Stockton Planning Commission Meeting – March 27, 2025

The Stockton Planning Commission met on March 27, 2025, from 5:32 PM to 9:28 PM. Roll call showed all six commissioners present: Chair Jeff Sanguinetti, Vice Chair William Muetzenberg, and Commissioners Gurneel Boparai, Terry Hull, Derek Graves, and Yolanda Amen. Commissioner Graves led the pledge of allegiance. The meeting included two recesses (6:30–6:33 PM and 7:57–8:05 PM). There was no consent calendar, no new business, and no unfinished business. The commission acted on four public hearing items and closed with commissioner comments and reports.

Consent Calendar

• None.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Pandora Crowder, a South Stockton resident, opposed additional cannabis retail, saying city council representatives had indicated there would be no more cannabis/smoke-shop storefronts or deliveries due to overpopulation. She said children, families, and health are not for sale and that Stockton has more cannabis, smoke, and alcohol shops than fresh-produce locations. She later spoke against the warehouse project and the cannabis permit, citing high asthma rates in ZIP code 95206.
• Patsy Meroz (listed in the agenda; transcribed as 'Marez'), an East Stockton resident at 710 Netherton, spoke against the Main Street/Market Street plan. She said community input had been minimal, the 30-day comment notice reached her late, not all neighbors received notices, and the report undercounted new housing and ignored safety, emergency-response, and evacuation-route concerns.
• Mitchell Vinciguerra, a field representative for Carpenters Local 152, said all prior opposition to the South McKinley warehouse had been settled and his organization supported the project.

Discussion Items

5.1 Main Street and Market Street Complete Streets Project (25-0163)

Staff presented a precise road plan and environmental review for Main and Market Streets from Center Street to the State Route 99 overpass. The agenda described the action as a Negative Declaration; staff's presentation referred to an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration. The plan would create a complete-streets master plan with a road diet from two lanes to one lane in each direction, buffered bike lanes, curb-return improvements, roundabouts, traffic-calming elements, lighting, and signal enhancements. Staff said the project was driven by an active transportation grant, was identified in the city's bicycle master plan and capital improvement program, and roughly 40–50 percent of project costs could come from two grants. Work began in late 2018 but was delayed by COVID; community outreach meetings were held in April and May 2023. A traffic study used the 2040 general plan and considered cumulative development. A separate NEPA review tied to future federal grant-funded construction was still pending final Caltrans review and would not return to the commission.

Public testimony from Patsy Meroz raised the objections listed above. Commissioner Boparai said he did not support the traffic study, questioned the road-diet assumption, criticized aspects of the city's bicycle master plan, and asked that level-of-service and VMT information be presented to city council in a clearer form. Commissioner Graves said everyone deserves safe bike facilities. The commission adopted Resolution 2025-03-27-0501 recommending that city council approve the environmental document and precise road plan. The minutes record a 5-1 vote, with Commissioner Boparai opposed; the raw transcript states 'Motion passes 6-0.'

5.2 Automated Car Wash at 200 North Wilson Way (25-0135 / P24-0150)

Staff recommended approval of a general plan amendment (Industrial to Commercial for nine APNs), zoning map amendment (Industrial Limited to Commercial General), administrative use permit, and design review for a new automated car wash. The car wash would be a 4,500-square-foot tunnel building with a 132-foot conveyor on about 1.06 acres, with 30 parking spaces including 27 vacuum/drying stalls, operating 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily and employing about five people per shift. The action also included four additional parcels for future commercial development, with nine parcels rezoned in this action. Ryan Gifford, representing Monty's Car Wash, said Monty wanted to give back to Stockton and had worked through multiple ownerships, a squatter, and demolition of an uninhabitable home. Commissioner Hull asked about the vacant parcels; the applicant said they are currently fenced, and the motion included a condition that vacant parcels remain fenced and secured. Several commissioners expressed support, noting it was a good addition to the Wilson Way corridor and a local family business. The commission adopted Resolutions 2025-03-27-0502-01, -02, and -03, forwarding the general plan and rezone recommendations and approving the use permit and design review, by a 6-0 vote. Staff noted a 10-day appeal period for the administrative use permit/design review, with final effect subject to city council approval of the general plan and zoning amendments.

