Kingsburg Planning Commission approves conditional use permit for Sinclair station rebuild

The Kingsburg Planning Commission on March 13 adopted a California Environmental Quality Act negative declaration and approved a conditional use permit allowing the redesign and rebuild of the Sinclair convenience store and continued dispensing of motor fuel at 825 Sierra Street.

Community Development Director Holly Owen told the commission the application (CUP 2025-01) seeks permission to rebuild the existing Sinclair station, keep six fueling pumps fronting Sierra Street and add a proposed future retail building along Simpson Street. Owen said the two parcels that make up the site total 44,956 square feet and that a lot merger will be required prior to project completion.

The commission voted, by voice, to adopt the negative declaration and then approved Resolution 2025-01, which grants the conditional use permit subject to the conditions in the staff packet. There were no public comments during the meeting on this item.

Why it matters: The approval authorizes the long-standing fuel-dispensing use at the site to continue under modernized site and building standards, and it clears the way for a full rebuild of the convenience-store building and related circulation and landscaping improvements. The project will return to city staff-level site plan review and to the commission for later approvals if the applicant pursues the proposed future retail/restaurant and drive-through.

Key details and next steps - Applicant/owner: Bobby Santos (applicant present at the meeting). - Site: 825 Sierra Street, northwest corner of Sierra and Simpson Streets, Kingsburg. - Parcels: two parcels totaling 44,956 square feet (stated by Holly Owen). - Proposed: rebuild of the convenience store, retaining six fueling pumps; a future retail/restaurant building of 5,000 square feet was described in staff materials; a commissioner later referred to a 3,000-square-foot rebuild for the convenience-store portion (that discrepancy was discussed during the meeting and is noted below). - Parking and circulation: staff said parking will be formalized to meet current city standards; Caltrans conditioning will require removal of one driveway onto Sierra Street. - Tanks/equipment: staff said the existing fuel tanks will remain in place; "They won't be digging they won't be replacing the tanks are fine where they are," Holly Owen said. - Pedestrian access: sidewalks will be city standard (commissioners asked specifically whether a 5-foot sidewalk was planned). - EV charging: commissioners asked whether electric vehicle charging would count as a fuel-dispensing use; Owen said charging stations are addressed through building permits and other regulations rather than the fuel-dispensing conditional-use category in the city code; conduit or readiness for charging may be required at the building-permit/site-plan stage. - Environmental review: an initial study found no significant environmental impacts, resulting in a negative declaration under CEQA guidelines. - Approvals required after CUP: site plan review, final design and landscaping approval by staff, lot merger, and building permits; the timing for construction will be governed by conditions in the site-plan and building-permit approvals.

Discussion highlights Commissioners asked for clarifications on pedestrian walkways, driveway access, timeline limits on the CUP and whether tanks would be replaced. Owen said the CUP can be granted for a limited time but in practice the city generally leaves it open for this kind of longstanding use unless conditions change or the use violates law. She summarized the findings the commission must make under the municipal code (section 17.68) to grant a conditional use permit and noted the permit may be revocable by the commission or subject to conditions.

The project team includes the architect (identified in the record as Kent) and the property owners, who were present to answer questions. Commissioners also asked staff for updates on two other gas-station rebuilds in Kingsburg; staff reported one project encountering PG&E transformer relocation issues and another finalizing electrical-contractor matters.

Vote and procedural notes The commission adopted the negative declaration and separately approved Resolution 2025-01 granting CUP 2025-01 for the redesign and rebuild of the Sinclair convenience store. Both votes were taken by voice; no individual roll-call votes or vote tallies by name were stated on the record.

Looking ahead Staff indicated there may be a planning commission meeting on April 10 for other pending projects. The applicant must complete lot merger, obtain site plan approval and building permits before construction proceeds.