Piedmont planning commission recommends City Council approve Shell 14‑stall EV hub with conditions

The Piedmont Planning Commission voted to recommend that the City Council adopt an initial study and mitigated negative declaration under CEQA and approve four permits for a Shell Recharge electric vehicle hub at 29 Wildwood Avenue, subject to additional conditions requested by commissioners.

Commissioner Macho moved the recommendation with changes including limiting hours of operation to the site’s historical hours (6 a.m.–10 p.m.), requiring the equipment yard be enclosed and buffered with planting, adding a site maintenance plan prescribing response times, aligning façade signage with Chapter 17 design guidance, and requiring an arborist report and tree preservation measures. Commissioner Zarukian seconded the motion. The roll call vote recorded in the meeting was: Batra — Aye; Ortiz — Aye; Zarukian — Aye; Rowland — Nay; DeJodia — Aye. The motion passed 4–1.

Staff had recommended approval of four applications: a conditional use permit to convert the former gas station into a 14‑stall EV charging station (seven charging units, two stalls per unit) with proposed 24/7 operations; a variance to construct a canopy near the Wildwood–Grand corner; a design review to permit canopies, transformer/switchgear enclosures, landscaping and lighting; and a nonresidential sign design review to allow multiple brand and wayfinding signs. Assistant planner Joshua Mueller presented staff’s draft resolution and the mitigation monitoring and reporting program that accompanies the ISMND.

In explaining the conditions added by the commission, the motion text read in part: "I move that we adopt the attached resolution recommending that the city council adopt an initial study and mitigated negative declaration in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act and conditionally approve the conditional use permit, variance, design review permit and nonresidential sign design review permit with the conditions as outlined by staff and with the addition of several other conditions…" (Commissioner Macho). Commissioners said the extra conditions are intended to reduce possible nighttime disturbance and protect neighboring trees and privacy while allowing the city to add fast‑charging infrastructure.

Next steps: The commission’s recommendation and the staff report (including the ISMND and proposed conditions) will go to the Piedmont City Council for final action; the commission also unanimously requested that the applicant provide written documentation from PG&E confirming whether the PG&E equipment could be placed underground (see separate motion).