Porterville project review committee flags restroom, parking, utilities for New Breed Volleyball change of occupancy

The City of Porterville Project Review Committee on Jan. 15 reviewed PRC 2024-042, an application from New Breed Volleyball to change occupancy at 735 West Olive Avenue from indoor warehousing/storage to commercial instructional services.

Committee Chair and Associate Planner Oscar Cepeda opened the item by identifying the proposal and location. Cepeda said the single agenda item for the meeting was PRC 2024-042 for New Breed Volleyball. "We do have 1 item on the agenda, which is PRC 20 24 0 42 for new breed, volleyball," he said.

Why it matters: staff said the property conversion would trigger building, fire and accessibility requirements that the existing structure and site do not currently meet. Those requirements could affect the applicant’s design, costs and timeline and will shape any permit submittal the city ultimately approves.

Fire, building and engineering requirements Clayton Dignam, fire marshal, said the project must follow the most recent applicable codes. "Fire extinguishers shall be placed to comply with the currently adopted addition of the California fire code," Dignam said, adding that extinguishers must be no more than 75 feet apart and mounted so tops are no higher than 48 inches and no closer than 4 inches from the floor. Dignam also said a Knox Box will be required based on occupancy and square footage.

James Wickersham, the city’s chief building official, said the structure is currently classified as storage and that a change to assembly/instructional use will require restrooms contained within the subject building. "The restroom or restrooms have to be contained with within the building itself," Wickersham said. He said the required number and type of restrooms (single unisex or separate male/female fixtures) will depend on a code-determined occupant load, which the building department must confirm.

Wickersham also told the applicant that a compliant path of travel from the public sidewalk to the building entrance is required and that design standards for slopes, widths and barriers must be met. He said portable toilets are not acceptable under the city’s building code or city ordinance.

Ned, engineering staff, said water and sewer extensions will likely be required to serve any new restrooms and that those infrastructure costs would be the applicant’s responsibility. He noted existing mains in Olive Avenue could potentially be tapped depending on the final design.

Parking, access, signage and refuse Planning staff calculated that instructional services require one parking stall per 300 square feet of floor area, resulting in a minimum of 14 stalls for the proposed use. Cepeda noted the site plan shows five stalls adjacent to the warehouse and called attention to existing parking that serves Serrano’s Furniture at the same property; staff said Serrano’s front lot contains roughly 21 stalls. Planners said the applicant could request a parking reduction or pursue an off-site parking agreement with adjacent property owners.

Staff and the applicant discussed an on-site accessible stall that appears faded on the plan; staff said signage and markings must be brought up to current standards. Planning staff also reminded the applicant that temporary signs require a permit and that trash/refuse enclosures must comply with section 313 of the Porterville Development Code.

Program specifics from the applicant The applicant said the operation would provide volleyball training, primarily for minors. The applicant estimated about three employees per day and roughly 20 customers daily, with class sizes described as "1 to 13 minors at a time." The applicant also said building access to restrooms is through a door that connects to the adjacent Serrano building, but staff advised that restrooms must be within the changed-occupancy building itself.

Next steps Staff told the applicant the committee’s comments will be consolidated in a written PRC letter and mailed in about two weeks. Staff advised the applicant to engage a designer (architect, engineer or drafting professional) to prepare plans that address occupant load, restrooms, path of travel, utilities and parking; the city will review any submitted plans and either approve or return them with comments.

No formal action or vote was taken at the meeting. The discussion closed with staff offering further assistance as the applicant works with the landlord and a design professional to advance the project to a formal submittal.