CITY OF MERCED
Site Plan Review Committee
MINUTES
Planning Conference Room
2 nd Floor Civic Center
Thursday, May 25, 2023
Chairperson MCBRIDE called the meeting to order at 1:32 p.m.
1. ROLL CALL
Committee Members Present: Chief Building Official Frazier, City Surveyor Cardoso for Interim City Engineer Wegley, and
Director of Development Services McBride
Committee Members Absent: None
Staff Present: Senior Planner Nelson, Associate Planner Mendoza-Gonzalez, Development Services
Technician II Davis, Deputy City Manager
Quintero, Management Analyst Brown, and
Administrative Assistant Abarca
2. MINUTES
M/S Frazier/McBride, and carried by unanimous voice vote, to approve the Minutes of April 13, 2023, as submitted.
3. COMMUNICATIONS
None.
4. ITEMS
4.1 Site Plan Application #519, submitted by William Gibbs, with the Merced County Food Bank, on behalf of Leonard Rich, for Lira LP, property owner, to allow an outdoor garden to be used strictly for instructional/educational purposes as an ancillary component to the Merced County Food Bank. The project is an approximately
1.28-acre, vacant lot generally located at the southeast corner (SEC) of State Highway 59 and West Olive Avenue, west of the Site Plan Review Committee Minutes
May 25, 2023
Merced County Food Bank located at 2000 West Olive Avenue.
The project site has an Industrial (IND) General Plan Designation and is zoned Residential (R-1-6).
Development Services Technician II DAVIS reviewed the application.
Refer to Draft Site Plan Resolution #519 for further information.
A representative of the Merced County Food Bank was in attendance. He made himself available for questions from the committee.
The committee brought up the subject of water.
Chairperson McBRIDE asked the representative to confirm whether or not there was an existing water meter on the proposed lot.
The representative did not know.
McBRIDE directed staff to check if there was a meter on the proposed lot and to provide contact information for the Engineering Department to the applicant to ensure they comply with City water service standards.
M/S Frazier/Cardoso, and carried by the following vote to adopt a Categorical Exemption regarding Environmental Review # 23-13, and approve Site Plan Review #519, subject to the Findings and twenty- seven (27) conditions set forth in Draft Resolution #519:
AYES: Committee Members Cardoso, Frazier, and Chairperson McBride
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
4.2 Site Plan Application #520, submitted by Redondo and Cardella , LLC, property owner, to allow minor modifications to the approved Vesting Tentative Subdivision Map #1316 and Conditional Use Permit #1264. Said modifications include moving the northern property line south by approximately 50 feet, reducing the number of lots from 113 to 112, and other minor modifications. This site is generally located at the northwest corner of Pettinotti Road and El Redondo Drive. The subject site has a General Plan designation of Site Plan Review Committee Minutes
May 25, 2023
Village Residential (VR) and a Zoning classification of Residential Planned Development (RP-D) #57
Associate Planner, MENDOZA -GONZALEZ reviewed the application.
Refer to Draft Site Plan Resolution #520 for further information.
The applicant’s representative , Rick Rowland, from Golden Valley Engineering was present at the meeting.
Associate Planner MENDOZA -GONZALEZ distributed a memo
regarding updates to Findings B, D, and E as shown below regarding additional modifications requested by the applicant. In addition, Exhibit D (Revised VTSM #1316) was replaced to reflect these changes.
Committee Member CARDOSO recommended adding Condition #12 requiring improvement plans to be reviewed and approved by the Engineering Department prior to Final Map recording.
M/S Cardoso/Frazier, and carried by the following vote to adopt a Categorical Exemption regarding Environmental Review #23-14, and approve Site Plan Review #520, subject to the Findings and eleven (11) conditions set forth in Draft Resolution #520 with the addition of Condition #12 and modifications to Findings B, D, and E as shown below:
(underlined text is added text)
Condition:
“12) Improvement plans shall be reviewed and approved by the Engineering Department prior to recording the Final Map.” Findings
“B) On June 8, 2022, the Planning Commission approved Vesting Tentative Subdivision Map (VTSM) #1316 and Conditional Use Permit #1264 for the Royal Woods Estates Subdivision (refer to the tentative map at Exhibit B and Planning Commission Resolution #4092 at E xhibit C). The approval would subdivide three parcels (approximately 13.43 19.50 acres) into 1113 single-family lots Site Plan Review Committee Minutes
May 25, 2023
ranging in size from 3,078 square feet to 5,465 square feet, with one approximate 5.46 3.60-acre parcel reserved for a separate project (within minimum 20 dwelling units per acre).
“D) Th e developer’s scope of modifications to VTSM #1316 includes moving the northern property line south by approximately 60 50 feet, reducing the number of lots from 113 to 11 12 (lost 1 losing 2 lots between Lots 12 and 22 originally shown as lots 15 and 22 on VTSM #1316 which made improved usability of pie shaped lots 12- 16), Lots 80-122 would have a lot depth reduction from 95 feet to 83 feet, and Lots 1- 11 would have a lot depth reduction from 95 feet from 81 feet. Lots 68 and 78 would have a lot depth reduction from 95 feet to 81 feet, and Lots 79-111 would have a lot depth reduction from 95 feet to 83 feet . Per the Development Standards for RP -D #57 at Exhibit E, the minimum lot depth is 80 feet.
