Planning Commission - Special Meeting

And what I even read

Okay, we're ready.

Today's July 14th, 2026, and this is a special meeting for the Planning Commission for the City of Selma. Let's see, call to order, it's 6 o'clock. We're going to start with a flag salute led by Commissioner Hall. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Any commissioner who has a potential conflict of interest may now identify the item and recuse themselves from discussing and voting on the matter. Oral communications notice to the public at this time any member of the public may address The Commission regarding any items over which the Commission has jurisdiction No action or discussion will be taken on any item that is not on the agenda Issues raised will be referred to the chairperson for review members of the public shall limit their remarks to three minutes During the public hearing I will first ask for staff's comments and and reports on the items being discussed. After staff's presentation, I will then open the hearing to public testimony. I will then close the public hearing at which time no member of the public shall address the commission unless specifically asked by a member of the commission through the chair. The planning commission will then discuss the matter among themselves and take action on the item being considered. At this time, we're going to administer the oath of office to Brian Ramirez and Reyes Gallardo. Is he here?

Okay. I can have the two candidates please just go ahead and step in front of the dais, please. If you can please raise your right hand and respond what I do. Do you solemnly swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that you will bear faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California, that you take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which you are about to enter?

Congratulations.

Mr. Guy, you can go ahead and take a seat at the empty chair there. Welcome back, Brian Reyes. Welcome.

Next on the agenda is the reorganization of planning commissioners. We've decided to move that to the very end of the meeting so that we can get right into the conditional use permit that we are going to be discussing tonight. Our first item is the conditional use permit, consideration of a resolution approving an amendment to an existing conditional use permit to modify the approved development plan for a mini-mart and gas station project located at 11010 East Mountain View Avenue in Selma. The request would allow the previously approved project, which has been amended and reduced in size from its original approval and subsequently granted time extensions to to proceed as a three-phase development. The Planning Commission will also consider approval of a notice of exemption. At this time, staff will present.

Thank you, Chair Garcia, fellow commissioners. Today, before you, we have a project that some of you have previously seen and has came back for a proposal request change to their existing CUP. As mentioned in the description, originally this project was approved in July of 2020. A few extensions were given, partly to COVID, In addition, the applicant has requested a couple more extensions in March of 2022, June of 2024, and most recently in January of 2026. With that last extension, the applicant has also, with that extension, asked for the project to be downscaled a bit to kind of just help get his project going. And so currently the expiration date of the current CEP, amended CEP, is December of this year. Next slide, please. The approved project, the conversion of the existing building, what's currently approved now is the conversion of the existing building into a mini-mart convenience store with alcoholic beverages and sales that are subject to the ABC license here, a five-fuel pump station, and future redevelopment of the existing on-site warehouse. And as pictured there is the existing site plan that was approved at the most recent Planning Commission meeting. the changes that were there is is um we approved the above ground tanks uh originally were conditioned to be in ground and and the applicant had requested that they'd be above ground so you see them to the south end of the property the two circles there represent those tanks as well as they were just proposing the minimart gas station and then using that existing um warehouse as a storage next slide please The proposal before you today is taking that previously approved CUP and downscale it a bit further, but also really just take it into a three phase approach. So it's still the existing CUP. They're really just amending it a bit. And like I mentioned, to a three phase construction plan where they're relocating. This time they are gonna take those above ground tanks and they're gonna take them to the north end of the property. But for now, as far as improvement-wise, they're only going to improve that office that's located existingly. They're going to change that into a small convenience store. The applicant's goal is they currently have an approved Type 21, I believe, license that they don't want to lose. And so they're just trying to get that operation going. And so that way they could eventually improve the site as originally planned. So before you today, again, is going to take the overall site plan and just take it into a three phase approach. And with the immediate being the small mini mart and then the some improvements to the site as far as paving, but everything else will be put on hold at the moment. Next slide, please. Regarding environmental CEQA compliance, the project is category exempt from CEQA guidelines 15301, class 1, existing facilities. The proposed project does consist of an amendment to an existing conditional use permit to allow phased construction, including the conversion of existing office space within an existing building to a convenience market, continued use of the existing warehouse for storage, minor site modifications like paving, landscaping, and related improvements. The amendment does not result in a substantial extension of the previously approved use and no unusual circumstances have been identified that will preclude this use from exemption. Next slide, please. So really today, before you, staff has recommended for the planning condition, or I'm sorry, Planning Commission to consider one of the following actions. First one is going to be approve the resolution, which is approving the requested amendment because of this phase approach. It maintains overall commercial use that was previously approved through Planning Commission while providing the applicant the flexibility to construct the project incrementally. The recommended conditions of approval, they ensure that the future phases remain substantially consistent with the approved entitlement. They provide the continued administrative oversight of subsequent phases and establish implementation requirements intended to facilitate completion of the overall development. Staff does believe that allowing the phase construction subject to these conditions is a preferable as far as allowing the approved project to maintain or to remain undeveloped while preserving the Planning Commission's original vision for the site. Option two, on the other hand, would deny the resolution finding that the applicant has already been granted previously multiple extensions and amendments over several years to implement the approved project, and that the proposed phased amendment could result in a long-term operation of an incomplete project that is inconsistent with the Planning Commission's original approval. The Planning Commission may determine that the public's interest is better served by requiring implementation of the project as previously approved rather than authorizing additional modifications to the existing entitlement. With that concludes staff's presentation. We'll be available for questions or even hearing from the applicant himself who is present.

