Planning Commission recommends council reclassify 107 South Beach Avenue to allow truck-oriented industrial uses

Planning staff told the Shafter Planning Commission that a request to change the general plan land-use designation and zoning for 107 South Beach Avenue would allow truck-oriented industrial uses at a site owned by American Refugees.

The request would amend General Plan Amendment 25-45 and Zone Change 25-79 to change the site from business park to industrial. "The project site is 107 South Beach Avenue, currently under the ownership of American Refugees," a staff member said during the presentation. Staff said a conceptual plan envisions truck shops, truck parking, truck washing and other operations now constrained by the existing business-park zoning.

Staff told commissioners that the proposed rezoning would make those uses allowable without separate conditional use permits and that the application is being considered under a Class 32 categorical exemption. The staff recommendation was to conduct the public hearing and adopt Resolution 25-472 recommending that the City Council approve the general plan amendment and zone change.

Commissioners asked staff to confirm prior conditional-use activity on the site; staff responded that American Refugees previously applied for a conditional-use permit for a compressed natural gas pump and roughly eight truck parking spaces and said the zone change is intended to streamline some future uses.

Chair opened the public hearing, received no public comment and closed the hearing. Commissioner Simmons moved to adopt Resolution 25-472, Commissioner Kamacho seconded, and the commission adopted the resolution on a roll-call vote recorded as ayes from Commissioners Kamacho, Simmons and Joe Sh.

The commission's action was a recommendation to the Shafter City Council; the staff presentation and the adopted resolution specify that council approval is required to effect the general plan amendment and zone change.