Ione planning commission approves Hunt and Sons propane storage facility at 650 Hunter Lane

The City of Ione Planning Commission voted 4-0 Sept. 9 to approve a conditional use permit for a 30,000‑gallon propane storage and distribution tank for Hunt and Sons at 650 Hunter Lane, the commission said.

The permit allows a locked, employee‑access distribution facility in an area zoned for limited industrial/industrial park uses. Staff told the commission the project is approximately 0.75 miles south of downtown, adjacent to Union Pacific tracks, and next to an existing rail facility; Howard Park sits across the highway from the site. Staff recommended adopting Resolution PC2025‑03 and filing a notice of exemption under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

The commission’s nut‑graf reasoned that the site is within the city’s industrial planning area and that state and county permitting and inspection requirements apply. City staff summarized 11 conditions of approval, many drafted on the fire chief’s recommendation: posted addresses at the gate; a minimum 20‑foot access roadway; compaction standards for ground and surface areas; plumbing safeguards to prevent spark ignition and automatic shutoffs; cleared…