Stockton Planning Commission Meeting - August 24, 2023: Warehouse Ordinance Ad Hoc Committee and Shape Stockton Update
Stockton Planning Commission Meeting - August 24, 2023: Warehouse Ordinance Ad Hoc Committee and Shape Stockton Update
The Stockton Planning Commission met on August 24, 2023, at 5:30 PM. The primary actions included the establishment of a three-member ad hoc committee to develop an industrial warehouse ordinance and a staff update on the Shape Stockton zoning and housing efforts. The meeting was recessed from 6:37 PM to 6:44 PM and adjourned at 7:04 PM.
Consent Calendar
- No consent items were presented.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Pat Barrett, a South Stockton resident and advocate, urged the commission to include community representatives, especially from South Stockton, on the warehouse ad hoc committee and called for transparent, public meetings with open comment periods.
- Mike Souza, representing Green Law Development and the Mariposa Industrial Park project, expressed support for the ad hoc committee and offered to share his experience implementing agreements with the Attorney General and Sierra Club, emphasizing practical knowledge for the ordinance.
- Alicia Valenzuela, a Stockton educator and resident, supported equitable representation and data-informed decision-making, urging the commission to consider environmental justice and community health in the warehouse ordinance.
- William Muetzenberg, representing Public Health Advocates, requested robust public participation in the ad hoc committee, including representatives from development, environmental justice organizations, and communities within top 80th percentile of CalEnviroScreen 4.0, as well as AB 617 communities.
- Eric Parfrey, representing the Sierra Club, proposed a nine-member committee composition and criticized the two-minute public comment limit as anti-democratic, urging the commission to extend it to three minutes.
- Frank Orosco, speaking on behalf of Reggetti Enterprise, a 50-year-old truck repair and tractor business on Channel Street and Fremont Street, expressed concern that recent commercial zoning changes are hindering industrial expansion and driving businesses out of Stockton, urging the commission to reconsider zoning that impacts historic industrial areas.
Discussion Items
- Item 6.1: Establishment of a Planning Commission Ad Hoc Committee for an Industrial Warehouse Ordinance – Staff presented a proposal to form a three-member ad hoc committee to work with staff and stakeholders (including the Attorney General’s office, Sierra Club, health organizations, and developers) to draft regulatory language for a warehouse ordinance by December 31, 2023, per a settlement agreement. The committee would meet weekly virtually, with a study session planned for September 28, 2023. Commissioners debated whether to include specific advisory members (as proposed by the Sierra Club) in the motion. Commissioner Boparai moved to amend the main motion to include three planning commissioners plus two development representatives, one Sierra Club rep, one environmental justice rep, and one South Stockton/AB 617 rep. The commission discussed trade-offs between time constraints (deadline) and community input. Legal counsel clarified that the commission could only create an ad hoc subcommittee of its own members; appointing outsiders would require City Council action. They could, however, invite advisory participants to meetings.
- Item 8.1: Informational Discussion on Shape Stockton Zoning and Housing Efforts – Senior Planner Tristan Osborne provided an update on the multiple Shape Stockton projects: Housing Element and Safety Element updates (due December 31, 2023), three Neighborhood Action Plans (in Cabral/East Cabral, Little Manila/Gleason Park, and South Airport corridor), a citywide Housing Action Plan, a Development Code overhaul (public draft in September, hearings in November/City Council early 2024), and Design Guidelines update. Commissioner Boparai asked about commercial-industrial hybrid zones, particularly for areas near the airport and historic industrial zones. Commissioner Jones inquired about the South Airport corridor scope. Commissioner Boparai raised concerns about impacts on historic industrial businesses, such as those on Fremont Street, citing the public comment from Frank Orosco. Staff noted that the development code update offers flexibility and that feedback is welcome.
Key Outcomes
- Motion 2023-08-24-0601-01 (amendment to include Sierra Club’s written recommendations as advisory members) failed 3-4: Yes: Mallett, Rizvi, Boparai; No: Jones, Thompson, Nathaniel, Hull.
- Motion 2023-08-24-0601 (original resolution) was approved 7-0, establishing a three-member ad hoc committee consisting of Vice Chair Rajan Nathaniel, Commissioner Gurneel Boparai, Commissioner Terry Hull, with Chair Waqar Rizvi as alternate. The committee is tasked with formulating an industrial warehouse ordinance and is expected to meet weekly starting August 28, 2023, with a target of presenting a preliminary draft to the full commission at a September 28 study session.
- No action was taken on the Shape Stockton informational update; it was received for discussion and future direction.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the Planning Commission meeting of August twenty-fourth, twenty twenty-three. At this time, I would like the city staff to please take roll call. Commissioner Jones. Present. Commissioner Mallet. Present. Vice Chair Nathaniel. Present. Chair Risby. Present. Commissioner Thompson. Present. Commissioner Bopari. Present. Commissioner Hull? Present. We have a quorum. Thank you. At this time, I would like to request Commissioner Mallard to please lead us in the flag salute. Agenda number item three, consent. There is no consent items. If a member of public would be would like to speak on a specific agenda item, they can do here or when that item is called. And I wanted everybody to understand that I had a big one. It's from a purifier that I was given from um CHAC, which is CHOC, and they give stuff for respiratory and stuff like that for the people that are low income South Stockton. Um I got that on June 16, 2023. I brought it here last month, I think it was at the end of last month, um, to your last planning or the beginning of this month. And that was only, I turned that on around that weekend. So that was like June 18th. Um that was only for those two months. I just want you all to know. That filter was for two months. My air conditioner, which was the longer, skinnier one, I don't use it because I am low income. I turn it on when it's 100 degrees and higher because I had two dogs that stare at me ugly when I don't have the air conditioner on. That's only been for this year. That was not for last year because I do clean it because I am mathematic and borderline COPD. So I do want you to understand those were these years and very minimum. Okay. That was the dirt that I breathe and live in. The other thing is um for the ad hoc. I'm just gonna say this for the ad hoc. Uh for my district, I would like to uh have um Gurnell um appointed for my district because he's very well known. He knows the stuff that goes on in South Stockton, he knows the stuff that goes on in Stockton. I've held millions of conversations with him, and I'd really like to see him as one of my representatives for the ad hoc. Uh thank you for your comment and coming to the commission to clarify some of the things. Thank you, appreciate that. Uh any additional comments? We have no additional blue cards for general public comment. Thank you. Agenda item number five, public hearing. Uh, we do not have any public hearing.
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