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Record of Proceedings

Benicia Planning Commission Meeting Summary - June 11, 2026

City Council & Boards — Thursday, June 11, 2026
BodyBenicia, California
SessionCity Council & Boards
DateThursday, June 11, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:03:50

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:00

How to participate in the meeting.

0:01

You can attend in person at the council chambers located at 250 East L Street.

0:09

Cable TV broadcast.

0:11

Check with your cable provider for your local government broadcast channel.

0:16

You can live stream online at www.ci.benisha.ca dot us slash agendas.

0:25

Or you can zoom meeting.

0:27

Information should be located on the agenda and on screen.

0:32

On Zoom, use participant option to raise hand or star nine for attendees participating via phone during the public comment period for the item you wish to speak on.

0:44

Please note that your electronic device must have microphone capability.

0:48

Once unmuted, you will have up to three minutes to speak.

0:52

Any member of the public who requires accommodation should email the development services department at planning at CI

Unassigned speaker

1:01

dot

Speaker 1

1:01

bonisha dot ca dot us.

1:05

And we'll make every effort to provide as much accessibility as possible while also maintaining public safety.

1:12

Excuse

Unassigned speaker

1:12

me.

Speaker 1

1:14

Call to order.

1:14

We'll call this meeting to order at 603.

1:19

Staff, please call roll.

Speaker 2

1:22

Commissioner Dominic.

1:27

Second.

1:28

Hello.

Speaker 3

1:29

Absent Terry.

Speaker 2

1:31

Oh sorry.

1:33

Thank

Unassigned speaker

1:33

you.

Speaker 2

1:35

Commissioner Gilbert Mees.

1:37

Here.

1:38

Commissioner Gordon.

Speaker 4

1:40

Here.

Speaker 2

1:41

Commissioner Jess.

Speaker 5

1:43

Here.

Speaker 2

1:44

Commissioner Lyle.

Speaker 4

1:46

Here.

Speaker 2

1:47

Commissioner Marshall.

1:49

Absent.

1:50

Chair Slay.

Speaker 1

1:53

Here.

1:57

Now we'll please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

2:21

The fundamental rights of each member of the public can be found in the municipal code posted on the city's website and on a plaque that's posted at the entrance to this meeting per section 4.04.030 of the City of Benisha's open government ordinance.

2:40

Adoption of the agenda.

2:43

Do we have a motion to adopt the agenda?

2:46

So moved.

Speaker 5

2:48

Second.

Speaker 1

2:50

We have a motion from Commissioner Lyle and a second from Commissioner Jessup.

2:54

Staff, please call roll.

Speaker 2

2:57

Commissioner Gilbert Hayes.

2:59

Yes.

3:00

Commissioner Gordon.

Speaker 4

3:02

Yes.

Speaker 2

3:03

Commissioner Jesson.

Speaker 4

3:05

Yes.

Speaker 2

3:06

Commissioner Lyon.

Speaker 1

3:07

Yes.

Speaker 2

3:08

Chair Slate.

Speaker 1

3:10

Yes.

Speaker 2

3:11

Thank you.

Speaker 1

3:12

This portion of the meeting is reserved for persons wishing to address the Commission on any matter that is not on the agenda and that is within the subject jurisdiction of the planning commission.

3:22

State law prohibits the commission from responding to or acting upon matters not listed on the agenda.

3:29

Each speaker has a maximum of three minutes for public comment.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure██████████████████████████████████████████42%
Procedural█████████████████████████25%
Zoning Ordinance Amendments██████████████████18%
Economic Development█████5%
Public Engagement██2%
Affordable Housing██2%
Budget Equity Analysis██2%
Water And Wastewater Management██2%
Public Safety█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Benicia Planning Commission Meeting Summary - June 11, 2026

The Benicia Planning Commission met on June 11, 2026, at Benicia City Hall. The meeting was scheduled for 6:00 PM and was called to order at 6:03 PM and adjourned at 7:05 PM. The commission unanimously approved the consent calendar, a right-of-way vacation, the Capital Improvement Program (CIP), and recommended zoning code amendments to the City Council.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the April 9, 2026 meeting were unanimously adopted. (Motion by Lyle, second by Jesson. Vote: 5-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No members of the public provided comments on any agenda item or during the general public comment period.

Discussion Items

11.A - 650 East N Street Right-of-Way Vacation

  • Deputy Public Works Director Neil Leary presented a request from JN Properties, California LLC, to vacate a five-foot-wide, 250-square-foot strip of right-of-way to facilitate an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). The existing right-of-way width is 80 feet; the remaining width would be 75 feet, exceeding the 45-foot minimum standard for local streets. A Public Utility Easement is required for PG&E. The item is CEQA exempt.
  • Commissioners confirmed the roadway and sidewalk would not be altered.
  • Vote: Unanimously approved. (Motion by Jesson, second by Lyle. Vote: 5-0).

