City of Gonzales
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
ACTIVITY REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: August 18, 2025
FROM: Taven Kinison Brown, Community Development Director THROUGH: Carmen Gil, City Manager
SUBJECT: Community Development Department Activity Report
HOUSING
The Housing Element was approved by the City Council on Monday August 4, 2025, and implementation ordinances (Zoning Code enhancements) are on this agenda for a second reading. The ordinances will be operational 30 days following the action and will bring the City of Gonzales fully compliant with state housing regulations.
A separate item on the consent agenda is a consultant services contract with Placeworks Inc. to develop the new implementation programs for the 6th Cycle Housing Element. Placeworks’ assistance to the city is being paid through our REAP 2.0 Grant administered through AMBAG.
The Vista Lucia Specific Plan has one more City of Gonzales public hearing anticipated before moving to LAFCo.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Staff is shaping a Shop Local Awareness Program to highlight the existing businesses and services in the community. Staff has also begun a new regular practice of personally visiting each active business in the City of Gonzales to foster improved communications with City Hall, and to directly bring City information to businesses. Staff is listening very carefully to learn how we can be of better assistance to our business community.
Freeway Electronic Sign. PG&E schedules for bringing a smaller pole-mounted transformer to the site have delayed an anticipated groundbreaking press-event for the new freeway-oriented billboard sign that will be erected west of Hwy 101. October may be the soonest we can expect it, according to the sign company.
AGENDA
ITEM
8 Zoning Code Enhancements for the Industrial District. To leverage economic development and increased investment in our Industrial District, staff is preparing to amend the Conditional and Permitted uses table for industrial area land uses in the City Code. Items under consideration include:
• Recreational Vehicle, Equipment Storage and Ministorage uses to support decongestion of public streets and residential areas by providing legal, designated storage areas, potentially improving neighborhood visual and traffic conditions elsewhere in the City. • Retail uses that are business and resident serving, which are compatible with the mixed industrial-commercial character, and unlikely to generate adverse environmental effects. • Medical services, such as may be characterized by an “Urgent Care” facility that would complement industrial safety, without need for travel elsewhere. • Caretaker or live/work dwelling units attached or detached. Would allow assured on-site security with immediate response. Strengthens business models by deterring vandalism and theft.
BUILDING DIVISION ACTIVITY
From July 1, 2025, to July 30, 2025, the City issued 11 permits for water heaters, reroofs and photovoltaic work associated with solar installations, and demolition permits to remove and recycle old labor camp structures on Alta west of the tracks.. The estimated value of improvements was $150,357.
CODE ENFORCEMENT
The City continues to meet with property owners, inspect potential violations and start documentation to progress to remedies. No new cases were opened in July, and four have been resolved. Present cases involve operational and nonoperational vehicles in yards, and garbage and furniture in yards.
PLANNING DIVISION ACTIVITY
A Site Plan application (PL2025-00004) from Ace Hardware has been received to move the existing store on 5th Street to a vacant underutilized 4.17-acre parcel on Alpine Drive in the Industrial District and to provide additional services to the public. Ace proposes a hardware store with typical hardware sales, lumber, plants, paint and tools, and will offer self-storage to the public and will also offer large vehicle and RV storage. The property would be secured with a Caretaker Unit providing 24-hour onsite security.
Formal landscaping and grounds keeping will occur and the proposed self-storage area will be enclosed with a solid CMU privacy/security fence.
CITY BUSINESS LICENSES
Through the end of July, City staff has completed the record keeping for the annual business license renewals required of business who serve the City. Staff has refreshed departmental practices and record keeping approaches and are utilizing the new software program previously purchased by the City. Two hundred thirty-eight (238) business licenses for fiscal 2025-2026 have been renewed or newly issued - of which 28 of those are business which previously were not working in the City of Gonzales or were operating without a business license.