docketcity.com
Home › Merced › Meetings

Planning Commission

July 23, 2025 ·6:00 PM Final

City Council Chamber, 2nd Floor, Merced Civic Center, 678 W. 18th Street, Merced, CA 95340

Agenda PDF 📹 Watch video Official record ↗

Agenda — 23 items

  1. 1 NOTICE TO PUBLIC
  2. 2 WELCOME TO THE MEETING OF THE MERCED PLANNING COMMISSION
  3. 3 At least 72 hours prior to each regular Planning Commission meeting, a complete agenda packet is available for review on the City's website at www.cityofmerced.org or at the Planning Division Office, 678 W. 18th Street, Merced, CA 95340. All public records relating to an open session item that are distributed to a majority of the Commission will be available for public inspection at the Planning Division Office during regular business hours. The Planning Commission also serves as the Board of Zoning Adjustment and the Design Review/Historic Preservation Commission. Assisted hearing devices are available for meetings held in the Council Chamber.
  4. 4 PUBLIC COMMENT: OBTAIN SPEAKER CARD FROM THE CLERK
  5. 5 Members of the audience who wish to address the Planning Commission are requested to complete a speaker card available at the podium against the right-hand side of the Council Chamber. Please submit the completed card to the Clerk before the item is called, preferably before the meeting begins. Speakers will be called up, 3 to 5 at a time, in the order in which the forms are received. Please use the microphone and state your name and city of residence for the record. For permits, licenses, and other entitlements, the applicant will be allowed 15 minutes (including rebuttal), the appellant/leader of the opposition will be allowed 15 minutes (including rebuttal), and all other speakers shall have 3 minutes each, unless the number of speakers is over 10, which in that case, comments shall be limited to 2 minutes each. For all other issues, for 3 or less speakers, 3 minutes each and for over 10 speakers, 2 minutes each shall be allotted. A timer clock is located above the City Council dais illuminating the remaining time. Once the buzzer sounds, please be courteous and conclude your remarks. Material may be emailed to planningweb@cityofmerced.org no later than 1 PM on the day of the meeting. Please specify which portion of the agenda you are commenting on, for example, Item # or Oral Communications. Your comments will be presented to the Planning Commission at the appropriate time. Any correspondence received after 1 PM will be distributed to the Planning Commission and retained for the official record.
  6. A. CALL TO ORDER ▶ jump to 0:02
  7. A.1. Moment of Silence ▶ jump to 0:08
  8. A.2. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag ▶ jump to 0:28
  9. B. ROLL CALL ▶ jump to 0:57
  10. C. PUBLIC COMMENT ▶ jump to 2:52
  11. 11 Members of the public who wish to speak on any matter not listed on the agenda may speak during this portion of the meeting and will be allotted 3 minutes. The Chairperson may, at their discretion, reduce the time to 2 minutes if there are more than 10 speakers, in order to accommodate as many speakers as possible. State law prohibits the Planning Commission from acting at this meeting on any matter raised during the public comment period. Members of the public who wish to speak on a matter that is listed on the agenda will be called upon to speak during discussion of that item. Please submit a Request to Speak card prior to the item being called.
  12. D. CONSENT CALENDAR ▶ jump to 4:03
  13. 13 Adoption of the Consent Calendar may be made with one motion of the Planning Commission provided that any Planning Commission member, individual, or organization may request removal of an item from the Consent Calendar for separate consideration. If a request for removal of an item from the Consent Calendar has been received, the item will be discussed and voted on separately. With Consent items, there is generally no staff presentation but staff is available for questions.
  14. D.1. SUBJECT: Planning Commission Minutes of July 9, 2025 ACTION: Approving and filing the Planning Commission Minutes of July 9, 2025 25-699 approved Pass
  15. E. PUBLIC HEARINGS AND ACTION ITEMS
  16. 16 Members of the public who wish to speak on public hearings listed on the agenda will be heard when the Public Hearing is opened, except on Public Hearing items previously heard and closed to public comment. After the public has commented, the item is closed to further public comment and brought to the Commission for discussion and action. Further comment will not be received unless requested by the Commission.