“E) Per Merced Municipal Code Section 20.72.050 (C), the Director of Development Services may approve a minor change to an approved project if the change complies with the following criteria:
1. The requested changes are consistent with all applicable requirements of the Zoning Ordinance.
The requested change to Vesting Tentative Subdivision Map (VTSM) #1326 would reduce the number of lots from 113 to 1112 and modify the size of the lots within the subdivision. The site has a Zoning classification of Residential Planned Development (RP-D) #57. The modifications to the lots are still consistent with the approved lot standards shown at Exhibit E. This request does not include any modifications to the approved elevations at Exhibit G.
Therefore, the project would be consistent with the Zoning Ordinance.
2. The requested changes are consistent with the spirit and intent of the original approval.
The requested changes do not change the spirit or intent of the original approval. The subdivision would still provide a single - family housing development in compliance with the approved development standards, elevations, and street network.
3. The requested changes do not involve a feature of the project that was a basis for findings in a Negative Declaration, Mitigated Site Plan Review Committee Minutes
May 25, 2023
Negative Declaration, or Environmental Impact Report for the project.
The Environmental Review for the approval of VTSM #1326 was a Categorical Exemption based on CEQA Section 15162. The requested changes do not change the fact that the project is exempt based on this section.
4. The requested changes do not involve a feature of the project that was a basis for conditions of approval for the project.
The proposed changes reduce the number of lots from 113 to 1112 .
Although the basis for the approval of VTSM #1326 was 113 lots, the requested decrease is very minor, and no conditions were placed on the approval based on the number of lots.
5. The requested changes do not involve a feature of the project that was a specific consideration by the review authority in granting the approval.
As described in #4 above, the proposed change is to decrease the number of lots by 1. Although the Planning Commission was aware of the number of lots being proposed with VTSM #1316, the specific number of lots was not a basis for granting the approval.
Therefore, the decrease in the number of lots would not be considered a feature that w as a consideration by the review authority.
6. The requested changes do not involve any expansion or intensification of the use or structure by no more than 10 percent.
The requested decrease in the number of units from 113 to 1112 and overall project site reduction (moving northern property line south by approximately 60 50 feet) would result in a reduction in the intensification of the project. Although the size of some of the lots is smaller than originally proposed, they are adequate to fit the proposed development standards at Attachment E.”
AYES: Committee Members Cardoso, Frazier, and Chairperson McBride
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
Site Plan Review Committee Minutes
May 25, 2023
4.3 Site Plan Application #521, submitted by the Merced City School District, property owner, to construct a 52,908- square-foot Operational Services Support Center (OSSC) on an approximately
9.9-acre site generally located on the north side of Wardrobe Avenue, between Beechcraft Avenue and Thornton Road (2105 Wardrobe Avenue). The site has a General Plan designation of Industrial (IND) and is zoned Light Industrial (I-L).
Senior Planner NELSON reviewed the application. Refer to Draft Site Plan Review Resolution #521 for further information.
Doug WILLIAMS, Director of Maintenance and Operations for the Merced City School District and Chris NIKKEL with Teter Architects were in attendance.
Mr. WILLIAMS clarified that he had spoken with Manuel Abeyta with the Fire Department about Condition #11 requiring gates for the outdoor equipment yard and that what they have proposed would be satisfactory.
Committee Member CARDOSO requested that conditions be added to address the existing utility lines on the site as previously discussed with the applicant.
M/S Frazier/ Cardoso, and carried by the following vot e to adopt a Categorical Exemption regarding Environmental Review #23-15 , and approve Site Plan Review #521 , subject to the Findings and twenty -nine (29) conditions set forth in Draft Resolution #5 21, with the addition of Conditions #30 and #31 as shown below:
(underlined text is added text)
30. The existing utilities on the site shall be relocated so that they are not under the proposed building footprint. A new easement shall be dedicated for the new location of the utilities.
31. The applicant shall apply for a vacation to vacate the existing easement for the City utilities on the site. Prior to the vacation being finalized, the new easement required by
Condition #30 shall be dedicated.
Site Plan Review Committee Minutes
May 25, 2023
AYES: Committee Members Cardoso , Frazier, and Chairperson McBride
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
4.4 Site Plan Application #522, submitted by Razzari Ford, on behalf of Timothy and Billie Razzari, property owners, for a 5,548-square- foot addition to the existing service building for Razzari Ford located at 1234 Auto Center Drive. The site has a General Plan designation of General Commercial (CG) and is within a General Commercial (C-G) Zone.
Development Services Technician II DAVIS reviewed the application.
Refer to Draft Site Plan Resolution #522 for further information.
Tim RAZZARI and Weston BOEDING , of Razzari Ford, were in attendance and made themselves available for questions from the committee.
Committee Member CARDOSO asked RAZZARI and MONTOYA
questions about the site’s irrigation.
Committee Member FRAZIER asked the applicant if the site had existing fire sprinklers.
M/S Frazier/Cardoso, and carried by the following vote to adopt a Categorical Exemption regarding Environmental Review #23-16 , and approve Site Plan Review # 522, subject to the Findings and twenty -nine (29) conditions set forth in Draft Resolution #522:
AYES: Committee Members Cardoso , Frazier, and Chairperson McBride
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
5. INFORMATION ITEMS
5.1 Calendar of Meetings/Events
There was no discussion regarding the calendar of meetings/events.