Taft planning commission approves 6,500‑square‑foot warehouse at 1333 Kern Street

The City of Taft Planning Commission on March 19 approved a site plan review to construct a 6,500‑square‑foot, 25‑foot‑tall warehouse at the General Production Services (GPS) facility, 1333 Kern Street, voting 3‑0 to adopt a resolution approving Site Plan Review 2025‑01 and finding the project exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under CEQA Guidelines section 15301 (existing facilities).

The warehouse will be sited on a 1.47‑acre parcel within the city’s Industrial Zone District and is intended solely for storage of equipment and materials supporting GPS’s oil‑and‑gas industry work. The facility already contains approximately 21,526 square feet of office, shop and warehouse space; the new building will be located in the southeast corner of the eastern half of the site behind existing service shop and warehouse buildings. Staff told commissioners the proposal includes no tenant improvements for office or shop uses.

Staff reported the proposed building meets the City of Taft zoning requirements, noting the City of Taft Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 14, Table 14A requires one parking space per 1,000 square feet of warehouse area (7 spaces required for the 6,500‑sq. ft. building). When combined with the existing GPS office, shop and warehouse areas, staff reported a total requirement of 45 parking spaces with two accessible spaces; the site currently contains 46 parking spaces. Staff also stated the project has primary access to Currant Street/Highway 33 via the main facility driveway and a secondary access to the south from Wade Avenue.

During the public hearing, Joseph Engel of Engel and Company, representing the owner, emphasized two points from the applicant packet: that the 6,500 square feet measure counts enclosed wall area and that the design includes an overhang to shade doors. Engel also brought colored metal samples and said the intent is to match the colors of existing buildings on the site: "It's shown to be a 6,500 square foot building, and that's true in the enclosed walls, but there's also an overhang on one side of the building," and, "the intent is to match the buildings that are already on‑site." Staff noted no new lighting was proposed beyond existing site lighting and that restroom facilities are provided elsewhere on the campus; the warehouse itself does not require restrooms.

The motion to adopt a resolution approving Site Plan Review 2025‑01 and the CEQA exemption passed on a roll call vote: Commissioner Dowden — yes; Commissioner Johnson — yes; Chairman Livingston — yes. Two commissioners were recorded as absent.

The resolution, staff report and schematic elevations are attached to the administrative record. Staff said colored elevation samples were provided by the applicant and will be used to match existing on‑site buildings. No additional conditions or amendments were recorded in the meeting minutes.

For reference, neighbors and nearby uses cited in staff materials include Country Tire and Wheel; D.N.A. McCray; Chevron yard and storage tanks to the south; Kern Electric Distributors; and J & D Recycling. Sandy Creek Estates residential neighborhood lies approximately a quarter‑ to a half‑mile from the subject property, according to staff comments.

The Planning Commission adjourned the item and moved on to routine business following the vote.