Yuba City planning commission approves permits for Feather River Mills development, including Circle K fuel sales and Starbucks

The Yuba City Planning Commission approved two use permits at its meeting to allow construction of the Feather River Mills development on the corner of Bridge Street and Shasta Street, including a 24‑hour Circle K convenience store with fuel sales and a Starbucks. The commission also found the project categorically exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines section 15332 for infill development.

Staff said the combined Feather River Mills site will include a Circle K convenience store with an attached car wash, a Starbucks and other retail buildings. During presentation staff described the Circle K convenience store as a roughly 5,200-square-foot, 24‑hour store with fuel sales and an on-site car wash; the project team and motions on the record used 5,300 square feet in the formal resolution language. The fuel canopy shown in project materials has eight dispensers (16 fueling positions). For the separate use permit, staff described Building 2 as 5,300 square feet with a confirmed Starbucks tenant and additional adjacent retail, and Building 4 as a 3,600-square-foot quick-serve restaurant with a drive-through.

The proposal is on property zoned Community Commercial District and within the Central City Specific Plan area. Staff told the commission the site plan was revised to include architectural features—brick veneer and cornices—intended to better tie the new buildings to nearby development such as the existing Holiday Inn Express. Staff also said the project includes landscape plans that must meet the Central City Specific Plan requirements and that the trash enclosure will be modified under a condition of approval to add a roof using the same materials as the buildings.

A combined traffic study prepared for the overall Feather River Mills site, which included the existing hotel, concluded the project can access the site without creating queues that block adjacent travel lanes on Bridge Street and Shasta Street. The study recommended limiting certain left‑turn accesses from adjacent streets; the site plan was revised to add a barrier curb to prevent those turns. Staff added conditions requiring the applicant to comply with the traffic study and reiterated a condition seen on other recent use permits that drive‑through stacking must not block the public right of way. Public Works reviewed the study and determined the project would not create a significant impact and is consistent with the general plan circulation element, according to staff.

On environmental review, staff said the city made a categorical exemption determination under CEQA Guidelines §15332, stating the project is consistent with the general plan, is within city limits on a site of no more than five acres, is not valuable habitat for rare or endangered species and will not result in significant effects to traffic, noise, air or water quality; utilities and public services are available to the site, the staff report says.

Applicant Mehmet Noyan, identified in the record as the owner of Feather River Mills Development, spoke remotely and said, “we look forward to constructing the next phase of the project.” Architect Scott Gibson said the site provides deep stacking distances for the drive‑through lanes and called it “a great project.” Representatives for Circle K, including Sandra Grama (development manager) and Peter Tobin (project manager), indicated Circle K agreed to the conditions of approval and described changes such as switching the canopy color to better match the development.

The commission voted to approve use permit 24‑06 for the Circle K convenience store with fuel sales and associated car wash and separately approved use permit 24‑07 for the Starbucks and other retail buildings. Both approvals included the staff conditions of approval and the CEQA categorical exemption finding under Guidelines §15332. The meeting record does not include a roll‑call vote tally by commissioner name; the clerk announced the motions passed on voice vote.

During general updates, staff said the property owners’ representative had filed an appeal related to the car wash and that the appeal is most likely to come before the City Council in the near future, possibly around June, depending on scheduling and process steps.