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Commission recommends council re-designate 1030 Fulton Lane from service commercial to A-20 and rezones site for a single-family plan
Summary
The Planning Commission voted May 20 to recommend that the City Council change the land-use designation for 1030 Fulton Lane from service commercial to agriculture and to rezone the parcel to 20-acre agriculture, allowing a future single-family home subject to LR1A development standards.
The St. Helena Planning Commission on May 20 recommended the City Council approve a general plan amendment and zoning map amendment to change the land-use designation of 1030 Fulton Lane from service commercial to agriculture (A-20), and to rezone the parcel accordingly.
Senior Planner Jackie O'Neil summarized the site history: the property is a roughly 39,000-square-foot parcel within the citys urban limit line that has been vacant since about 2010. O'Neil said the site retained a service-commercial designation through successive general-plan updates while surrounding parcels changed to agriculture; an earlier office proposal did not proceed to completion. Staff concluded that designating the site agriculture and rezoning to A-20 would make the parcel consistent with adjacent properties and allow construction under the LR1A development standards applicable to smaller parcels within A-20.
Eric Lundquist of The Brodie Group, representing Fulton Junction Partners LLC, presented the application and asked the commission to forward the staff recommendation. Lundquist described the application as a corrective action to make the parcels designation consistent with surrounding A-20 properties and noted the parcel would connect to city water and sewer if developed as residential.
Commissioners questioned whether LR1A or another low-density residential designation should instead be used to avoid "spot zoning" inside the urban limit line, and discussed the practical implications of a single-family house being built on the parcel versus future higher-density uses. Several commissioners noted the parcel has been vacant for many years and that the property owners proposal is for a single-family home and ADU that would rely on LR1A standards where applicable. Commissioner Furdick said the commission should consider a broader study of Fulton Lane so the city can address a cluster of small parcels consistently.
After discussion, the planning commission voted to recommend council approval of the general plan and zoning map amendments with the staff report and findings. Commissioner Furdick moved approval; Commissioner Lopez seconded. The roll call was recorded as Vice Chair Warner: yes; Commissioner Furdick: yes; Commissioner Lopez: yes; Chair Ponte: yes. The commission asked staff to present the council with the planning commissions debate and to consider a larger-area study of Fulton Lane parcels as part of future housekeeping work.
Votes at a glance - General Plan Amendment GPA-2025-001 & Zoning Map Amendment ZMA-2025-001 (1030 Fulton Lane) — Motion to recommend that the City Council redesignate parcel from Service Commercial to Agriculture and rezone to 20-acre Agriculture (A-20) to allow future single-family home/ADU consistent with LR1A standards. Mover: Commissioner Furdick. Second: Commissioner Lopez. Tally: Warner: yes; Furdick: yes; Lopez: yes; Ponte: yes. Outcome: recommend approval to council.
What happens next: The proposal will return to the City Council for final action. The planning commission asked staff to include a recommendation that the council consider a broader Fulton Lane study to address several small parcels and avoid ad hoc spot zoning.
