The Fraser Planning Commission on Sept. 3 approved a site plan for Kelly Road Complete Car Care (SLU 25‑0233341) after discussion about parking, traffic circulation and fire‑safety requirements.
The commission approved the site plan by roll call vote, with six members voting yes and one voting no, and attached conditions requiring the applicant to submit an amended site plan showing service bay counts and parking dimensions, ingress/egress dimensions and the loading location, and to meet applicable building and fire‑safety codes before a certificate of occupancy is issued.
City planning staff told the commission the proposal seeks to operate an auto repair shop in an existing industrial building and that the submitted drawing is a recent survey rather than a full engineered site plan because no exterior changes to the site footprint are proposed. Staff recommended approval provided the plan is updated to show the number and dimensions of service bays and parking stalls, barrier‑free spaces, driveway widths and the location of the loading space.
Applicant Greg Kieskin said he counted existing stalls on the property and described internal operations. “I physically counted, there are 36 parking spaces on where it says Lot 7, that's the south side of the property. And then there's 4 more to the right and 2 more handicapped just in front of the front door. So there's, just just 40, I'd say 40 parking spaces,” Kieskin said. He also told the commission the shop will use interior lifts and that cars will generally be worked on inside the 8,000‑square‑foot tenant area.
Commission discussion focused on three areas: whether site traffic would create unsafe conditions; whether engineering or public safety should evaluate off‑site traffic impacts; and whether fire‑suppression requirements would apply. Commissioner Toler and others pressed for an explicit finding from engineering about site circulation and any off‑site traffic impacts; staff replied the city’s engineering review focuses on internal site circulation but that traffic impacts can be evaluated if warranted. Public safety had advised that sprinkler requirements depend on building size under the fire code.
Staff and a public safety speaker noted the 2015 International Fire Code may require sprinklers for larger occupancies; the applicant and staff agreed the tenant space is about 8,000 square feet, below the 12,000‑square‑foot threshold cited in commission discussion for automatic sprinklers. Final determination on code compliance will occur during permitting and building inspections.
The approval includes the following conditions, read into the record: the applicant must (1) provide the count and dimensions of service bays and parking stalls (including ADA stalls) consistent with the zoning parking standards; (2) show dimensions of ingress and egress and confirm driveway width meets ordinance requirements; (3) show the location of the loading space; (4) note where dumpsters and refuse collection will be and comply with applicable district screening requirements; and (5) comply with all other applicable codes and ordinances (including building, plumbing, electrical and the 2015 International Fire Code) before a certificate of occupancy is issued. Staff said the amended plan will be submitted to the building department for administrative approval.
Commissioner Czarnecki voted no and explained his position after the roll call: “I’m personally struggling voting on something that I can't visually see on a site plan,” he said, citing the lack of a fully dimensioned site plan as his reason. Chair Warnick and five other commissioners supported the motion; staff said the applicant may obtain the certificate of occupancy after the amended site plan satisfies permit and inspection requirements.
The applicants said they will apply for sign and occupancy permits and that interior work such as an insulated overhead door and an oil/water separator will be permitted and inspected by the building department. The applicants said outdoor storage will be located in the rear of the property and that they will screen or relocate existing equipment there; dumpster placement will be behind a screening wall. The applicant also said work will be by appointment only and that vehicles will only remain overnight when actively being repaired.
Next steps: the applicants must submit the amended site plan showing the items listed in the conditions; staff will route the materials to engineering and public safety as needed and administratively approve the plan if the conditions are met. The site plan approval is recorded as SLU 25‑0233341 in the Planning Department files and the applicant may pursue building permits and a certificate of occupancy once the building department confirms code compliance.