick with discussions. Um what I think is just What Commissioner Hill said is he's been there 40 years, so he's been a longtime business owner here in the valley. Um, Walmart would have been six if they were still there. This will be number seven that they tried. And with Walmart being gone, it goes to five back to six if this was approved. So, uh, for me that that number really doesn't doesn't change because Walmart just closed and that drops the number down one. Um, it's a tough one. It's a tough one because this is not a new business that we can say easily no to because of saturation. This is a long-term business partner that's been with the city of Hammet and contributed to the city of Hit for a long time and uh 2% of the floor space. My my concern is the shoplifting as I mentioned before that's 45. I think that will double easily. But there again, you know, when it comes to shoplifting, that's that's on the owner if if they can't keep an eye on this customer walking and stealing as well. But um this is not a new business and this is where I I'm stuck.

Yeah. What do you guys think? Well, I told you what I think. I'm I mean, it's this this is a tough decision. I I agree that the crime that that's a crime corridor and you need to do everything you can to suppress it, but uh at the same time, I don't want to see a business owner close up and leave.

And if this can help him make the difference in margin that he needs to stay, then uh like you said, um number six, I don't see the harm in number six. um given that there's five already and there's an there's a distinct advantage to the other two that are there above the three. If we were at three three allocations and three businesses there I would say okay we're we're there's no unfair advantage. Um you know I think it would be unfortunate but we would you know I'm I'm thinking that uh you know that's that's where we set it. So what are we doing to these two that are over the allocation? How are we monitoring and fixing that problem? We're not. And that's an issue for me.

So adding another one be adding to the problem. Well, is it really a big problem? I don't know. I mean, there are other areas that you could buy alcohol and commit crimes. I mean, just because this guy is denied doesn't mean that these calls are not going to come in. They're still going to come in. Yeah. Mhm.

And I I think that's the that's that's where I was kind of going with my questioning too is like what's the what's the cause? And you know, alcohol is possibly a symptom as well as a cause of what the problem is. like you said the majority of calls are related to mental illness and alcohol and I was like which one comes first that but but what I'm struggling with personally is two things with two weeks ago we had a work session um with uh our city manager we identified a lot of of different priorities for the city um I personally reached out to neighbors and friends and I got some input on some ideas and one of things that kept coming back was I don't feel safe walking around town and I want to just be able to go shopping and and and and so public safety was a huge um concern to a couple people. Um and then it's it's right here on our general plan is is continue to work towards strategies that reduce criminal activity such as burglaries, vandalism, and impacting the business community. like, well, he's he's being impacted by that. His business is being impacted by by that. And is it if it's already being impacted by by that now, does the addition of beer and wine make that problem worse? Does it contribute to it happening more frequently in the area? And I I'm I'm struggling between what what what we have in paper that we're supposed to do, the fact that we have a a representative from law enforcement, obviously um with with the with the data and the facts to back up the fact that this is a a bad area. We all I think we all know that. I guess my question is kind of similar is whether or not this would

make it worse and whether it would make it worse to a point that is sufficient from a principal perspective to deny the opportunity for a 40-year term business owner to try to save his business. And I have a that's really really tough.

Yeah. So I think uh other cities across the country have decided to control this by making dry counties dry cities and governmentowned liquor stores are managed that way. We either do that to control this problem or we get the allocations back in line where we have five where there's allocation of of a zone of three. We have Jordan said that there were two other zones that are out of the allocation. I mean, come on. If you want to fix the problem, fix the problem. This is not going to this this this is not going to this isn't going to fix the problem. Does any want to make a motion to what is presented and vote upon that?

Well, I have a question. Go ahead.

