Planning Commission OKs used-auto sales at Ramon Road site, removes old lot‑merger condition

The Cathedral City Planning Commission on Feb. 5 approved Conditional Use Permit (CUP) 240002 to allow a used-auto sales business to operate from an existing office within a 5,300‑square‑foot auto repair building at 68750 Ramon Road.

Assistant planner Manuel Rocha presented the staff report, saying the applicant proposes to operate the sales business out of an office and to use three of the site’s 34 parking spaces for vehicle display. “The applicant is proposing to use 3 of the 34 spaces for vehicle display,” Rocha said, and staff recommended conditions to ensure a minimum of 34 marked parking spaces on the site and that eight spaces within the converted display area be restriped for customer parking prior to final occupancy.

The commission’s approval cleared the project with three conditions added as recommended by staff: submit a revised site plan showing at least 34 parking spaces (including the eight display/converted spaces and two disabled spaces along the east boundary); restripe (scribe) the eight display-area spaces for customer parking before final inspection/occupancy; and standard parking‑space dimension requirements. The motion also removed a prior condition (referenced in the staff report as condition 3.1) that would have required recordation of a lot merger covering the multiple parcels that comprise the commercial center.

Why it matters: the vote allows a small, family‑run sales operation to locate inside an existing auto repair business while requiring the property owner to clarify and repair on‑site parking to match the original CUP parking calculations. The decision also relieves the applicant of a decades‑old lot‑merger requirement the city found unnecessary for the current proposal.

Key facts and supporting details - Location and applicant: 68750 Ramon Road, Building 2; applicant: Noe Galan (represented at the hearing by Eddie Galan and Andrea Colon). - Building/space: staff described the host commercial center as an approximately 1.3‑acre complex originally approved under CUP 94204; Rocha stated the proposed sales office would occupy an existing office inside the repair building. (Staff’s presentation referenced an “808 square‑foot office” for the sales use, while a floor plan slide also noted 4,835 sq. ft. of bay area and 465 sq. ft. of office space for Building 2 — the presentation contained those differing figures.) - Parking: CUP 94204 required 34 parking stalls to serve the commercial center; staff confirmed the original total remains adequate for the added sales use but recommended the revised site plan and restriping to document the actual stalls on site and to mark customer/display spaces. - Operations: staff said the proposed hours would be Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., with one salesperson (the owner). - CEQA: staff recommended the commission find the project exempt from CEQA under CEQA Guidelines §15301 (Class 1 — existing facilities).

Votes and motions - Motion (Vice Chair Lee): find the project exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines §15301 (Class 1) and approve CUP 240002 subject to the attached conditions of approval as revised, including the two additional staff conditions discussed at the hearing and removal of condition 3.1 (lot merger). Moved by Vice Chair Lee; seconded by Member McPhail. - Outcome: passed 5–0 (motion recorded as made by Vice Chair Lee, seconded by Member McPhail). The clerk later confirmed the motion passed unanimously, 5–0.

Discussion highlights and conditions - Commissioners asked about internal pedestrian access to the rear office and whether any additional path‑of‑travel markings would be required; staff said plan check and the chief building official would address specific accessibility and building‑code path‑of‑travel issues and that staff could require painting/marking if applicable. - Staff recommended and the commission included conditions requiring (1) a revised site plan showing a minimum of 34 parking spaces (including eight in the converted display area and two disabled spaces), and (2) restriping of the eight converted display spaces before final inspection/occupancy. Each parking space was described as a minimum of 9 feet wide by 19 feet deep. - The commission agreed to remove an older condition that had required merging six parcels into one; staff and the applicant explained the original map was prepared decades ago but not recorded and the property now has reciprocal access and parking rights (CC&Rs) that staff said address ingress/egress concerns.

What’s next - The applicant may proceed toward final inspection and occupancy after satisfying the conditions (revised site plan and restriping). The chief building official and plan check process will determine final compliance with building and accessibility codes.