Planning commission approves height and parking variances for Weaverville business park building

The Trinity County Planning Commission on March 27 approved a variance and a deviation allowing a proposed two-story commercial shell at 35 Arbuckle Court in the Trinity Alps Business Park SUD in Weaverville to exceed local height limits and use shorter parking spaces, voting 4-0 to adopt resolution PC202504 with a clerical correction to the project number.

Planning staff told commissioners the applicant, Wineglass J Vineyards LLC, proposes a two-story commercial shell with a combined leasable footprint of 10,440 square feet. Staff said the site’s steep topography and geotechnical constraints limit developable area, and the applicant requested a parking-space-size variance from the Trinity County code requirement of 9 feet by 20 feet to 9 feet by 18 feet and a deviation to increase the SUD’s upper-level height limit from 25 feet to 31 feet.

Staff recommended adoption of resolution PC202504 and a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) determination that the requested variance and deviation are categorically exempt under CEQA Guidelines section 15305 (Class 5, minor alterations). Staff also said the building-permit review remains pending and that ministerial aspects of the building permit are subject to separate CEQA considerations during permit processing.

John Paladini, the owner-applicant, said he supported the staff report and described the lot as “uniquely shaped,” saying the proposal maximizes the developable footprint. "I support and agree with the staff report on this," Paladini said. He said no tenants have been secured and that the shell is intended to serve up to three tenants.

A commissioner disclosed prior conversations with planning staff and outside parties related to the parcel and described a prior Health and Human Services proposal on the site that affected available maps and previous planning work; the commissioner said that background informed their view that the buildable area is constrained. Separately, one commissioner raised a concern about the project’s water-management plan and potential impacts on adjacent wetlands, which staff said are under a Natural Resources Conservation Service easement on county-owned property; that concern was not a formal condition of approval.

The commission’s motion approved the variance (VAR-25-01) and the requested deviation, subject to the conditions in Exhibit A of the resolution and with a clerical correction to the project identifier before the chair signs the resolution. The motion passed on a 4-0 vote (Commissioners Paul, Flights, Harper and Chair Barrett voting aye).

After the vote, planning staff said they will continue to work with the applicant’s engineer on a complete building-permit submittal.

During reports, the deputy director of community development praised new assistant planner Angel Chapel and said consultant SHN is managing about 15 county projects as staff handle backlogged files. The commission then moved to routine announcements and adjourned.