Planning Commission
City Council Chamber, 2nd Floor, Merced Civic Center, 678 W. 18th Street, Merced, CA 95340
Agenda — 26 items
- 1 NOTICE TO PUBLIC
- 2 WELCOME TO THE MEETING OF THE MERCED PLANNING COMMISSION
- 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.
- 4 PUBLIC COMMENT: OBTAIN SPEAKER CARD FROM THE CLERK
- 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 back 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 5 minutes each, unless the number of speakers is over 3, which in that case, comments shall be limited to 3 minutes each. For all other issues, for 3 or less speakers, 5 minutes each and for over 3 speakers, 3 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 and should be limited to 300 words or less. 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. You may provide telephonic comments via voicemail by calling (209) 388-7390 by no later than 1 PM on the day of the meeting to be added to the public comment. Voicemails will be limited to a time limit of one (1) minute. Please specify which portion of the agenda you are commenting on, for example, Item #, Consent item #, or Oral Communications. Your comments will be played during the Planning Commission meeting at the appropriate time.
- 6 INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES
- 7 Accommodation for individuals with disabilities may be arranged by contacting the Planning Division at (209) 385-6858. Assisted hearing devices are available for meetings held in the Council Chamber.
- A. CALL TO ORDER
- A.1. Moment of Silence
- A.2. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
- B. ROLL CALL
- C. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
- 13 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 5 minutes. The Chairperson may, at their discretion, reduce the time to 3 minutes if there are more than 3 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.
- D. CONSENT CALENDAR
- 15 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.
- D.1 SUBJECT: Planning Commission Minutes of February 21, 2024 ACTION: Approving and filing the Planning Commission Minutes of February 21, 2024
- D.2 SUBJECT: Planning Commission Annual Attendance Report ACTION Reviewing and approving the Annual Attendance Report.
- E. PUBLIC HEARINGS AND ACTION ITEMS
- 19 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.
- E.1 SUBJECT: Vesting Tentative Subdivision Map #1324 (“Bellevue Ranch North Village 29-A”) initiated by Benchmark Engineering, applicant for Bellevue Merced, LLC, property owner. This application involves the subdivision of approximately 27.35 acres into 140 single-family lots ranging in size generally between 5,000 square feet and 13,250 square feet. This property is generally located at the northwest corner of M Street (extension) and Conrad Street (future), within Planned Development (P-D) #42 with a Low Density Residential (LD) General Plan Designation; *PUBLIC HEARING* ACTION: Approve/Disapprove/Modify 1) Environmental Review #22-41 (CEQA 15162 Findings and CEQA 15183 Exemption) 2) Vesting Tentative Subdivision Map #1324 SUMMARY The subject site is located at the northwest corner of M Street (extension) and Conrad Street (future), as shown at Attachments B and C. The proposed subdivision would subdivide approximately 27.35 acres of land into 140 single-family lots (Attachment C). The lots would generally range in size between 5,000 square feet and 13,250 square feet. This site is part of the Bellevue Ranch Master Development Plan (northern portion as shown at Attachment D) and is commonly referred to as Village 29-A of Bellevue Ranch North. RECOMMENDATION Planning staff recommends that the Planning Commission approve Environmental Review #22-41 (CEQA Section 15162 Findings and 15183 Exemption) and Vesting Tentative Subdivision Map #1324 - “Bellevue Ranch North Village 29-A” (including the adoption of the Draft Resolution) subject to the conditions in Exhibit A and the findings/considerations in Exhibit B of Draft Resolution #4131 at Attachment A of Planning Commission Staff Report #24-254.
- E.2 SUBJECT: Vesting Tentative Subdivision Map #1325 (“Bellevue Ranch North Village 29-B”) initiated by Benchmark Engineering, applicant for Bellevue Merced, LLC, property owner. This application involves the subdivision of approximately 16.07 acres into 98 single-family lots ranging in size generally between 4,499 square feet and 7,759 square feet. This property is generally located at the southeast corner of M Street (extension) and Farmland Avenue (extension), within Planned Development (P-D) #42 with a Low-Medium Density Residential (LMD) General Plan Designation; *PUBLIC HEARING* ACTION [Choose one of the below depending on if the Commission takes final action or makes a recommendation to Council] ACTION: Approve/Disapprove/Modify 1) Environmental Review #22-42 (CEQA 15162 Findings and CEQA 15183 Exemption) 2) Vesting Tentative Subdivision Map #1325 SUMMARY The subject site is located at the southeast corner of M Street (extension) and Farmland Avenue (extension), as shown at Attachments B and C. The proposed subdivision would subdivide approximately 16.07 acres of land into 98 single-family lots (Attachment C). The lots would generally range in size between 4,499 square feet and 7,759 square feet. This site is part of the Bellevue Ranch Master Development Plan (northern portion of plan is shown at Attachment D) and is commonly referred to as Village 29-B of Bellevue Ranch North. RECOMMENDATION Planning staff recommends that the Planning Commission approve Environmental Review #22-42 (CEQA Section 15162 Findings and 15183 Exemption) and Vesting Tentative Subdivision Map #1325 - “Bellevue Ranch North Village 29-B” (including the adoption of the Draft Resolution) subject to the conditions in Exhibit A and the findings/considerations in Exhibit B of Draft Resolution #4132 at Attachment A of Planning Commission Staff Report #24-255.
