La Habra planning commission approves Rooter Hero permit for company-vehicle repairs, raises on-site storage limit to 50

The La Habra Planning Commission approved Conditional Use Permit 24-0009 to allow Rooter Hero to reuse an existing commercial building at 700 North Harbor Boulevard for a general business office with on-site automobile service and repair limited to company vehicles, and amended the permit to increase the maximum on-site vehicle storage from 30 to 50.

Senior planner Ashley presented the staff report, saying the 2.8-acre parcel includes a two‑story building built in 1961 that the applicant proposes to use as a call center and operations hub, and that "Staff recommend the planning commission approve this project subject to conditions of approval." The proposal includes two new roll‑up doors for vehicle access, two on‑site mechanics for company vehicles only, restriping of several compact spaces to standard stalls, and relocation of a six‑foot wrought‑iron fence to meet development standards. The roll‑up doors will remove a small number of existing parking spaces and the plan also calls for fire‑access Knox boxes on manually operated gates.

Applicant John Okhoyan said the business currently uses the site for company vans and described recent security incidents that prompted onsite gates and surveillance; he told the commission the firm "had somebody that broke into the parking lot, and they stole close to out of our vehicles, they broke locks and took close to $200,000 worth of equipment out of our vehicles." Okhoyan said much of the fleet normally leaves the site with drivers overnight, and that the company will remove roughly 40 older vehicles from the property in the near term.

Commissioners questioned parking and overnight storage. Staff noted the draft resolution included a condition limiting on‑site storage of fleet vehicles to a maximum of 30 at any time; commissioners discussed adjusting that limit to reflect the site's 117 available spaces and the parking required for office operations. Commissioner Manley moved to approve the permit with the modification increasing the maximum on‑site vehicle storage from 30 to 50; Commissioner Logan Cannon seconded the motion. The commission voted 4‑0 to approve the resolution and made a CEQA determination that the project is exempt under CEQA Guidelines section 15301 (existing facilities). The commission chair noted the decision "will be final in 10 working days unless it's appealed to city council."

The staff report also identified the parcel as a housing opportunity site with capacity for up to 48 residential units under the city's housing element; staff told commissioners that the site's general plan designation and zoning would still allow future redevelopment for housing should that occur. Staff and the applicant confirmed the automotive services would be limited to company vehicles and that no retail/service to the general public would take place at the site.

The commission approved the conditional use permit subject to the conditions in the draft resolution as modified on the record to increase permitted on‑site storage to a maximum of 50 vehicles. The commission also clarified that any substantial change in operations from what was described in the permit (for example, a different business type or different pattern of vehicle storage) would require a modification to the conditional use permit and possibly a fee for that modification.

Planning staff, the applicant and the commission discussed minor operational details — including hours of operation (Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m.–3 p.m.; closed Sunday), maintaining the existing CMU walls at the southern and eastern boundaries, and restriping to replace compact stalls removed for the roll‑up doors. The commission closed the public hearing after hearing from the applicant and, finding the project consistent with the conditions, approved the permit.

The commission's approval is effective unless appealed to city council within the regulatory appeal period; staff will finalize the resolution and notify the applicant of any administrative next steps.