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Calistoga planning commission amends conditions for 2449 Foothill Boulevard project
Summary
The Calistoga Planning Commission voted unanimously May 28 to modify conditions of approval for the two-building commercial project at 2449 Foothill Boulevard, removing several preliminary conditions while keeping the approved design intact.
The Calistoga Planning Commission on May 28 voted unanimously to adopt amendments to the conditions of approval for a two-building commercial project at 2449 Foothill Boulevard.
City planning staff told the commission the action would only amend the written conditions attached to the project and would not change the project’s approved design or scope. "The purpose of this item is simply to amend conditions of approval. There's no change to the project in any way, shape, or form," a staff member said during the staff report.
The changes reflected in the revised resolution and draft conditions remove several items that staff characterized as preliminary conditions and correct language that previously misassigned responsibility for certain public improvements. Commissioners confirmed on the record that improvements removed from the conditions are not required as a mitigation for project impacts. "The necessity for those [removed] works is not because of impacts of this project," a commissioner said during the discussion and the staff representative agreed.
One nearby resident, Lucretia Marcus of 933 Petrified Forest Road, spoke during public comment and raised concerns about tree removal and increased traffic near the project site. Marcus said Firewise volunteers had previously removed trees on Petrified Forest Road and that the recent loss of standing trees "totally destroyed my neighbor's view." Commissioners acknowledged the comment but clarified the hearing concerned only the written conditions and that design review and appeals deadlines for the earlier approval had passed.
Commissioner Keiser moved to adopt the modifications to the 2023 approval (Resolution PC 2023-05 approving Design Review DR2022-2), including two additional edits to conditions identified by staff. Commissioner Towey seconded the motion. In a roll-call vote, Chair Wilkes, Vice Chair Pinsky, and Commissioners Buickeneri, Keiser and Towey all voted "aye." The motion passed.
The commission and staff said the amendments should clear a path for the project to move into construction while the city assumes responsibility for certain off-site infrastructure improvements that had previously been listed as developer obligations. The commission recorded no changes to the approved project design at the meeting.