  17. E.1. SUBJECT: Conditional Use Permit #25-0010, initiated by Golden Valley Engineering, applicant for TTA Lawler, LLC, property owner. This application involves a request to convert an existing 4,950-square-foot industrial building into a fitness center at 2241 Cessna Way. The subject site is generally located at the northwest corner of Beechcraft Avenue and Cessna Way. The subject site has a General Plan designation of Industrial (IND) and a zoning classification of Light Industrial (I-L). **PUBLIC HEARING** ACTION: Approve/Disapprove/Modify 1) Environmental Review #25-0014 (Categorical Exemption) 2) Conditional Use Permit #25-0010 SUMMARY Golden Valley Engineering is requesting conditional use permit approval to convert a 4,950-square-foot industrial building into a fitness center to be operated by Students With Aspiring Goals (SWAG). The subject site is approximately 0.48-acres and is generally located at the northwest corner of Beechcraft Avenue and Cessna Way. Fitness Centers are considered a conditional use within a Light Industrial (I-L) Zone. The Planning Commission will be reviewing this proposal to ensure that the site plan is designed in a manner that minimizes negative impacts to the existing site and promotes compatible and orderly development with the surrounding uses. Staff is recommending approval with conditions. RECOMMENDATION Planning staff has reviewed this request and recommends that the Planning Commission approve Environmental Review #25-0014 (Categorical Exemption) and Conditional Use Permit #25-0010, including the adoption of the Draft Resolution at Attachment A subject to the conditions in Exhibit A and the findings/considerations in Exhibit B. 25-649 approved Pass ▶ jump to 4:38
  18. E.2. SUBJECT: Conditional Use Permit #25-0011, and Restaurant Encroachment Permit #25-0001 initiated by Sair Lara, applicant for Michael Dale McCutcheon, Trustee, property owner. This application involves a request to operate a bar that serves beer and wine for on-site and off-site consumption with a front patio area at 521 West Main Street, and to operate a food truck in the parking lot behind the building. The subject site is generally located on the north side of West Main Street, approximately 150 feet west of Canal Street. The subject site has a General Plan designation of Regional/Community Commercial (RC), and a Zoning classification of Central Commercial (C-C). **PUBLIC HEARING** ACTION: Approve/Disapprove/Modify 1) Environmental Review #25-0018 (Categorical Exemption) 2) Conditional Use Permit #25-0011 3) Restaurant Encroachment Permit #25-0001 SUMMARY Sair Lara is requesting conditional use permit approval to operate a bar with a front patio area and a food truck in the private parking lot behind the site at 521 West Main Street (Merced Lofts). Per Merced Municipal Code Land Use Table 20.10-1 - Permitted Land Uses in Commercial Districts, “bars” and alcohol sales for off-site consumption in buildings smaller than 20,000 square feet are considered a conditional use within a Central Commercial (C-C) Zone. The Planning Commission will be reviewing this proposal to ensure that the business and site plan is designed in a manner that minimizes negative impacts to the existing site and promotes compatible and orderly development with the surrounding uses. Staff is recommending approval with conditions. RECOMMENDATION Planning staff has reviewed this request and recommends that the Planning Commission approve Environmental Review #25-0018 (Categorical Exemption), Conditional Use Permit #25-0011, and Restaurant Encroachment Permit #25-0001, including the adoption of the Draft Resolution at Attachment A subject to the conditions in Exhibit A and the findings/considerations in Exhibit B. 25-650 approved Pass ▶ jump to 17:13
  19. F. ACTION ITEMS ▶ jump to 61:55
  20. G. INFORMATION ITEMS ▶ jump to 62:03
  21. G.1. SUBJECT: Report by Acting Planning Manager of Upcoming Agenda Items ACTION Information only. 25-700
  22. G.2. SUBJECT: Calendar of Meetings/Events Jul. 21 City Council, 6:00 p.m. 23 Planning Commission, 6:00 p.m. Aug. 4 City Council, 6:00 p.m. 6 Planning Commission, 6:00 p.m. 18 City Council, 6:00 p.m. 20 Planning Commission, 6:00 p.m. 26 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, 4:00 p.m. Sept. 2 City Council, 6:00 p.m. (Tuesday) 3 Planning Commission, 6:00 p.m. 15 City Council, 6:00 p.m. 17 Planning Commission, 6:00 p.m. 25-701
  23. H. ADJOURNMENT adjourned Pass ▶ jump to 63:47