The Planning Commission continued a public hearing on Oct. 8 for a conditional-use permit (CUP) to operate a small recycling collection facility in the Target parking lot at 990 Avenida Vista Hermosa after the applicant notified staff of an unexpected absence.

Planner Jessica Gattney described the project as two storage containers and a small staffed kiosk intended to use 10 parking spaces (three for the operating footprint and five reserved for customers), operate Tuesday–Saturday 9 a.m.–5 p.m., provide separate containers for glass and for plastics/aluminum, and include security cameras and waste-management requirements. Staff said a previously prepared shared-parking study showed the Target parcel had a peak-demand surplus of 74 spaces; using 10 spaces would leave a surplus of 64 spaces during peak.

Commissioners raised operational questions about cleanliness, handling of liquids and cardboard, cash handling and security. Jessica Gattney confirmed Condition 7.17 requires compliance with city and state water-quality/discharge rules and requires non-water cleanup methods; code and environmental-staff review will be used to enforce site cleanliness. The applicant had provided a business-plan attachment outlining cash-handling procedures and described two security cameras planned for the site.

Because the applicant was not present, the commission voted to continue the public hearing to the Nov. 5 Planning Commission meeting to allow applicant participation and for staff to follow up on operational clarifications and the city's experience with existing recycling facilities.

Why it matters: The facility would provide a local post-consumer recycling option and could affect parking and stormwater-management conditions at a busy commercial site. The commission asked staff to verify whether other recycling centers in town had caused complaints or operational issues and to add measurable operations conditions as needed.

Next steps: Continued to Nov. 5 for applicant presentation and additional staff follow-up; staff will research performance or complaints at other local recycling sites and consider clearer operational metrics to enforce cleanliness and water-quality conditions.

Speakers attributed in this report are planning staff and commissioners who discussed the CUP at the Oct. 8 meeting.