5.3 Industrial Warehouse at 6505 South McKinley Avenue (P23-0125)

Staff presented a proposed 184,166-square-foot industrial warehouse on 9.84 acres at 6505 South McKinley Avenue, currently in unincorporated county territory. The project required annexation, pre-zoning to Industrial Limited (IL), design review, and a Mitigated Negative Declaration. The site would have 151 employee/guest parking spaces and 42 truck-trailer stalls. Staff noted a public-notice error: the notice stated a publication date of February 33, 2025, when the correct date was March 17, 2025, and the MND exhibit was missing page numbers. The applicant's principal was ill; Mary Bean of First Carbon Solutions, the CEQA consultant, answered questions and said opposition letters from three law firms had been rescinded or settled and that the project before the commission was unchanged. Mitchell Vinciguerra of Carpenters Local 152 confirmed the settlement and support. Pandora Crowder opposed the project, citing the high asthma burden in nearby 95206 and asking whether the warehouse was truly needed. Commissioner Boparai raised AB 98, the city's warehouse ordinance, sensitive-receptor buffers, anti-idling rules, and tree-buffer conditions; legal counsel advised not imposing AB 98 conditions on the fly and recommended having staff work with the applicant. Chair Sanguinetti moved to continue the item to the April 10, 2025 meeting, and the motion carried 6-0 (Motion 2025-03-27-0503).

5.4 Cannabis Retail Storefront and Delivery at 4895 State Route 99 Frontage Road, Suite C (25-0041 / P24-0214)

Staff recommended approval of a commission use permit for a cannabis retail storefront and an administrative use permit for non-storefront delivery-only retail in an existing 1,600-square-foot vacant suite. The business would operate 6 a.m.–10 p.m. daily and employ about 20 people. Staff confirmed it met the 300-foot residential and 600-foot sensitive-receptor distance requirements. The closest approved retail cannabis locations were over 4.8 miles away. Commissioner Boparai submitted a 32-page public-information compilation, noted the city's 14-storefront cap, eight approved storefronts, and six operating, and said no crime report had been provided; staff and legal responded that crime statistics are not a codified requirement for the findings. Director Stephanie Ocasio said there are nine active cannabis businesses citywide, with some pending approvals. Applicant Alex Callez, representing Stockton Highway 99 LLC, described 24/7 surveillance, licensed security personnel, ID verification, secure product handling, unmarked delivery vehicles, and community contributions. Pandora Crowder repeated her opposition, saying the area is already surrounded by fast-food restaurants and South Stockton bears too much of this burden. Commissioner Amen opposed, saying she did not want cannabis in District 6 and preferred more family-oriented businesses. Commissioner Graves moved to deny, seconded by Commissioner Amen, citing potential danger to health, safety, peace, or general welfare and the lack of a crime report. Chair Sanguinetti and Commissioner Hull expressed personal reluctance but noted the project met the existing code; both voted with the majority to deny. The commission adopted Motion 2025-03-27-0504 directing staff to prepare a resolution denying the use permit, on a 5-1 vote, with Commissioner Muetzenberg voting against the denial. Chair Sanguinetti also clarified that no cannabis moratorium is currently in place, only a smoke-shop moratorium. Staff will bring back written findings for denial at a later meeting.

Key Outcomes

• Item 5.1: Recommended city council approval of Resolution 2025-03-27-0501, voting 5-1 per the minutes (the raw transcript appears to say 6-0).
• Item 5.2: Approved Resolutions 2025-03-27-0502-01, -02, and -03 by a 6-0 vote.
• Item 5.3: Continued to April 10, 2025, by a 6-0 vote (Motion 2025-03-27-0503).
• Item 5.4: Directed staff to prepare a denial resolution by a 5-1 vote (Motion 2025-03-27-0504), with Commissioner Muetzenberg dissenting.
• Staff was directed to continue the Development Code Update ad hoc committee work and to coordinate with the Police Department to provide a citywide top-ten business calls-for-service spreadsheet at the next meeting.
• Commissioner Boparai thanked Mayor Fugazi, and the meeting adjourned at 9:28 PM.