Yeah. So on chair um depending on which direction the the commission wishes to uh pursue in this application we do have to make sure that the findings are are made in the affirmative on all of the findings that were identified and outlined in the hemmetal code. Uh if there are findings that could not be made um in this in this um current application and current presentation current resolution provided uh we would have to come back with findings to support the project. Uh there there also may be the the necessity to include a variance um um potentially for um one of the measures um one of the findings that requires a a minimum um distance of 600 feet. Um let me clarify real quick. So uh depending on the commission's uh desire um we could go ahead and close a public hearing and you definitely you know take action. The only thing is is that we would bring f uh uh back a resolution of approval with proper findings. Um that what we've heard you know from tonight's meeting because the only resolution before you right now is a resolution for denial with proposed findings for denial. Um I would I would talk to uh the community development director. I don't it uh I'm not so sure that this project will qualify for a variant. So you and I could chat about that offline, but um but if if if the commission were inclined to approve uh the project, uh we would just need to come back with a resolution with proper findings. Yeah, I I I I don't I mean, yeah, there's nothing here to approve relative to So, but I I think what I personally

am feeling is that um maybe there's some more questions in regards to the the findings that are presented here that can provide an opportunity for staff uh to work with the applicant and maybe answer some of the questions like the church and some other things that are part of those findings. is is at 600 ft. Uh that's an interesting uh it it's probably worth worth exploring that a little bit. Um I would also be very interested, you know, if there was maybe other means and methods with working with the police department to help help address the broader issue there. Maybe there's some additional partnerships, some additional cameras, some addition something something else that would would maybe provide a benefit to the larger area in terms of law enforcement and and I I I don't know what exists there, but I guess my thought is to send it back to the to staff to to to look at it to to verify the findings that are in the report and to see if there is something that would be available. to change or to modify the position from the police department. And if not, it's not. But

we we can in this process, we can always request a continuence and come back with an an approval or a denial option with what's being discussed, what's being said, that we can look further into it with staff and continue it and come back with an option A or option B approved or denied instead of the original proposal. Why are we not taking a vote on this? No, but we can we don't have to vote. We can deny this and then and make a motion to continue it. Yeah, just to continue. Okay.

Just to be continued. Don't have to make a motion deny this and but make a motion to continue. So um so the planning commission could go ahead and continue this item to the next you know a couple weeks and uh not make a decision today but actually continue the entire public hearing uh to a date certain which would be in whatever your next planning commission is and in the packet uh direct staff to provide both a resolution a proposed resolution of denial and a proposed resolution of approval. Right? Because the findings that are currently in if if you know if if that's something that's directed, the findings are only proposed, right? These are proposed findings by staff. The person entity who ultimately makes those findings are the bo is the body itself. So these are proposed findings. Um it seems like staff definitely had, you know, a resolution of denial. Um, many cities, not many, a few cities, I should say, that I've worked with in the past have included both resolution of denial and resolution of approval and uh provided kind of the option for uh the planning commission to make those findings and to include um possibly other findings. Um if that is something that the planning commission desires, it could continue the entire item and uh the staff can, you know, take a stab at both uh resolution of approval and resolution of denial to ultimately come before this body.

Okay. I mean that sounds reasonable. I would like to make a motion to continue the item to allow staff to present us a proposal of denial or approval to the next would it be able to be in the next following planning commission meeting or and is that enough time? Um yeah, we we would want to work with staff to uh prepare those. It may take a little bit of time, but the next um planning commission meeting uh is April April 7th. April what day? April 7th. April 7th.

Is that enough time for what? I I would I I would suggest we give it maybe a little more time just to give you enough give staff. Yeah, I'd like to you just make sure with staff if that's sufficient time then we can we can we can prepare prepare the report with the revised um findings. Okay. So So would this be continued then? I'm a little confused to April 7th. April 7th. with a proposal or denial of the application. Well, I'll second it if it needs to be seconded. We propose denial of what? No, but with seventh with a option for approval or denial.

Correct. For April 7th. Can we clarify the motion? So, we're making a motion to continue the item to April 7th meeting and have the city present us with the with the the issues we the questions we have a proposal or a denial of the application. And who was our second? Commissioner Hill. I second it. Thank you. May we have a roll call? Commissioner Verantes. Yes. Commissioner Hill. Yes. Vice Chair Worth I. Chair Beamstepper. Yes.