Well, I think this is the fourth time I've seen this. We've approved it every time before. Did I understand you correctly, he was going to lose his ABC license if he doesn't get the project opened?

Yeah, there's a certain expiration date, and the applicants here, he can confirm, but the date is approaching to where if he doesn't act on it, then he may take risk of losing that application.

Okay. All right, we'd like to open this up to public comment at this time. If anybody would like to address the commission, now is the time to do it. If you're on the phone and you'd like to raise your hand, you push star six. I see no hands raised in the chat. Thank you. Is there anyone who would like to address the commission? Okay. State your name and address, please.

Verminder Soho, 11010 East Mountain View. I appreciate your approval a couple times. Give me extension. Give me time to complete that project. I have a bad situation. My business burnout and financial. I almost lose everything. That's why I don't complete the whole things, I request two, three steps to complete that project. And my ABC license is complete. They gave me license, but I have to start up. If I not start, maybe they can cancel that. So I try to step by step as much I can. The dance.

Now, in one of the iterations, there was a pad for a fast food restaurant. Has that been eliminated? That's not one of the phases that I see.

Oh, they they have a whole before is a whole new complete big, big project. But I can't do that much. I see nobody leaves or nobody comes to lease the property. I advertising, nobody responds to lease big project. Then I just thought maybe no, be too hard for me to hold complete project. Maybe wait for that.

Mr. Sohal, I have a question, please. Do you have a timeline for the three-phase approach that you're asking for or proposing? Do you know how long for each phase or when you'll start phase one, when you'll start phase two?

I'm ready to one phases right now. And second one, I start almost same time. But first and second, probably I finish one year. Third one, probably little long times. I'm thinking that way.

Thank you.

That's the second phase. The second phase is putting in the gas pumps?

Yes.

And the third phase is?

The warehouse, that's a remodel or almost remodeling. New done. That's the warehouse. That's almost a big project.

The warehouse there connected to where you want to put the store is quite large.

Yeah, they are 4,900 square foot. 4,900. The small place is less than 1,000. Small place. They are separate. They have walked in between. They have separate section.

The convenience store is how big?

Around 1,000 square feet.

1,000 square foot.

Thank you, sir. Is there anybody else who would like to address the commission? Okay, at this time I will close the public hearing and we will discuss this amongst ourselves. Does anybody have any questions? They were going to move to the would that be the East or the West side of the property as opposed to the North.

I think it was going to be the way.

Yeah, West. Sorry. The location of the tanks.

Applicant or staff? Question for staff, please. Where's the location of the tanks and what would be the situation with the phased approach? When would those be addressed?

