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Conduct a noticed public hearing to consider the Planning Commission’s recommendation of approval of Zone Text amendment ZT-20-01 and Minor Use Permit application MU-20-05 by Rakesh and Priya Vij to include Automobile, Mobile Home, Recreational Vehicle, Truck or Boat Sales Lots as a conditionally permitted land use within the Residential-Traditional Community Mixed Use (R-TC-MU) zoning district and establish a Vehicle Sales Lot located at 4912 Central Way, adjacent to the City of Fairfield within the R-TC-MU zoning district; APN’s 0044-080-040, 410, and 420; Adopt an ordinance to approve Zone Text amendment ZT-20-01; Adopt a resolution to approve Minor Use Permit MU-20-05; The project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines §15301 and §15304
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Published Notice Required? Yes __X__ No _ _
Public Hearing Required? Yes __X__ No _ _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Department of Resource Management recommends that the Board of Supervisors:
1. Conduct a noticed public hearing to consider the Planning Commission’s recommendation of approval of Zone Text amendment ZT-20-01 and Minor Use Permit application MU-20-05 by Rakesh and Priya Vij to include Automobile, Mobile Home, Recreational Vehicle, Truck or Boat Sales Lots as a conditionally permitted land use within the Residential-Traditional Community Mixed Use (R-TC-MU) zoning district and establish a Vehicle Sales Lot located at 4912 Central Way, adjacent to the City of Fairfield within the R-TC-MU zoning district, APN’s 0044-080-040, 410, and 420; and
2. Consider adopting an ordinance to approve Zone Text amendment ZT-20-01 (Attachment A), read the proposed ordinance by title only and waive further reading by majority vote; and
3. Consider adopting a resolution to approve Minor Use Permit MU-20-05 (Attachment B).
SUMMARY:
The Board is being asked to consider Zone Text amendment application ZT-20-01, requested by applicant Rakesh and Priya Vij, who are proposing to operate an automobile and vehicle sales lot at 4912 Central Way within the unincorporated community of Old Town Cordelia. The property is zoned Residential-Traditional Community Mixed Use “R-TC-MU” which currently does not accommodate Automobile, Mobile Home, Recreational Vehicle, Truck, or Boat Sales lots. The zone text amendment requests the use be allowed as a conditionally permitted land use within the R-TC-MU zoning district. Concurrently, the applicant is requesting approval of a minor use permit to conduct a sales lot at 4912 Central Way.
On February 15, 2024 the Planning Commission on a 4-0 vote adopted Resolution 4732 (Attachment C) recommending Project approval to the Board of Supervisors.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
This request has no effect on the General Fund. The applicant has paid the costs associated with the applications. The costs associated with preparing the agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the Department’s FY2023/24 Working Budget.
DISCUSSION:
Environmental Setting
The 1.03-acre subject site is comprised of three parcels, one of which is located within the City of Fairfield (APN 0044-080-040). The rectangular shaped property is generally flat and wedged between Interstate 680 to the west and Central Way to the east. The I-680 Cordelia / Green Valley Road off ramp abuts the property to the south.
The southern parcel is developed with a two-story 2,647 square foot commercial office building (formerly a residence) and associated 13 space paved parking lot. The central parcel is developed with a 1,000 square foot storage barn and freestanding billboard. The northern parcel within the City of Fairfield is undeveloped, largely covered by a PG&E easement.
Surrounding land uses include the Pacific Supply building materials store to the north (within city limits); undeveloped residential mixed-use lots to the east; the Spectrum Center School Solano Campus to the south; and a variety of warehousing and retail uses across I-680 to the west. Similar vehicle sales uses including the Cordelia RV Center and North Bay Auto Auction are located within the vicinity of the subject site to the west, included in the attached Vicinity Map (Attachment D).
