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 defensible space; full perimeter fencing and locks; NFPA signage at all four corners of the property; limits on on‑site storage other than the main tank; at least three 40‑BC fire extinguishers accessible on site; extension of a fire hydrant to within 200 feet of the driveway; and installation to meet or exceed NFPA 58 and the California Fire Code.

Staff said the facility will be permitted and inspected by county authorities, that vessels are inspected by the Department of Industrial Relations, and that county oversight includes three‑year inspections. Staff also told the commission the city reviewed comments from Caltrans and the county and determined no additional conditions were required.

Don Vicari, identified in the meeting as business development manager for Hunt Propane and the company’s local manager, told the commission the site is for company storage and distribution, not retail. “No one goes in there. Only us,” Vicari said, describing the site as employee‑only, secured by a locked gate and security fence. He said Hunt currently operates an 18,000‑gallon temporary tank at the site under a prior short‑term permit and plans engineered footings for the permanent tank. “We’re the most regulated industry probably in California,” he told the commission, describing state and industry inspections and safety standards.

Commissioners and members of the public asked about proximity to the Ione Junior High and to parkland, the decision to grant a temporary permit while the conditional use permit was pending, and who would enforce ongoing conditions. The applicant said deliveries would be made throughout Amador County and that hours would be limited to employee operations; staff said the proposed hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The planner explained that the city and county have an agreement in which the county provides environmental health services and oversight for these facilities, and that several conditions are redundant with county requirements.

Several public speakers said the temporary 18,000‑gallon tank had operated under a 90‑day permit that was not formally extended and that some construction work or pad preparation had proceeded while the conditional use permit application was pending. The planner acknowledged the temporary permit should have been formally extended but said staff had been actively working with the applicant on CEQA responses and engineering and that the applicant had proceeded “at his own risk,” aware the commission could deny the application.

After discussion, a commissioner moved to approve the conditional use permit; a second was recorded and the commission voted with four ayes and no noes to adopt Resolution PC2025‑03 approving the conditional use permit and instructing staff to file the CEQA notice of exemption. The motion did not include named vote counts for each commissioner in the public record beyond the roll call of ayes.

Commissioners also directed staff to continue a separate review of city zoning and to bring zoning issues back to the commission at a November meeting; the commission discussed appointing an ad hoc committee to advise on zoning updates and ministerial approvals for similar storage uses.

The permit approval is subject to the listed conditions of approval; the planning commission record notes that the county remains the primary oversight agency for inspections and permitting of the propane vessels.