Planning Commission approves permit amendment for CHC clinic at 2100 South Blosser Road

The Santa Maria Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve Plan Development Permit Amendment A2024-3, allowing exterior improvements and a parking expansion to an existing 112,000-square-foot building at 2100 South Blosser Road so that the Community Health Center of the Central Coast (CHC) can prepare part of the site for a future medical clinic.

City staff described the proposal as a permit amendment limited to site and façade changes, not an approval of clinic operations. Greg Vine, associate planner, summarized the application as “a proposed plan development permit amendment to modify the building façade of an existing building incorporating a covered main entry and parking lot expansion in preparation for a future medical clinic located at 2100 South Blosser Road.” Vine noted the site is zoned PDC-2 (planned development general commercial) and that medical clinics are permitted uses in that zone.

The 8.11-acre parcel sits at the southwest edge of the Betteravia Plaza area and abuts the Santa Maria Police Department to the east. CHC purchased the western side of the building in 2023; the eastern portion contains police operations. Proposed exterior changes include a new atrium element rising to 39 feet (an increase of 14 feet over the existing roof at that location), a covered passenger drop-off (porte-cochere), stucco exterior finishes in earth tones, and terracotta standing-seam roof panels. The project removes approximately 7% of the existing turf landscaping to accommodate an additional 63 parking spaces; the plan leaves overall landscaped coverage at about 16%, meeting the municipal code requirement of 15%.

For stormwater control, the applicant proposed a bioswale at the southwest corner of the site and other landscape rehabilitation with drought-tolerant plantings. Staff said the project was included in an addendum to the 2015 Final Environmental Impact Report for the Betteravia Plaza project (adopted November 2022); staff concluded, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15162, no further environmental review was required for the proposed site improvements.

Pete Simmons of Urban Planning Concepts, representing CHC, told commissioners CHC initially considered administrative offices for the property but determined the West Side lacks clinic capacity and began planning to provide clinical services and an elder-care PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) component. Simmons said CHC worked with the Recreation and Parks Department on replacement street trees after Italian stone pines along Blosser Road were removed because their roots damaged adjacent sidewalks and roadway surfaces.

Commissioners asked about driveway access to Blosser Road, left-turn restrictions, the number and species of replacement trees (sawleaf Zelkova and western redbud were noted in the plans), and the reduction in landscaped area from approximately 23% down to 16% on the CHC portion of the site. Staff confirmed existing driveways on Blosser would remain and that the new parking would be accessed from the site’s north drive aisle; staff also explained Rec & Parks will coordinate species selection and that plans list the sawleaf Zelkova with an anticipated mature height of 50–60 feet.

After discussion, a commissioner moved to approve Plan Development Permit Amendment A2024-3; the motion was seconded and passed on a unanimous roll call vote. The commission’s approval covers the site improvements shown on the submitted plans; CHC would need to pursue any separate entitlements or operational approvals required for medical use changes.

Votes at a glance: Plan Development Permit Amendment A2024-3 — Approved (unanimous).