Yeah, so the location of the tanks currently are on the north end of, I don't have a, Yeah, right in that area where the cursor's at. That's where the new proposed location is going to be. And I believe that's in phase two.

So the applicant is saying phase one and two will be complete within one year?

The fuel tanks are in phase two.

will be addressed within the next year, basically.

And would his conditional use permit be revoked if he didn't meet that deadline?

So within the conditions, we did put stipulations on there that the staff with the direction of the Planning Commission can revoke the or notice, probably notice the applicant to possibly revoke the permit if needed, if the conditions were not acted upon.

Is this a one-year extension?

For phase one, yes.

No, for the COP, are we given a one-year extension?

We're extending phase one for a one-year extension, and then with the one-year incremental for the phase two and phase three.

I honestly don't like to take anyone's livelihood, and times are tough.

I think the fire department has signed off on the plans. I don't see them on the plans. These are very small pictures that we have, but they might have safety like pipe bollards or something in there to protect the tanks.

It doesn't matter.

No, I don't have a problem with that.

Staff said it would be a one-year extension to complete phase one. And when we make the motion, we can make it with that stipulation. Then they come back for, you know, if he completes phase one, ask for phase two, which is another year in phase three.

So we can put the stipulation.

Yeah, if I can just add to that. So we did... which each phase of the applicant is to come back phase two and phase three, they will have to bring it back to planning commission and review for site plan. So at that time, if there's any clarification as far as like the bollards that Mr. Kessler was asking about, they can be addressed at that time as well.

That's the next one. Okay. Thanks for bringing that up though. I forgot about that. Okay. Are there any other questions? Would anybody like to make a motion to approve?

You have a stipulation?

One year? Okay. The motion is to approve the extension with the stipulation that the construction has been started within the one year. For the record, can I get confirmation that was made by Commissioner Kessler and second by Commissioner Corey?

Yes.

Okay, can we have a vote, please?

Commissioner Corey? Yes. Commissioner Hall? Yes. Commissioner Kessler?

Yes.

Commissioner Ramirez?

Yes.

Commissioner Gallardo? Yes. Vice Chair Standridge?

Yes.

Chair Garcia?

Yes.

The motion passes unanimously. Okay, thank you.

Okay. At this time, we're going to do the reorganization of the planning commissioners with the appointment of a chairman and a vice chair for the commission.

I think Lupe is still talking.

Uh-oh.

All good, right?

Yeah.

Sorry, you just had clarification on one of the conditions. Okay.

Thank you. Where did we leave off?

All right. Next, but not last, we have the re-organization of the planning commissioners. So I will, the chairs are full, so I'll accept nominees for chair and vice chair at this time. Is there a nomination to present?

I would like to nominate Ramza Khoury for chair.

Negative. Roll call.

We have motion by Commissioner Ramirez to nominate Commissioner Corey for the chair position.

I'll second it.

Commissioner Corey. Yes, I guess.

Do we vote? Sorry, I don't think we've ever had two nominations. We're trying to figure out how to.

Yeah, so was the nomination from both for the same position? I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. It was okay.

Neil.

We vote for each one.

You didn't ask for a second on the other one. I second the nomination for Greg.

Okay. Thank you, Neil. So Commissioner Corey. Yes. Commissioner Hall? Commissioner Kessler? Commissioner Ramirez?

Yes.

Commissioner Gallardo?

Yes.

Vice Chair Sandridge?

No.

Chair Garcia?

No.

Congratulations.

Would you like to be?

I will now accept. Well, congratulations. First of all, I will now accept nominees for vice chair.

Like to nominate Betty standards.

Is there a second? I'd like to nominate Brian Ramirez.

I'll second it.

Okay. Commissioner Corey.

Which one?

Oh, for Vice Chair, this will be for Betty Standridge.

No.

Commissioner Hall.

Yes.

Commissioner Kessler. Commissioner Ramirez.

No.

Commissioner Gallardo.

No.

Vice Chair Standridge.

Yes.

Chair Garcia.

Yes.

The motion passes.

Congratulations. um that's it right okay um this meeting's adjourned thank you welcome new commissioners thank you thank you