Placerville planning commission approves Home Depot tool-rental center with parking conditions and access changes

The Placerville Planning Commission on Sept. 2 approved a conditional use permit (CUP 25-03), a variance (25-01) and a master sign plan amendment for the Home Depot at 600 Placerville Drive, allowing an on-site tool rental center, vehicle (box truck) rental stalls and expanded outdoor signage, with conditions requiring annual parking monitoring, limits on outdoor storage locations and opening the site’s secondary entrance with a right‑turn‑only exit.

Commissioners voted 5-0 to approve the package after extended review of the project’s parking counts, outdoor storage and circulation. The commission directed staff to prepare a notice of exemption for filing with the El Dorado County Recorder’s office and to update the final conditions to clarify where equipment-rental displays are permitted and to require right‑turn‑only signage at the west entry/exit.

Why it matters: The project adds retail support services (tool and truck rental, sidewalk and seasonal sales) at a major Placerville retail site while lowering the parking requirement from current code levels through a variance. Commissioners and members of the public raised concerns that long-term outdoor storage and “shed creep” on the lot has reduced usable parking and impaired circulation; the approved conditions are intended to keep storage confined to specific areas and to require an annual utilization report so the city can track actual parking demand and impacts.

Staff presentation and proposal

City planning staff said the 17-acre commercial site is zoned commercial/general plan commercial and that the applicant, Lars Anderson & Associates for Home depot USA Inc., requested a CUP for a…