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Planning commission approves Volunteers in Medicine clinic at Good Shepherd Ministry Center
Summary
The El Cajon Planning Commission unanimously approved a conditional use permit allowing Volunteers in Medicine to operate a small nonprofit clinic within Good Shepherd Ministry Center; staff found the project CEQA-exempt and low‑impact.
The El Cajon Planning Commission unanimously approved Conditional Use Permit 2025-0003 to allow Volunteers in Medicine to operate a nonprofit medical clinic from existing office space at Good Shepherd Ministry Center (former El Cajon First United Baptist Church), 772 South Johnson Avenue.
Spencer Hayes, associate planner, told the commission the proposal would use approximately 675 square feet of existing office space and would not require construction or additional parking. Staff recommended the project as CEQA‑exempt under the existing facilities exemption because it involves negligible expansion of an existing office use.
Volunteers in Medicine plans to provide approximately 10 clinic visits per week with four primary care physicians and seven specialty providers on varying schedules; imaging and higher‑level services would be contracted off‑site. Studio E Architects representative Eric Naslund said the group had previously operated from another local religious facility and had no outstanding code complaints at that site.
Commissioners asked about hours; staff said proposed hours are generally 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. with specialty providers appearing on intermittent days. A motion to adopt the CEQA exemption and approve CUP 2025-0003 was made by Commissioner Maroz and seconded by Commissioner Pollock Root; the motion carried by unanimous vote of members present.
The permit allows the nonprofit clinic to serve uninsured and income‑qualified residents in El Cajon and East County subject to the conditions in the staff report.
