Planning Commission approves Clayton Road retail with variance denied for driveway

The City of Concord Planning Commission on Aug. 15 approved the Clayton Road Retail project at 4390 Clayton Road, granting a use permit for a 2,000‑square‑foot drive‑through restaurant, design and site review for a 2,250‑square‑foot multi‑tenant retail building, a tree removal permit for five protected trees and a minor exception to reduce required parking from 29 spaces to 27. The commission denied a requested variance to allow a 29‑foot driveway and maintain a one‑foot fire‑hydrant clearance; staff said the driveway can be widened to the 30‑foot minimum and the hydrant relocated as part of redevelopment.

Staff planner Scott Watkins told the commission the proposal responds to prior Design Review Board comments by offering two site layouts intended to orient the retail building toward Clayton Road and that staff would support the entitlements if the variance were denied and the driveway widened and hydrant relocated. Watkins said the project proposes designated employee parking and several conditions of approval, including limiting drive‑through hours to 7 a.m. to 10…