TO: Mayor and Council Members
Marlene Best, City Manager
Shawn Hagerty, City Attorney
FROM: Annette Ortiz, CMC, City Clerk
DATE: February 23, 2022
SUBJ: Updated Council Meeting Materials – February 23, 2022 PUBLIC HEARING:
(7) Public Hearing for a Conditional Use Permit (P2020-3), Variance (V2020- 2) and Mitigated Negative Declaration (AEIS2020-2) to Permit the Construction of a Gasoline Dispensing Station with Mini Mart and Accessory Car Wash at 9015 Mission Gorge Road, in the General Commercial (GC) Zone (APN 383-121-64-00). (Development Services – Planning)
The attached correspondence for the above-mentioned Item was received and is provided for your consideration.
Patrick E. Herman
Attorney at Law
3110 Camino Del Rio South, Suite 315
San Diego CA 92108
Tel (619) 884-9469
February 22, 2022
Mayor John W. Minto
Vice Mayor Ronn Hall
Council Member Laura Koval
Council Member Rob McNelis
Council Member Dustin Trotter
10601 Magnolia Avenue, Bldg. 2
Santee, CA 92071
Re: Proposed Gas Station/ Mini Market//Car Wash
9015 Mission Gorge Road
Proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration
Dear Santee City Council:
I am writing on behalf of Ghazwan Yousif, whom most of you know as “Joe Kalasho”. Joe is the owner of Royal Share LLC, the company Joe founded to build out and operate the proposed Arco gas station/mini mart and car wash that is one subject of tonight’s City Council meeting. Joe is also the owner and proprietor of the Kwik Serve gas station at the corner of Mission Gorge Road and Carlton Hills Boulevard, a business he built in Santee over 20 years ago. This new Arco gas station is the latest of several business Joe has opened and run in Santee since arriving here in 1986.
Presently, the City Council is taking up the issue of whether Joe should be allowed to develop a second gas station further west on Mission Gorge Road, between the State Route 125 off ramp and Fanita Drive. This parcel is currently an unused car wash that has been sitting idle for years. Joe has assembled a team of design professionals and engineers to develop this property into a state-of-the-art gas station with a mini mart and drive through car wash. On this currently unused parcel, Joe will bring three separate services that the citizens and visitors to Santee want and need: a gasoline station, a convenience store and drive-through car wash.
The location is ideal for these uses as it is the first parcel of land that the east bound driver on Mission Gorge Road encounters after exiting State Route 125. The new buildings and landscaping with be aesthetically pleasing, improving the east end of Mission Gorge Road so that those entering the City see a clean, new gas station where they can fill up, grab some essentials and clean their car all in one location. Another gas
station should help foster competition and ideally drive down prices of gasoline. The City will benefit immediately from having an abandoned and derelict property renovated into a brand-new facility featuring a new building for the mini mart, a renovated drivethrough car wash and bright, well lit canopies over the islands of gas pumps. These three uses are entirely consistent with the City’s general plan, and each will generate sales that contribute to Santee’s tax revenue. Since the land is already zoned commercial, Joe’s project will make the highest and best use of the parcel.
The facility itself is being designed by a top-notch engineering firm who is well respected in the field of gas station design. Joe has secured the financial backing necessary to complete the construction in a timely manner in accordance with all applicable labor, construction and environmental standards. With building plans, engineering and financing all lined up, this project is ‘shovel-ready’ and will move swiftly to completion once started.
There should be no adverse effect on the neighbors to the proposed site. The land to the west is undeveloped Caltrans land. To the north is Mission Gorge Road and beyond it the bottom lands of Foster Creek. To the east is Ron’s Self-Serve Gas & Dairy, a gas station with a convenience store and do-it-yourself car wash. Ron’s car washes utilizing spray wands are preferable for those who don’t want car wash brushes to mar the paint finish on their cars. The two types of car washes – do-it-yourself and drive through tunnels - give Santee residents more options when choosing how to clean their cars.
There should be no issue with another gas station adjacent to an existing station. Joe’s proposed Arco station will be newer and more environmentally secure and, quite simply, better looking. While the new project may offer new competition to the neighboring parcel, it also offers competition to other gas stations on the west end of Mission Gorge Road, including Joe’s existing Kwik Stop at 9312 Mission Gorge Road. Santee’s business friendly environment contemplates competition among merchants and the City does not chose who will get ahead and who won’t. The marketplace makes those determinations.
The proposed development will be on a parcel which is encumbered with an easement that benefits the neighbor, the Qwik Korner gas station. This easement will continue to remain in effect without impairment to the neighbor’s current use.
The proposed site can be accessed by eastbound and westbound traffic. However, those exiting the new gas station will be directed eastbound because the median on Mission Gorge Road prohibits left hand turns. This is entirely appropriate given the volume of traffic at that location and the propensity of traffic to back up waiting at the traffic lights controlling the on ramps for state routes 52 and 125. The existence of the new facility is not expected to significantly increase traffic in the area, rather it will give existing motorists another option to acquire the goods and services.
Finally, many in local governments across the country like to talk about ‘redevelopment’ ‘renovations and other terms to renew and rejuvenate a particular part of town. Here, the far west end of Mission Gorge Road in Santee appears slightly run