Planning Commission recommends City Council adopt zoning table amendments, finds action exempt under CEQA

The Manteca Planning Commission on May 15 voted unanimously to recommend the City Council amend Table 17.22.020‑1 of Title 17 of the Manteca Municipal Code, changing allowed permit types for roughly 25 uses across three zone districts and finding the proposal exempt from further environmental review under CEQA Guidelines §15061(b)(3).

Deputy Director of Planning Jesus Orosco presented the city‑initiated ordinance change, which staff described as a policy‑level cleanup to align zoning with the 2024 General Plan. The amendment focuses on the downtown mixed‑use, neighborhood commercial and public/quasi‑public zone districts and changes some uses from ministerial “allowed” status to minor use permits or conditional use permits so the city may apply operational conditions where appropriate.

Orosco said the amendment is “not tied to a specific project or property” and is intended to ensure internal consistency with recent general plan policies (staff cited LU1B and LU6 among other policies). Staff told commissioners the changes include reclassifying certain medical uses and upgrading permit requirements for uses that involve alcohol sales to allow additional review and conditioning.

Assistant City Attorney Daniella Green explained the approval authority rules in the municipal code and noted that decisions requiring conditional use permits can be appealed to the City Council. She reiterated the amendment would not permanently vest the Planning Commission with new authority, and that appeal rights and higher‑level entitlements (such as rezonings or general plan amendments) would continue to go to the appropriate elected body.

After public comment (two speakers on the amendment raised concerns about delegation of authority and potential hotel uses in neighborhood commercial zones), the commission moved and seconded the resolution to recommend the City Council find the amendment exempt from CEQA under the common‑sense exemption and adopt the ordinance. The motion passed unanimously; the transcript records the action as “Passes unanimously.” The record also shows one commissioner recused from this agenda item prior to the hearing and did not vote.

Staff recommended the council adopt the ordinance amending Table 17.22.020‑1 to reflect the updated permit types and entitlements. The ordinance number and any effective date were not specified in the commission record; staff indicated the action would return to City Council for final consideration.