That motion car. Okay. Department reports. City attorney. I have none. And Leila hopefully will be back next time and do the Branock presentation. Okay. Community development reports. Director Monnique. Thank you, Chair. Um, I do want to report that uh, Commissioner Worth and I um, both attended the uh, League of Cities, California Cities uh, Planning Commissioners Academy uh, this past week and it was um, Vermont or were Oh, excuse me. I was going to say I don't remember that. Must have been it must have been a great night.

I was channeling. Yes, Commissioner Vermont and my and myself, excuse me for that. um attended the planning commissioners academy and um that was really insightful. A lot of good information, a lot of legislative updates that will be coming back um to provide uh more information to the planning commission. And also this evening, I wanted to uh welcome our new principal planner, James Atkins, and he's here this evening in the audience. Want to just give him a warm welcome back. Thank you. Welcome, James. And now future agenda items. Director Monique.

Uh future agenda items include an extension of time for Palm Communities. They are working their way through the process um and applying for their tax credits. Uh there's also going to be an um a modification to the original approval to include additional um units. We are uh working through uh the process with WRCOG and their technical assistance uh consultant to prepare a pro-housing designation program for council consideration. We have a uh hemtt beautiful presentation coming via delos chess uh tenative track map 38979 is working its way through the development pipeline. We anticipate a 2025 code cycle update AB306 and residential construction update to the commission as well as the pre-approved ADU plans.

All right, thank you for that. And last is the planning commissioner reports. Yes, Commissioner Vermont. Yeah, just

yeah, I just want to report I went to the League of Cities um planning commission convention and it was it was a learning experience for sure. Um what I took away is I feel bad for city attorneys because there are so many laws that got put into place in the last 5 years. It's it's like not just it's like 500 laws. It's outrageous. It's crazy just to uh for somebody to know all that. And it's cool to see, you know, there's a community of people that just they know these laws right off the bat, like the back of their hand. It's it's outrageous. Uh but on that, it was a good it was a good uh it was a good meeting, a great learning experience, and I thank the city for uh allowing me to go and uh experience that. That's it.

Thank you, Commissioner Hill. I have nothing to report. Thanks.

Thank you, Vice Chair Worth. um following the city council's uh de denial of the new and Simpson project, you know, as kind of those speaking of laws and some of the some of the warehouse uh impacts. I forget the bill on on that one, but um I hope that if that project comes back through again that uh it has it it's maybe reinvisioned a little bit to take into consideration some of the input from the community. Um I think there's an opportunity to kind of re revisit how it fits into our community both from its proximity to the residents uh its entry into the city of HMT um opportunity to you know work on a on a larger integration of it into a you know more of a master plan um setting. Um, and so hope hopefully if it does come back through, it'll it'll come through that process and maybe spend some time um with with with this commission and and uh and incorporating some of the feedback that was received. So, it'll be a hopefully a good opportunity uh to make it better.

And that's all. Thank you, Chair Beamster.

Well, steps in between Buista and Santa Fe looks very nice now. nicely paved. They just painted the lines here. So, it's nice to take a smooth road on Stson in that little area. It's been needed work for a long time. I was at that six little over six-hour meeting that the planning commission had last city council had last week. This room was full. And um and in at the end, the council, the three decided two no and one yes. So, uh, also they presented a new branding of HIMT, which was exciting to see all the different options and and, uh, ideas that they have for our branding. And I I like it. I I hope to see that on the streets of what they're presenting. And, uh, for the end of the month, I love him. I HeMT is on March 28th. It's at hemmeta.gov from 10:00 a.m. to noon. If you want to help clean up the community, uh, they're going to be focusing. I'm not sure where this at this at that event, but last time they were at Stson and State. So, they they uh they've been helping with cleaning up the community as well. So, if you're interested, join him at ca.com. And with there being no further business to discuss, this meeting is adjourned to the next regular planning commission meeting scheduled for April 7th, 20206 at 6 p.m.