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Resident urges city to reconsider gas station approval near RV park over air-quality concerns
Summary
At the City of Calimesa meeting a longtime resident urged the council to reconsider a planning commission approval for a proposed gas station near an RV park and nearby homes, citing air quality and impacts to trees, bees and residents; staff said the project had a conditional use permit and did not require a citywide vote.
Arthur Guerrero, a 35‑year resident of Calimesa, told the City Council he was concerned about a proposed gas station approved by the planning commission near an RV park and several homes.
"I'm wondering why it was approved next to an RV park and I think 3 or 4 houses around it," Guerrero said. He said he had contacted the South Coast Air Quality Management District and received a notice saying emissions met standards, but he said he worried that multiple nearby stations could increase toxins and harm fruit trees, vegetable gardens, bees and wildlife on his property.
Guerrero asked whether residents had been given an opportunity to vote on the project. In response, staff clarified that projects of this type are typically processed through the planning commission and, where applicable, require a conditional use permit; that is the action the planning commission took in this case, and the project did not require a citywide vote.
Guerrero said he recommended residents watch a city land‑use workshop posted on the city YouTube page for background on the California Environmental Quality Act and the planning process.
Council and staff did not reverse the planning commission action at the meeting. The exchange in public comment clarified the city’s process and directed residents to existing materials about CEQA and planning procedures.
