Title
PLN170260 - HILDEBRAND & SONS TRUCKING INC.
Public hearing to consider a General Development Plan to allow a storage facility including eleven stalls for storage of irrigation equipment, K-rails, construction materials, and RV/trailer parking.
Project Location: 219, 221 and 223 Harrison Road, Salinas, Greater Salinas Area Plan
Proposed CEQA Action: Categorically Exempt 15304
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Planning Commission adopt a Resolution to:
1) Find the project is an open-air storage facility which qualifies as a Class 4 Categorical Exemption pursuant to Section 15304 of the CEQA Guidelines; and there are no exceptions pursuant to Section 15300.2; and
2. Approve the General Development plan to allow eleven stalls for the storage of:
a. Irrigation equipment;
b. K-rails
c. Construction materials; and
d. RV/trailer parking.
A draft resolution includes findings and evidence for consideration (Exhibit B). Staff recommends approval subject to 13 conditions.
PROJECT INFORMATION:
Agent: Maureen Wruck Planning Consultants, LLC (Sandra Dimas)
Property Owner: Hildebrand & Sons Trucking Inc.
APN: 113-091-013-000, 113-091-014-000 & 113-091-015-000
Zoning: “LC” (Light Commercial)
Plan Area: Greater Salinas Area Plan
Flagged and Staked: No
SUMMARY:
The applicant is proposing an open-air storage facility for keeping of irrigation equipment, k-rails, construction materials and RV/trailer parking. The different types of storage facility will be partitioned and connected by a 12’ high chain-link fencing system. No other structures or development are proposed. As part of the entitlements for the proposed use, a General Development Plan has been prepared to address the business operation and uses over three separate parcels totaling approximately 13.5 acres (each parcel approximately 4.5 acres) under one ownership.
The storage facility would be located at 219, 221 and 223 Harrison Road, on the southwest corner of the intersection of Harrison and Sala Road, approximately .80 miles north of the City of Salinas, and 500 feet east of Highway 101. Harrison Road and Schoch Road border the southeast and northwest property boundaries, respectively. The site is outside of Salinas Sphere of Influence. Surrounding land uses consist of row crop farming, commercial, residential, and vacant land. The site is zoned Light Commercial which allows Contractor’s storage yards subject to a permit in each case.
Although the site is outside of the Salinas Sphere of Influence, County staff met with staff from the City of Salinas due to it’s location (northern approach to the City boundaries along Highway 101 and Russell Road). City staff recommended several conditions of approval to be placed on the project. Those conditions were reviewed and staff applied those conditions based on regulations that pertain to the county ordinance. Both agencies have agreed to landscaping conditions requiring vegetative screening around the perimeter of the site to minimize visual impacts. Most of the suggestions provided by the City have been incorporated in the project. No structures are proposed at the site other than the 12’ chain-linked fencing system to separate the type of items being stored. Administrative business transactions will be conducted off-site at the Hildrebrand & Sons Trucking, Inc. office located in Watsonville, CA.
Traffic impacts of the proposed use were analyzed by a traffic engineer, Keith Higgins. The report concluded that the project will not have significant direct impacts on the transportation system but will have an incremental contribution to regional traffic in the area. Therefore, the project is required to pay County and regional traffic impact fees.
DISCUSSION:
History & Existing Use on Site
On November 1, 2012, the Monterey County Planning Commission approved a Use Permit, Resolution 12-046 (See Exhibit D) for a temporary equipment/materials yard, portable job trailer and temporary concrete batch plant in support of the Caltrans Prunedale Improvement Project located at 223 Harrison Road, Salinas (File No. PLN120334). The entire site was used as a concrete batch plant for approximately two years and the site remains substantially disturbed although the site is currently vacant. According to a condition applied on the batch plant operation (Condition No. #13 of PLN120340), the applicant shall remove the batch plant no later than January 1, 2015. A temporary trailer currently exists on the northeastern portion of the subject property on parcel 113-091-015-000 (223 Harrison Road). This trailer will be removed pending the approval of this project.
Evaluation:
The proposal is that this storage yard will function solely on word of mouth through the owner’s various contacts in the County. No advertisement for the storage/parking facility is proposed and there will not be an onsite office. The entry gate will have a lock and a universal key, which will be given to all tenants for access. The tenants will then be responsible for securing their section(s) with their own individual locks and combos. Currently, there are no signage proposed. Any future signage that may be proposed would be subject to separate review and permitting in accordance with adopted sign regulations.
The project would not result an increase the permeable surfaces or paving. The site was improved with compacted asphalt surface as part of the previous temporary batch plant use. Furthermore, a drainage plan is not required since conditions are unchanged and there are no mitigations required from Environmental Services.
