Planning commission approves Malin Boulevard industrial site plan with conditions

The Fraser Planning Commission on Jan. 7 approved a site plan for a new industrial building at 18380 Malin Boulevard, contingent on a set of conditions intended to resolve outstanding technical and safety items.

Planner Miss Sarah told commissioners the site plan had received conditional approval in 2018 but the applicant failed to meet required conditions and the approval expired. The plan now under review lists the building at 11,117 square feet in some places and 12,000 on the building drawings; the applicant, Artan Joka, told the commission the larger number is correct because the prior figure excluded a second floor. Miss Sarah recommended approval subject to clarifying the consistent square footage, specifying the number of employees on the largest shift so parking requirements can be verified, dimensioning barrier‑free aisles, providing a photometric plan complying with section 32‑86, and revising pedestrian access to minimize conflicts with vehicle movements.

Commissioners asked about elevations, ADA parking dimensions and engineering requirements. Commissioner Zarnick asked whether the full stone/brick elevations presented were required; Miss Sarah said the ordinance requires certain returns but not full stone around the entire building. Commissioner Meyer pressed whether accessible aisle width must be 8 feet for van‑accessible stalls; Miss Sarah said she would verify standards, noting building permits can address final details.

Applicant engineer Hars Hakim and Mr. Joka told the commission they had revised the plans to show a 12,000 square‑foot building (including a second floor), added a van‑accessible space and the required accessible aisle, removed exterior loading by moving loading indoors to clear maneuvering areas, and would provide a photometric plan and relocate the dumpster if necessary. Commissioners and the chair raised a site‑specific safety concern: a prior major fire at the site in 2008 prompted calls for a third‑party inspection and compaction testing of existing footings before final permits are issued; the applicant reported limited test digs indicating solid footings but commissioners asked the building department to require independent verification.

Commissioner Tuller moved to approve the site plan with the planner’s conditions; Commissioner Farina seconded. The motion was amended to explicitly require compliance with engineering report items and carried unanimously on roll call: Commissioners Barr, Czarnecki, Farina, Kyle, Meyer, Tuller and Chair Warnock voted yes. Conditional approvals will be enforced through final engineering and the building‑permit process, and the applicant must provide the revised plans and photometric data as part of final submittal.

The commission’s action does not constitute issuance of building permits; those permits remain subject to building‑department review and any third‑party inspection requirements imposed at permitting.