Ridgecrest planning commission recommends rezoning of North Down Street parcel to neighborhood commercial

The Ridgecrest Planning Commission voted 3-0 to recommend that City Council change the zoning of a privately owned parcel on North Down Street (APN 45301409) from RSP (recreation, schools and public use) to Commercial Neighborhood. The public hearing opened at 6:03 p.m. and closed about 10 minutes later.

Staff said the rezoning would align the parcels zoning with the citys general plan and allow the owner to use the property for retail and neighborhood commercial uses. Planning staff said the parcel had been zoned for public use at some point in the past, likely because an adjacent parcel is district-owned, but is privately owned now.

Planning staff member Heather Fairlock said the site meets the zoning rules for Commercial Neighborhood, including the minimum lot size and frontage standards staff cited: no less than 6,000 square feet, at least 60 feet of frontage on the arterial and a lot depth of 100 feet. Fairlock told commissioners, "This is not a project as defined by CEQA. Any future development of it will have a CEQA analysis at that time." She asked the commission to recommend the change to City Council; the rezoning must be heard by council twice.

A representative for the property owner participated by phone and said there are parties interested in bringing businesses to Ridgecrest and that the owner and prospective buyer anticipate seeking to conjoin the parcel with adjacent lots to create a larger development site. The caller said, "we will, in the very near future, be seeking, to conjoin those lots. And I anticipate, speaking with the entire city but specifically miss Fairlock in the very near future relative to this project that the potential buyer has planned." The applicant did not provide a finished project plan during the hearing.

Commissioners voted unanimously. The recorded votes were Commissioner Farris: yes; Commissioner Hayman: yes; Commissioner Poxis: yes. A commissioner announced, "3 ayes, motion carries," and the chair closed the public hearing at about 6:13 p.m.

During the same portion of the agenda, staff asked the commission to continue two amended tentative tract map items for the College Heights neighborhood to the May 27 meeting: one amendment for phasing of a tentative tract map to develop 54 single-family lots (APN noted in the record as "5 Ten-ten-seventeen") and an amended tract map 6,775 for phasing of a tentative tract map to develop 60 single-family lots (APN noted as "5 Ten-ten-twenty 4"). Staff stated both items would be continued to the May 27 meeting; no separate roll-call vote on those continuances is recorded in the meeting transcript.

What happens next: the commission's recommendation on the North Down Street parcel will be transmitted to City Council for two readings; any future development proposals for the site will be subject to CEQA review and the usual development review process.

Votes at a glance

- Recommend zone change: Change zoning for APN 45301409 (North Down Street) from RSP to Commercial Neighborhood (CN). Motion passed 3-0 (Farris, Hayman, Poxis voted yes). Action will be forwarded to City Council for two hearings.

- Continued to May 27: Amendment for phasing of tentative tract map (54 single-family lots) in College Heights (APN "5 Ten-ten-seventeen"). Outcome: continued to May 27 (no mover/second or roll-call vote recorded in transcript).

- Continued to May 27: Amended tract map 6,775 for phasing of tentative tract map (60 single-family lots) in College Heights (APN "5 Ten-ten-twenty 4"). Outcome: continued to May 27 (no mover/second or roll-call vote recorded in transcript).