Project Description
The proposed sales lot will be devoted primarily to commercial vehicles including heavy-duty trucks, tractor trailers, and semi-trucks. The proposal includes construction of two new parking areas for vehicle display. The main lot includes 31 parking spaces, a majority of which are 12 feet wide by 35 feet long, to accommodate commercial trucks. The second lot will have 17 spaces, 9 feet wide by 18 feet long to accommodate automobile inventory.
A portion of the existing multi-tenant commercial office building will be devoted to vehicle sales and the administrative functions of the business. Other existing businesses are anticipated to remain. The existing 13-space parking lot on the southern parcel will continue to be utilized for employee and customer parking. The existing storage barn will be demolished, and the existing billboard would remain. A site plan is attached for reference in Attachment D and a detailed land use consistency analysis is provided in Attachment E.
Access, Street Improvements and Signage
New driveway access off Central Way will be developed for the two new parking areas. Existing access for customer and employee parking will remain. The subject site has frontage along Central Way, a public road. The proposal includes curb and gutter street enhancements to comply with city and county road improvement standards. The project does not include any proposed signage; however, as previously mentioned there is an existing freestanding billboard on-site that will remain.
Fencing and Landscaping
The proposal includes six-foot-tall black wrought iron fencing along the Central Way frontage and on the northern parcel line between the parking and bio-retention areas. Gates matching the new fence design and materials will be installed at driveway access points. Existing chain link fence will remain along the western and southern property lines.
New landscaping is proposed along the perimeter of the subject site, consisting primarily of oleander and laurel along the western and southern property lines and a mixture of grasses, rosemary and crape myrtle trees along the eastern lot line. All plantings within the sight triangles along Central Way shall be less than two feet in mature height. A Landscape Plan is included for reference (Attachment D).
Water Supply and Sewer
The project will continue to utilize existing potable water service from the City of Vallejo and existing public sewer service from the City of Fairfield.
Environmental Review
The project qualifies for Class 1 and 4 Categorical Exemptions from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines §15301 and §15304. Class 1 consists of the operation and permitting of existing facilities involving minor alterations and negligible expansion of the existing use. The proposal involves utilizing an existing commercial office structure and expanding existing parking on-site. In addition, road improvements including curb and gutter are proposed along the existing roadway thus qualifying for the exemption.
Class 4 consists of minor alterations to land including new landscaping. Proposed landscaping and vegetative screening around the perimeter of the subject site meet the intent of this exemption.
In addition, the zone text amendment qualifies for the common-sense exemption 15061(b)(3) because the project will have no significant effect on the environment. Adoption and implementation of the standards, permit requirements, and other measures contained in the ordinance will not result in any direct physical change to the environment on their own. Any future automobile sales facility in the R-TC-MU district proposed pursuant to this amendment will be required to go through additional environmental review prior to the County’s discretionary consideration of the minor use permit.
Solano Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC) review
On April 11, 2024 the ALUC on a 6-0 vote adopted Resolution No. 24-05 (Attachment F) which determined the Project consistent with the provisions of the Travis Air Force Base Land Use Compatibility Plan, subject to condition of approval No. 20 which requires the stormwater bio-retention basin to drain within a 48-hour period and have a 3:1 bank slope. The site is located within the bird strike zone and the proposed bio-swale is a potential wildlife attractant; therefore, on April 11 ALUC determined consistency subject to a condition requiring the basin to drain within 48 hours and bank slope to meet 3:1 slope, consistent with FAA wildlife minimization rules.
Noticing
A public hearing notice consistent with §28.04 and §28.111 of the Solano County Code was published in the Daily Republic at least 15 days prior to the Board of Supervisors hearing (Attachment G).
ALTERNATIVES:
Upon completion of the public hearing on these matters, the Board of Supervisors may choose to: 1) Continue the public hearing to allow for the collection of additional information required to render a decision. If continued, the Board of Supervisors may consider establishing a date for which to continue the hearing; 2) approve of the Project with modifications; or 3) deny the Project.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The City of Fairfield Public Works, and the Cordelia Fire Protection District. Comments from each of the responding agencies have been incorporated as conditions of approval in the attached resolution.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION