Planning Commission approves Target recycling collection site with conditions including annual cleaning

The City of San Clemente Planning Commission on Nov. 5 approved a conditional use permit (CUP 25310) for a small collection recycling facility in the Target parking lot at 990 Avenida Vista Hermosa, with staff-recommended conditions including a requirement for annual site cleaning and controls to prevent wash water from entering the storm-drain system.

Planning staff described the facility as two portable containers fronted by a storefront structure. Staff said the containers were delivered prematurely to the site but confirmed the facility was not operating and would be repositioned to its final approved location if the permit is granted. Operating hours in the staff report are Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Sundays and Mondays. Staff added Condition 7.3 requiring proof of annual site cleaning be submitted to the city and reiterated that all water-quality and discharge requirements must be met.

Staff reported a shared-parking study prepared for the parcel showed a peak-demand surplus of 74 spaces on the Target parcel; the proposed recycling facility will use a portion of those spaces (staff described various counts in the presentation, with the project using 7–10 parking spaces in different parts of the staff presentation) and staff concluded adequate parking remains during peak hours. Staff also noted previous code enforcement issues at other recycling sites that had been corrected and added screening and cleanup requirements accordingly.

Applicant representative Antranek Sayan said the company has agreements with supermarket associations and that the container was delivered early and to the wrong place; he confirmed it is not operating. Sayan described supervision and quality-control visits by company supervisors to ensure sites are kept clean and said typical staffing would be one to three employees depending on the volume. He also said the container will be repositioned further back as required by staff, and the storefront orientation will be adjusted so the dedicated parking spaces are on the north side as shown in the updated site plan.

Commissioners asked about queueing, site width and the proximity of a drain; staff said there is a drain about five parking spaces west of the facility and reiterated the condition prohibiting wash water entering the storm-drain system. Commissioner discussion noted the driveway and delivery circulation appear wide enough to preserve emergency access. Commissioner Prescott Loeffler moved to approve the project with staff-recommended conditions and find it categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

Conditions of approval include the revised site location/orientation, staff-recommended operational limits (hours and staffing), prohibition on wash water discharge to storm drains, and Condition 7.3 requiring annual site cleaning verification to be submitted to the city.