Stockton Planning Commission Meeting - February 23, 2023
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Stockton Planning Commission Meeting - February 23, 2023
The Stockton Planning Commission met on February 23, 2023, at 5:30 PM and adjourned at 6:26 PM. The primary action was a unanimous recommendation to the City Council to adopt an ordinance creating regulations for food truck parks and commissaries. The meeting also included approval of previous meeting minutes (with one item continued) and informational updates from staff.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the minutes of the October 27, 2022 Planning Commission meeting (Motion 2023-02-23-0301, carried 4-0 with three abstentions: Greg Thompson, Rajan Nathaniel, Terry Hull). The motion was moved by Anne Mallett and seconded by Brenda Jones.
- The approval of the December 8, 2022 minutes was continued to the next meeting due to insufficient commissioners having reviewed the video.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Kenneth Foster, co-owner of Stocklandia (Stockton’s first food truck park), spoke in strong support of the proposed ordinance, thanking the ad hoc committee and staff for their work. He noted that the ordinance removes ambiguity and is needed for Stockton.
- Jesus Andrade, former Stockton City Council member, expressed support for the ordinance, highlighting that it creates opportunities for food entrepreneurs. He commended staff for listening to community input.
Discussion Items
- Ordinance Amending Title 16 – Food Truck Parks and Commissaries (Item 5.1): Deputy Director Rob Lidicoat presented the staff report, explaining the need for the ordinance because Title 16 was silent on these uses. An ad hoc committee with city departments, industry representatives, and operators (including from Stocklandia, Lathrop, and Modesto) developed the draft over four two-hour meetings. Key features include:
- Three tiers of food truck parks by size: pod (2–5 trucks), hub (6–10 trucks), plaza (11+ trucks).
- Permitting requirements vary by zone (neighborhood commercial, general commercial, downtown commercial, large-scale commercial).
- Development standards address setbacks, paving, parking, electrical hookups, and fencing (mandatory for commissaries/co-locations).
- Commissary services for food trucks (wastewater disposal, storage, electrical hookups) are defined; co-located parks/commissaries must meet the stricter of the two sets of standards.
- Commissioner disclosures: Commissioner Boparai disclosed having visited the former food truck lot permitted under a temporary permit but had no outside communications with coalition leaders.
- Commissioner Boparai asked about 29 police/code enforcement calls at the former Stocklandia site. Staff noted the calls were complaint-driven and many issues (location near residential, noise, parking) have been addressed in the new code. Sergeant Eric Morrison (Stockton Police) confirmed the complaint-driven nature.
- Kenneth Foster, during the open hearing, urged that individual food trucks operating on public streets be held to the same basic rules to ensure fair competition.
- Commissioner Mallett echoed the need to regulate street food trucks, while Commissioner Jones raised health and sanitation questions. Staff explained that health permits are handled by San Joaquin County Environmental Health, and code enforcement is complaint-based for individual trucks.
Reports/Communications/Informational Items
- Deputy Director Michael McDowell reminded commissioners of the upcoming Planning Commissioner Academy (late March) and future workshops on the SHAPE Stockton effort (development code overhaul) and new objective design standards.
Commissioners Comments
- Commissioner Boparai reported on recent community activities: a Rotary read-in at Hamilton Elementary, public works cleanup after storms, Kelly’s Angels Crab Feed, and Community Development Committee approvals for CDBG and emergency shelter grants. He also highlighted Assembly Bill 413 (daylighting standards for crosswalks) and offered to collaborate on a local ordinance.
- Chair Rizvi thanked staff and noted that development codes always evolve, expressing confidence the new food truck regulations will benefit the city.
Key Outcomes
- Motion to Recommend Ordinance to City Council: Moved by Commissioner Boparai, seconded by Commissioner Mallett. The commission voted 7-0 to approve Resolution 2023-02-23-0501, finding no further environmental review required under CEQA (Section 15183) and recommending the City Council adopt an ordinance amending Title 16 of the Stockton Municipal Code to create regulations for food truck parks and commissaries.
- Next steps: Staff will prepare a staff report documenting the commission’s recommendation and public comments for a future City Council agenda. The ordinance will then be subject to council adoption.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning, everyone. Welcome to the Planning Commission meeting of City of Stockton for February 23rd, 2023. At this time, I would like the clerk's office to take roll call, please. Commissioner Jones. Commissioner Mallet. Present. Vice Chair Nathaniel. Present. Chair Websey. Present. Commissioner Thompson. Present. Commissioner Bopari. Present. Commissioner Hall. Present. We have a corn. Thank you. At this time I would like to ask Vice Chair Nathaniel to do Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you, Vice Chair. Coming on to agenda item number three, consent. The item on consent are the minutes for October 27, 2022, and December 8, 2022. Because of the change in membership of this planning commission, the following members were present at the meeting. The meeting for October 27, 2022. We had myself, Commissioner Mallet, and Commissioner Jones. The meeting on December 8th, 2022 was myself and Commissioner Mallet. At this time, I would like to separately ask each of you if you have watched the video of that meeting on 1027-2022. And read the minutes, then you will be able to participate in that as well as the following 12-8-2022 meeting as well. If we do not have a quorum, what we'll do is continue this item to the next available meeting or at least give about 30 days so you have an opportunity to read and hear the meeting. Anything add else you want to add. So is it is it okay to ask that who has done it? Because that way we will know if we need to continue the item. Yes, please, Chair. You can simply ask if there are any commissioners who would like to um address on the record that they have watched the minutes as required and um sorry, watch the video and review the materials as required and are available to vote tonight. Thank you. So for the meeting on October 27, 2022, I'll start on my left from Commissioner Thompson. Uh were you able to see that meeting? No, I was not. All right, thank you, sir. Uh Commissioner Jones was already present in that meeting. Commissioner Baparaye. Yes, I was able to. Okay. Commissioner Mallet was there. Uh Commissioner Hull. No, I was not able to. Thank you, sir. Uh Vice Chair Nathaniel. No, I was not able to. Okay.
openpublica.com