11.B - Two-Year FY 25/26 - FY 26/27 Capital Improvement Program (CIP)

  • Neil Leary presented the CIP, which includes 14 projects funded over two fiscal years: five facilities and parks projects (including marina dredging, breakwater repairs, John’s Place Stairs removal, and a shoreline pathway); three streets projects (pavement rehabilitation, downtown diagonal parking); one water project (Lopes Road raw water line replacement); and five wastewater projects (sewer replacements, shoreline stabilization, treatment plant improvements).
  • Commissioner Gorman asked clarifying questions about the John’s Place Stairs, which are being removed due to being a structural hazard and replaced with a shoreline pathway improvement. Commissioner Lyle asked about FEMA reimbursement for the water line. Staff confirmed the city expects 93% reimbursement on eligible costs from FEMA and the state.
  • Vote: Unanimously approved. (Motion by Gorman, second by Gilbert Hayes. Vote: 5-0).

11.C - Code Amendments for Commercial Recreation and Outdoor Food Service

  • Senior Planner Dave Feinstein presented two zoning code amendments as a single package. Commissioner Gordon recused himself from this item due to a conflict of interest.
    • Indoor Commercial Recreation: A staff proposal to conditionally permit sports training (e.g., batting cages), archery, and shooting galleries in the Limited Industrial (LI) zone, restricted to single-tenant buildings and specific locations near the Gateway area. Uses such as theaters and bowling alleys are excluded from this allowance.
    • Outdoor Food Service: A staff proposal to explicitly allow outdoor food service ancillary to eating and drinking establishments in the Mixed-Use Infill (MUI) district, an activity already permitted in commercial and industrial zones.
  • Commissioner Positions: Commissioner Jesson expressed concern that the single-tenant building requirement and limited use types were unnecessarily restrictive and could limit tax revenue. Commissioner Lyle shared this concern and questioned the practicality of the restriction. Commissioner Gordon questioned the reasoning behind limiting the uses and locations. The commission as a whole expressed a preference for allowing multi-tenant buildings provided all tenants are commercial recreation uses (i.e., no mixing with industrial uses).
  • Staff indicated they could revise the draft resolution to reflect this intent before the item receives a public hearing and first reading at the City Council (scheduled for July 2026).
  • Vote: Motion to recommend the amendments to the City Council with the revision allowing multi-tenant buildings dedicated entirely to commercial recreation. (Motion by Jesson, second by Lyle. Vote: 4-0).

Key Outcomes

  • Consent calendar approved.
  • Right-of-way vacation for 650 East N Street approved.
  • FY 25/26 - FY 26/27 CIP found consistent with the General Plan.
  • Staff was directed to revise the indoor commercial recreation code amendment to allow multi-tenant buildings before the item proceeds to the City Council for first and second readings.
  • No public testimony was offered on any agenda item.

Meeting Transcript

How to participate in the meeting. You can attend in person at the council chambers located at 250 East L Street. Cable TV broadcast. Check with your cable provider for your local government broadcast channel. You can live stream online at www.ci.benisha.ca dot us slash agendas. Or you can zoom meeting. Information should be located on the agenda and on screen. On Zoom, use participant option to raise hand or star nine for attendees participating via phone during the public comment period for the item you wish to speak on. Please note that your electronic device must have microphone capability. Once unmuted, you will have up to three minutes to speak. Any member of the public who requires accommodation should email the development services department at planning at CI dot bonisha dot ca dot us. And we'll make every effort to provide as much accessibility as possible while also maintaining public safety. Excuse me. Call to order. We'll call this meeting to order at 603. Staff, please call roll. Commissioner Dominic. Second. Hello. Absent Terry. Oh sorry. Thank you. Commissioner Gilbert Mees. Here. Commissioner Gordon. Here. Commissioner Jess. Here. Commissioner Lyle. Here. Commissioner Marshall. Absent. Chair Slay. Here. Now we'll please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. The fundamental rights of each member of the public can be found in the municipal code posted on the city's website and on a plaque that's posted at the entrance to this meeting per section 4.04.030 of the City of Benisha's open government ordinance. Adoption of the agenda. Do we have a motion to adopt the agenda? So moved. Second. We have a motion from Commissioner Lyle and a second from Commissioner Jessup. Staff, please call roll. Commissioner Gilbert Hayes. Yes. Commissioner Gordon. Yes.

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