- E.3 SUBJECT: General Plan Amendment #23-05, Zone Change #434, Establishment of Planned Development (P-D) #81, Conditional Use Permit #1276, Site Plan Review Permit #538, and Minor Use Permit #24-02, initiated by Unite Security Company, LLC, on behalf of Nicholas Mary Lee, Trustee, property owner for the 3.50 acre property located at 470 E. Olive Avenue. The General Plan Amendment would change the General Plan land use designation from Low-Medium Density Residential (LMD) to Business Park (BP). The Zone Change would allow the Establishment of the Planned Development to change the land use from Low Medium Density Residential (R-2) to “Self-Storage.” The Site Plan Review Permit would allow the development of a self-storage facility (approximately 681 storage units) with long-term boat and recreational vehicle parking spaces (approximately 74 parking spaces). The Conditional Use Permit would allow a live/work unit for an onsite manager for the self-storage facility. The Minor Use Permit would be for interface review to allow commercial development adjacent to or across from a Low Density Residential (R-1-6) Zone. *PUBLIC HEARING* ACTION: PLANNING COMMISSION: Recommendation to City Council: 1) Environmental Review #23-45 (Mitigated Negative Declaration) 2) General Plan Amendment #23-05 3) Zone Change #434 4) Establishment of Planned Development (P-D) #81 Approve/Disapprove/Modify: 1) Environmental Review #23-45 (Mitigated Negative Declaration) 2) Conditional Use Permit #1276 3) Site Plan Review Permit #538 4) Minor Use Permit #24-02 [subject to City Council approval of General Plan Amendment #23-05, Zone Change #434, and Establishment of Planned Development (P-D) #81 CITY COUNCIL: Approve/Disapprove/Modify: 1) Environmental Review #23-45 (Mitigated Negative Declaration) 2) General Plan Amendment #23-05 3) Zone Change #434 4) Establishment of Planned Development (P-D) #81 SUMMARY The subject site is an undeveloped 3.50-acre parcel generally located at 470 E. Olive Avenue within the northeast quadrant of the City. The subject site is located on the south side of Olive Avenue, approximately 500 feet west of Oleander Avenue (Attachment C). The applicant is requesting to change the General Plan land use designation from Low Medium Density Residential (LMD) to Business Park (BP), and to change the Zoning classification from Low Medium Density Residential (R-2) to Planned Development (P-D) #81, with a land use designation of “self storage.” The Site Plan Review permit would allow the development of a self-storage facility with approximately 681 storage units, and a long-term boat and recreational vehicle parking facility with approximately 74 spaces. The Conditional Use Permit would allow one live/work unit for an onsite manager. The Minor Use Permit is required for interface review of commercial development adjacent to a Low Density Residential (R-1-6) Zone. The applicant has provided a site plan (Attachment D), floor plans (Attachment E), and elevations (Attachment F) for this proposal. RECOMMENDATION General Plan Amendment, Zone Change, and Establishment of Planned Development Planning staff recommends that the Planning Commission recommend approval to the City Council of Environmental Review #23-45 (Mitigated Negative Declaration), General Plan Amendment #23-05, Zone Change #434, and Establishment of Planned Development (P-D) #81 (including the adoption of the Draft Resolution at Attachment A) subject to the conditions in Exhibit A, the findings/considerations in Exhibit B, and the Mitigation Monitoring Program in Exhibit C of the Draft Resolution. Conditional Use Permit, Site Plan Review, and Minor Use Permit Planning staff recommends that the Planning Commission approve Conditional Use Permit #1276, Site Plan Review #538, and Minor Use Permit #24-02 (including the adoption of the Draft Resolution at Attachment B) subject to the conditions in Exhibit A, the findings/considerations in Exhibit B, and the Mitigation Monitoring Program in Exhibit C of the Draft Resolution, and contingent upon City Council approval of the General Plan Amendment, Zone Change, and Establishment of Planned Development.
- F. INFORMATION ITEMS
- F.1 SUBJECT: Report by Temporary Director of Development Services of Upcoming Agenda Items ACTION Information only.
- F.2 SUBJECT: Calendar of Meetings/Events Apr. 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. 27 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, 4:00 p.m May 6 City Council, 6:00 p.m. 8 Planning Commission, 6:00 p.m. 20 City Council, 6:00 p.m. 22 Planning Commission, 6:00 p.m.
- G. ADJOURNMENT