Planning commission approves Pure Life Pilates conditional use permit and design review for Horseshoe Bar Road property

The Loomis Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve project 23-18, a conditional use permit and design review for Pure Life Pilates to convert a vacant residence at 6130 Horseshoe Bar Road into a Pilates studio.

Christie, a planning staff member presenting the application, told the commission the town received an application from Pure Life Properties LLC and that the proposal "complies with the general plan and the zoning and is also CEQA exempt, as a class 3" small-structure conversion. The commission’s motion approved staff’s recommended action and the finding that the project is exempt from CEQA.

The property is a 0.37-acre parcel in the Central Commercial (CC) zone and designated Town Center Commercial in the general plan. The existing 1,325-square-foot, 16-foot-tall detached single-family residence would be repurposed as a 1,325-square-foot Pilates studio. The project includes removal of two accessory structures and an enclosed patio, construction of an eight-stall parking lot (including one ADA stall), pedestrian frontage improvements, a new sidewalk connection along Horseshoe Bar Road, landscaping, a stormwater detention basin and a new 30-inch circular metal sign above the entryway. Staff said operations would be two employees (one on-site at a time) with classes of one to six clients hourly between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday; the applicant estimated 36–40 clients per day.

During the review commissioners and staff discussed site access, parking and drainage. The project will use an existing recorded access easement through the adjacent commercial parking lot to the north for vehicular access; the project proposes a new 25.5-foot-wide access driveway from that lot to eight stalls on the subject property. A staff representative and the project engineer described a 362-cubic-foot stormwater detention basin at the southwest corner of the property and vegetated swales to route runoff; the engineer said the basin was sized to reduce additional flow toward the neighboring property and noted the site lacked sufficient elevation to connect directly to the town drainage system.

Commissioners asked about trash handling and whether a permanent dumpster enclosure would be provided. The project's architect (on the call) said the 48-square-foot enclosure shown on plans is intended for future use but the applicant currently expects to use a residential-size trash receptacle for routine collection. Commissioners also asked about sidewalk location relative to the Caltrans right of way; staff said the town engineer will require the sidewalk to be located entirely on private property and may request minor adjustments during engineering review to avoid placing the sidewalk in the right of way.

Other project details in the record include retention or replacement of trees to meet shade requirements (staff said proposed landscaping supplies over 56% shade, exceeding the 50% requirement), a proposed 15-foot LED pole light in the rear parking area with shielding and downward-directed lighting, and that no changes to off-site Caltrans-owned landscaping or the state right of way are proposed.

The motion to approve staff’s recommended action carried on a roll call vote of five in favor (Commissioner Kelly — yes; Commissioner DePillo — yes; Commissioner Lee — yes; Commissioner Wilson — yes; Chairman Onderko — yes). The commission approved the conditional use permit, design review and CEQA Class 3 exemption for project 23-18 (Pure Life Pilates).