Oakley officials review City Center site plan, debate SR‑32 access, drive‑thru and building placements

Oakley City Council members and Planning Commission commissioners met in a joint work session on March 4 to review an updated Oakley City Center site plan and aired opposing views on access, drive‑thru lanes and building placement.

Mayor Steve Wilmoth opened the discussion by urging the group to "move forward not backwards," recounted the application timeline and said the goal was to reach a workable plan while respecting differing viewpoints. City Planner Stephanie Woolstenhulme presented the current site layout showing building footprints, internal roadways, access points and open‑space areas.

Commissioner Cliff Goldthorpe proposed colocating Amazon lockers and the Post Office in the same building to improve deliveries and circulation. "I think the Amazon lockers and the Post Office should be in the same building," Goldthorpe said, adding that the SR 32 access proposal is problematic with the current layout and that Center Street may offer a better entrance. Several other members—Jan Manning, Dave Neff and Kent Woolstenhulme—also raised concerns about the Post Office's delivery tightness and favored combining grocery, Post Office and locker functions to reduce circulation conflicts.

Council Member Joe Frazier urged retaining the existing Ken's Kash building for historical reasons and suggested adaptive reuse such as a food pantry and locker space. "Keep Ken's Kash for historical reasons," Frazier said, arguing reuse could preserve local character.

Members differed sharply over a drive‑thru proposed for a corner tenant. Opponents—including Kent Woolstenhulme, Chris Dillman, Jan Manning and Cliff Goldthorpe—called the drive‑thru awkward and expressed circulation and safety concerns. Supporters, including Chair Richard Bliss, Commissioner Tom Smart and Council Member Dave Neff, said a drive‑thru could help the business succeed and favored a compact in/out loop to avoid backups onto SR 32. "If drive‑thru works for developer, he is OK with it," Smart said, while Kent Woolstenhulme said he was against it.

Building height and green‑space tradeoffs were debated as well. Tom Smart and others praised the plan's walkability and parks but recommended lowering the proposed 45‑foot maximum building height (Smart referenced the county standard of 33 feet). Multiple members expressed a preference for reduced parking in favor of more parkland.

Access off SR 32 was another point of contention. Cliff Goldthorpe, Kent Woolstenhulme and Chris Dillman opposed adding an SR 32 entrance because of proximity to Center Street and sightline concerns; Joe Frazier supported an additional access to relieve Center Street congestion for quick trips to Fiiz and the bakery, while Dave Neff said he was open but worried about the nearby hill and sightlines.

On circulation, the commission and council generally agreed that a curved connector road from Weber Canyon Road to Center Street through the City Center would improve traffic calming and pedestrian connections.

No formal action was taken on the site plan during the March 4 session; commissioners and council members instead discussed phasing—several members said an initial phase that prioritized the grocery, Post Office and lockers would protect both the city and the developer. Earlier in the meeting, Commissioner Kent Woolstenhulme moved to approve the Jan. 8 and Feb. 5, 2026 meeting minutes; Jan Manning seconded and the motion passed with "all in favor." The session adjourned after the site‑plan discussion.

Next steps noted by members included refining access options with engineering review, considering reduced building height across the city, resolving parking for Town Hall, and pursuing a phased approach that balances the developer's viability and city interests. The body did not set a formal vote date for the site plan during the meeting.