Stockton Planning Commission Meeting – July 28, 2022: Cannabis Permits, Vice Chair Election, and Code Overhaul Study Session
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Stockton Planning Commission Meeting – July 28, 2022
The Stockton Planning Commission met on July 28, 2022, at 5:30 PM in the City Council Chambers. The meeting included approval of a cannabis retail non-storefront delivery business with a distance waiver, a public hearing for a new cannabis microbusiness, election of a new Vice Chair, and an informational study session on grant-funded policy efforts to overhaul the development code and design guidelines. The meeting adjourned at 8:38 PM.
Consent Calendar
- Item 3.1 – Approved Resolution 2022-07-28-0301 granting a Commission Use Permit, Administrative Use Permit, and a waiver to reduce the minimum separation distance from religious facilities and a school from 600 feet to approximately 135 feet for a retail non-storefront (delivery only) cannabis business at 216 North American Street (APN 139-290-03). The motion carried 4-0 (Commissioners Jones and Ogbah abstained; Commissioner Mountain was absent). Chair Sanguinetti noted that the resolution was revised to clarify language from the July 14 meeting. The 10-day appeal period began that evening.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were received.
Public Hearing: Cannabis Microbusiness (Item 5.1)
- Project: Commission Use Permit and Design Review for a new 3,200-square-foot industrial building at 108 West Hazelton Avenue to establish a cannabis microbusiness including retail storefront, distribution, and non-volatile manufacturing (Application P20-0757). The project would replace an existing auto body shop, employ 24 full-time employees, and represent an investment of approximately $1.5 million.
- Applicant Presentation: Mike Trowbridge (Compliance Director, Mojave Cannabis) and Cynthia Morgan-Reed (land use counsel) presented. They highlighted the company’s family ownership, 10 years of industry experience, security protocols (on-site guards, cameras, ID checks), commitment to local hiring (90–95%), and community involvement (food drives, toy drives, river cleanups). They acknowledged homelessness and addiction concerns in the area and expressed willingness to partner with local law enforcement and organizations.
- Commissioner Discussion: Commissioners asked about security plans, fencing (chain-link in industrial zone), landscaping maintenance, crime statistics (area has high calls for vagrancy/homelessness but few crime reports at the specific site), and future charitable contributions in Stockton. Commissioner Mountain noted the area needs improvement and expressed hope the applicant would follow through. Commissioner Mallett stated the project would clean up the area and is a plus for Stockton. Commissioner Villapudua asked about local hiring and crime data.
- Vote: Motion to approve carried 6-1, with Commissioner Villapudua voting no. The 10-day appeal period began.
New Business: Election of Vice Chair (Item 6.1)
- Commissioner Villapudua nominated Commissioner Xavier Mountain for Vice Chair, seconded by Commissioner Jones. The motion carried 7-0, electing Commissioner Mountain as Vice Chair, effective the next meeting.
Study Session: Grant-Funded Policy Efforts and Development Code Overhaul (Item 8.1)
- Staff (Mike McDowell, Matt Diaz) and consultant Martha Miller presented an overview of approximately $2 million in grants received to update the city’s housing element, housing action plan, neighborhood analyses (Cabral, Little Manila/Gleason Park, South Airport), and comprehensively rewrite Title 16 (Development Code) and Citywide Design Guidelines.
- Key themes: the current code is outdated, complex, and lacks user-friendliness. Objectives include streamlining procedures, expanding by-right uses, updating design standards for infill and mixed-use areas, and improving code organization. A series of workshops and study sessions will follow; no action was taken.
- Commissioners discussed the need for community outreach, potential use of interactive maps/apps, and alignment with the 2040 General Plan. Commissioner Mountain suggested a goal-oriented, technology-driven approach to make the code accessible. Staff noted the city is also implementing an “Open Counter” software to simplify permit processes.
Commissioner Comments & Adjournment
- Commissioners welcomed new Commissioner Felix Ogbah and congratulated Vice Chair Mountain. Commissioner Villapudua announced upcoming community events (Angry Chicks grand opening on July 29, Shirley Park event on July 30). The meeting was adjourned at 8:38 PM.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar (Item 3.1): Approved 4-0 (two abstentions).
- Public Hearing (Item 5.1): Approved 6-1, with Commissioner Villapudua dissenting.
- Election of Vice Chair (Item 6.1): Commissioner Xavier Mountain elected 7-0.
- Study Session (Item 8.1): Informational only; no vote. Future workshops and public outreach planned.
- Next Meeting: Possibly cancelled (August 11 meeting has no agenda items yet).
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen and fellow commissioners and staff. Tonight is uh July 28th, 2022, and welcome to the City of Stockton's Planning Commission held at 425 El Dorado Street, Stockton, California in the City Council Chambers. Roll call, please. Commissioner Jones. Present. Commissioner Mellet. Present. Commissioner Mountain is absent. Commissioner Rizby. Present. Commissioner Bilaputa. Present. Commissioner Aba. Present. Chair Sanguinetti. Here. We have a quorum. Thank you. Um first order of business. I want to welcome a new commissioner, and that's Felix Aba here. And that he's uh taking over for our filling in for our former Commissioner Garcia, who's no longer on our commission in that. So welcome, and we look forward to having some help. Thank you. I'm glad to be here. And that next order of business is we'll uh pledge allegiance to our flag. And we'll have Commissioner RISV perform the pledge of allegiance. Thank you, Chair. If you can all join me, I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for the stands. One nation under God. Thank you. Um, next order of business will be our consent calendar, which is um item 3.1. However, I do want to make a statement around the bench here. There's a a little uh resolution update that was passed around in that um with some slight modifications to what was in the package and that it was just some clarifications based upon our meeting that um staff and I talked about in our Tuesday pre-commission meeting to just clarify it and make it more simpler in line with um what was discussed at our July 14th meeting. So if unless a commissioner has any comments, um you know I'm up to or if there's any comments in the audience in that, I'm up to listening in that. If not, I'm up to uh a motion. Oh second it. And who was the first motion? Oh, I thought you motioned. Sorry. No, I'm uh I was up to a motion. I'll make a motion to approve the consent calendar. I'll second it. Which with the revised with the revised resolution just came um the bench the bench update. Yes. Okay, all right. So we have a motion on the floor from Commissioner Mallet and a second by Commissioner Velavoda. Um I don't believe uh Commissioner that you feel that you can actually vote because you weren't maybe maybe the attorney can he actually vote on it. So our lean our council policy manual says that um if you weren't present or you were absent from any part of the land use hearing that you can revote on the item if you reviewed all of the materials presented and the video um that occurred, and you make a statement affirming such on the record. So if either of the absent commissioners did that, they can vote.
openpublica.com