Planning Commission approves conditional use permit for ambulance deployment center in Tracy

The City of Tracy Planning Commission on Feb. 12 unanimously approved a conditional use permit to allow an ambulance deployment center at 242 West Larch Road, Suite A (CUP24-0012), after staff said the site in the Drew Center is compatible with surrounding light-industrial uses and poses no new, significant impacts.

Staff planner Craig told the commission that the project “is a big deal for this community,” noting the effort over about a year to locate a local deployment site so ambulances do not need to come from Modesto or Stockton. Craig said staff recommends approval and that the project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act under CEQA Guidelines section 15301 for minor modifications to existing structures.

Brian Hajek, identified in the record as the regional director of AMR, the applicant, said the site will be a satellite station for ground ambulances used for shift changes and deployment in South County, including Tracy and Mountain House. “We have no intention of deploying anything of an air‑ambulance nature from this location,” Hajek said. He said AMR anticipates staffing and recruiting locally and described the proposal as an expansion of service rather than a replacement of the South County ambulance partnership mentioned during the meeting.

Commissioners asked about parking, interior modifications, noise and emissions, and whether the proposal would conflict with an existing ambulance stationed near Pescadero. Staff said the tenant space already contains vehicle uses typical for the Drew Center and that building and fire‑safety permits would be required for any subsequent interior work. Staff noted up to nine parking spaces exist for the tenant space, while the applicant characterized operational needs as roughly three ambulances during daytime hours and about two overnight, requiring roughly six parking spots when crews are present. The conditional use permit includes a condition (page 3, B.1 of the staff report) that the project must operate in substantial conformance with the approved plans and conditions; substantial expansions or change of tenant space would likely require return to the commission.

A motion to adopt the resolution granting CUP24-0012 and to determine the project exempt under CEQA Guidelines §15301 was made and seconded on the record; a roll-call vote recorded Commissioner English, Commissioner Boache Boateng, Chair Orcutt, Vice Chair Penning and Commissioner Atwal voting yes and the motion passed unanimously.

The resolution adopted was labeled “Resolution 1” in the staff report and implements the commission’s approval with the standard conditions identified in the report, including requirements for business licensing, certificate of occupancy, building permits for any modifications, and fire department review if additional equipment (for example, multiple oxygen tanks) is introduced into the space.

The public hearing record included a single WebEx commenter, Brian Hajek of AMR, who reiterated the service objectives and said AMR would return to the city if the operation expands beyond what is approved under the permit. The commission closed the public hearing after no other public comments were offered.

The commission moved on to routine items after approval; staff noted the project had been a city priority to improve emergency response times in South County and that the proposal is expected to operate within the existing industrial character of the area.