Pacifica planning panel approves expansion of Palmetto Avenue storage facility

The Pacifica Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve a coastal development permit, site development permit and use permit for an expansion of an existing storage facility at 1021 Palmetto Avenue.

The project, as described by contract planner Jacob Garcia, would expand the facility to a total of 58,962 square feet by converting five commercial office spaces and a caretaker unit into storage and by constructing a new single‑story, roughly 1,750‑square‑foot building with seven garage‑style units. Garcia told the commission the application requires approval under Pacifica Municipal Code sections for use permits (9‑4.1202.I), site development permits (9‑4.3201.A) and coastal development permits (9‑4.4302.Z.6).

The commission’s approval, adopted unanimously, includes conditions and a direction from commissioners that the new north facade include at least one false window to match existing architectural detail. Chair Hauser asked the applicant to provide “some level of fenestration on that north portion” so the new facade reads consistently with the existing building; the commission incorporated that request into the conditions of approval.

Why it matters: The decision allows the owner to increase on‑site storage capacity in a neighborhood zoned for service commercial uses that the city’s general plan and coastal land‑use plan identify as appropriate for service‑oriented industrial and storage uses. Commissioners and the applicant framed the project as meeting demand from residents and small businesses while…