Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

601. I'm calling the Planning Commission meeting of June 3 to order at 601. Could we have a roll call, please? Chair Murphy? Here. Commissioner Stewart? Here. Commissioner Hanson? Here.

Absent, Vice Chair Chesley and Commissioner Ray Schmidt. Thank you.

Bruce, would you lead us in the pledge? Thank you. Are there any changes to the agenda this evening?

No, there are not.

Okay. Do we need a roll call for that approval?

For the minutes?

Yeah. No, for the agenda.

Just for the agenda.

The agenda's not being changed.

No, there's no changes.

So no approval needed. Okay. At this time, we will open up public communications. This is time set aside during the Planning Commission meeting for members of the public to address the Planning Commission on items of city business other than what we have on our agenda this evening. I have no cards. Is there anyone in the audience who would like to speak? Seeing no one, is there anyone online? No. Thank you. We will close the public communications. The consent calendar consists of the minutes of the May 20, 26 Planning Commission meeting. Are there any changes or corrections to those minutes?

No.

Hearing none, could I have a motion to adopt, accept?

So moved.

So moved. And a second?

I second that motion.

Could we have roll call, please? Hanson?

Oh, here. Sorry. Yes.

Stewart?

Yes.

Murphy? Here. Yes.

Yes. Yes.

Disclosure of site visits and ex parte contacts on the item on tonight's agenda?

No, nothing on my end.

No. Okay, I have been to the site. I have had no ex parte contacts. Okay, we will now open the public hearing, well, no, we'll open the item which is a zone change previously noticed for uh from business professional to commercial to allow for the sake sale of alcohol at the ohi gas convenience store would you care to Tell us about this.

Yes, thank you, chair and commissioners. So this item was heard by the planning commissioner at the planning commission on February 18th in 2026. And two of the three commissioners here this evening were not here at that time. And not just for that reason, but especially for that reason, I'd like to describe to you what the project was. The project was ultimately recommended to the city council for approval. The reason that we're here tonight re-noticing and re-hearing this is because on January 1st, 2025, there were amendments made to State of California Government Code Section 65854. That's when it became effective, and it increased the time for noticing from 10 to 20 days. And so the previous notice was for 10 days, and so we've had to re-notice it. Nothing of the project has changed since the Planning Commission heard this in February of 2026. It's exactly the same. And what it is is a request for a zone change from business professional to commercial, general commercial. And the site is at 1124 Maricopa Highway. The request was specifically because they can't sell alcohol in the BP zone, but they can in the C1 zone. But I'm going to go into it a little bit more than that. So a gas station is also not permitted in the BP zone. However, historically, this site, it was back in 1996, they received a conditional use permit from the Planning Commission to have the gas station there, and a CUP runs with the land. So the gas station is permitted to be there. In a BP zone, you're not permitted to have a convenience store. However, the gas station does have a convenience store. In a BP zone, you're not allowed to have sale of alcohol. There are other gas stations in town that have convenience stores and have sale of alcohol So we have a couple different things one is To be competitive with the other gas stations in town, but then also let's talk about the site for a second this site is immediately across the street from a c1 zoned area and in a commercial strip mall with bonds and a gas station a sorry, a liquor store and other retail establishments. And so to create a C1 zone here on this major intersection in town across the street from commercial zone makes sense. And so staff was recommending approval of the zone change. the Planning Commission had the opportunity to review it and consider it and It ultimately needs to go to the City Council for approval and the Planning Commission in February recommended approval That was very fast. I didn't mean to talk too fast, but but it was also I talk fast, but but it was really brief so I want to answer any questions if you have any and we do have the applicant here as well and They weren't expecting this, of course, but we let them know, hey, we have to re-notice it, which means we have to open it back up again. And so here we are.

Do we have any questions of the staff on this topic at this time I don't have any questions on my end I don't have any questions either Okay in that case I have no questions either in that case we will open the public hearing on this item

have no blue cards so just to let you know I'm sorry to interrupt but the two of the three people in the audience are our applicants and they're prepared to speak if there's questions for them however they've already been before the Planning Commission so of course they're welcome to get up if they'd like to you were invited to speak at this time should you choose to

Good evening commissioners my name is Alan Nelson consultant working for Mr. Abbasi the property owner we appreciate staff's time we know we're back up here sort of as this technicality because of the re-noticing but like I said happy to answer any questions that you folks might have for us

Without questions, I can't believe this. This has never happened to us.

I think you're off the hook. So I'll note this on the day, that there are no questions.

OK. Thank you very much. Of course. Is there anyone online who would care to speak to this item? No. No. Larry? No. OK. In that case. i would entertain a motion on this subject do you want to close the public hearing sure we'll close the public hearing now we're ready for a motion

I will make a motion on it but I might need a little help are we approving the additional extension of the timing or putting on the wording I guess It's kind of back to the beginning and so what you're doing is you'd be making a recommendation to the City Council so you're recommending approval Okay I would like to make a motion to the City Council to approve this project Right the zone change Yes the zone change

Is there a second?

I'll second that.

Could we have a roll call, please? Hanson?

Here? Yes. Stewart? Yes.

Murphy? Yes. Well, that's a very quick approval. It's never happened before. But go forth and sell your beer and wine. Very good. Thank you. Thank you. We did discuss this at length the first time it came around.

And something I didn't, well, it doesn't matter now, but there was also a conceptual review prior to the hearing in February.

Yes, that hints my question to you, but we won't go into that.

So I understood.

Yes, good. Discussion items. Maura, do you have anything for us?

I do want to say, perhaps this is the time, I'd like to have an item on June 17th. Let's see if that's on here. I think there was a discussion perhaps when I wasn't here to cancel that meeting, but we'd like to have an item on that meeting.

What item are we at? Is there something on this page that we're moving up?

It's a conceptual review. Here it is. It says in review, a conceptual review for 923 East Ohio Avenue at Wildflower Boutique Hotel with six two-story units and two one-story units on a vacant lot. It's a conceptual review. And ultimately, it's a parcel map and design review permit. But it's a conceptual review for that. OK. There are three existing legal lots, and the parcel map is to create one parcel and then put the eight units on it.

OK. I'll have to go find 923 East Ohio Avenue.

It's on the southeast corner of Ohio Avenue and Bryant. And of course, you'll get a packet in the mail before the meeting. OK. Thank you.

OK. Future agenda items. We've covered part of it. Anything else on that?

I just looked up online, or I just looked up at the screen because I know Lucas is watching. You can see his name up there. This is his role, right? To sit here and talk to you. So I have your June 19th, and then if we look down to July, I see that he has a design review permit and zone change for 107 North Ventura Avenue. These are tentative items and a design review permit, a revision to a design review permit for West Aliso.

Would those both be on the same meeting?

Well, on here, on this tentative agenda, those two are yes on July 1st.

Okay, and so we just don't have anything ready yet for the second meeting in July?

Not that I see. I don't see anything pending right here. Okay. Thank you. So you might be contacted in advance to find out who will be attending if, I know it's vacation time.

We do have, that's why I was asking about it. We do have one commissioner who will be out of the country on the second meeting in July.

Okay. At least one. Okay. It looks like we're okay for June 17th and July 1st. Yes. Okay. You'll be here, right?

Good, okay. We can do that. Do any commission members have a report? Back meeting, nothing?

Nothing on my end.

Okay, and our mayor is at another meeting tonight and therefore unable to be with us. So I am going to adjourn the meeting. Has it quickest meeting ever?

15.