Environmental Health Bureau have also reviewed the project. The potential of oil and chemical run-off on site was evaluated and since there are no auto/RV dismantling on site, a HazMat permit will not be required.
Since the project has three (3) separate legal lots of records under one ownership, access easement needs to be established to and from all three (3) parcels if the three properties are to function as one large storage facility. A condition of approval has been incorporated requiring recordation of an easement deed to reflect the shared use and access to the site (See Condition No. 13).
Consultation with Salinas
Although the site is outside of Salinas Sphere of Influence, County staff met with staff from the City of Salinas because the project is located at the northern approach to the City boundaries along Highway 101 and Russell Road. The Cities written comments are attached as (Exhibit E). Many conditions recommended by City staff have been incorporated, including design and landscape screening suggestions. Several of the suggested conditions are incorporated in typical encroachment permitting and other County standards including driveway site distances. Additional recommended conditions by the City that were not added to this project consist of bicycle parking, recycling & solid waste enclosures, lot line adjustment, and photometric lighting plan. There are no proposed buildings or offices on the site and the proposed storage use would not be expected to generate demands for bicyclists. No waste facilities are provided onsite and no lighting is proposed.
Furthermore, in coordination with the City of Salinas to reduce the visual impacts from public roads (especially from Highway 101), the 12’ chain-linked fence proposed around the perimeter of the site will need to incorporate wooden black slats in between the fence links to screen the site. Furthermore, fencing will need to be a matte black color to blend with the surroundings and minimize the attention to the site. Further screening will be added by incorporating landscaping around the project perimeter with trees and vegetation. (See Condition No. 3).
Parking
Pursuant to the parking standards in the Zoning Ordinance, the standard parking for contractor’s yard is 1 space per 3,000 sq. ft. of space. However, the County did not require parking onsite because there are no buildings or offices and tenants at the yard will deliver and pick-up only. In addition, the open-air concepts allows for temporary parking on open land used as common access while loading and unloading of vehicles and materials. Pursuant to Division 11, Chapter 9 (Sections 22500-22526 of CA Vehicle Code), off-street (along Harrison Road) overflow parking is also available and allowed. Parking standards can be modified by the PC per 21.58.050.C. In this case, it has been determined that temporary parking will be adequate to accommodate all parking needs generated by the use and special features of the site and site vicinity.
CEQA
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15304 categorically exempts minor public or private alterations in the condition of land, water, and/or vegetation which do not involve removal of health, mature, scenic trees except for forestry or agricultural purposes. The primary purpose of the project is using the existing site to create an open-air storage facility for irrigation equipment, k-rails, construction materials and RV/trailer parking. No additional structures are proposed except for installation of the chain-link fencing. The site was previously disturbed and no significant changes to the land are proposed for this use. Therefore, the proposed project is consistent with the parameters of this Class 4 exemption. There are no exceptions pursuant to Section 15300.2. No evidence of significant adverse environmental effects were identified during staff review of the development application. There is no cumulative impact without any prior successive projects of the same type in the same place, over time. There is no significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances. The site is not included on any list compiled pursuant to Section 65962.5 of the Government Code to be considered on a hazardous waste site. No known historical resources are found in the geotechnical or archaeological reports which may cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource. It is not within a highway officially designated areas as a state scenic highway.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The following agencies have reviewed the project, have comments, and/or have recommended conditions:
RMA-Public Works
Water Resources Agency
Environmental Health Bureau
RMA-Environmental Services District
Monterey County Regional Fire Protection District
The subject property is located within the Greater Salinas Area Plan, where there is no assigned Land Use Advisory Committee (LUAC). Therefore, review and recommendation by a LUAC to the Planning Commission has not occurred.
Prepared by: Son Pham-Gallardo, Associate Planner, x-5226
Reviewed by: Craig Spencer, Interim RMA Project Manager
Approved by: Carl P. Holm, AICP, Director of RMA
Attachments:
Exhibit A - Project Data Sheet
Exhibit B - Draft Resolution, including:
• Conditions of Approval
• Site Plan
• General Development Plan
Exhibit C - Vicinity Map
Exhibit D- Planning Commission Resolution No. 12-046
Exhibit E - Letter from the City of Salinas
Exhibit F- Traffic Report
Exhibit G - Proposed Uses Table
cc: Front Counter Copy; Son Pham-Gallardo, Project Planner; Brandon Swanson, RMA Interim Chief of Planning; Maureen Wruck Planning Consultants, LLC (Sandra Dimas), Applicant; Hildebrand & Sons Trucking Inc., Owner; The Open Monterey Project (Molly Erickson); LandWatch (Executive Director); John H. Farrow; Janet Brennan; Project File PLN170260