Okay, good evening and welcome to the April 9th Planning Commission meeting with the Secretary.

Please call the roll.

Yes.

Commissioner Anderson.

Here.

Commissioner Moran.

Here.

Commissioner Cowend?

Here.

Commissioner Strongman.

Here.

Commissioner Quok.

Here.

Vice Chair Klopp.

Here.

And Commissioner Needing.

Here.

Thank you.

And looking at the staff report or the agenda, I don't believe so, but just to be clear, do we have anything on the consent calendar?

There's nothing on the consent calendar.

Perfect.

Now there are two opportunities for the public to provide comment.

The first is during each of the item as it pertains to the item.

And the second is that if it's a comment that's not on the agenda but is within the purview of the planning commission.

So are there any uh public comments for items not on the agenda?

Seeing none, okay.

Perfect.

Um I'd like to ask the commissioners if anyone's had any ex parte communication.

None.

Okay.

Then with that, let's move on to item number four public hearing, which is Ignacio Center Foods truck special use permit application.

I believe that we have a staff report.

Yeah, and I actually wanted to just um for the record state that Curtis is our new associate planner, and this is his first um hearing or presentation before this commission tonight, and we're very happy to have him as part of our team.

I agree.

Welcome, Curtis.

Thank you, Certainly.

Appreciate it.

Let's see if I can get the slides working.

And we're talking food trucks, so I hope we don't get too hungry.

All right.

Well, good evening, Chair and members of the planning commission.

My name is Curtis Sawyer, associate planner with the um community development division.

Now, before you tonight is an application for a special use permit for food truck operations at 1990 North California Boulevard, more commonly known as the Ignacio Center.

The project is located at the Ignacio Center within an existing pedestrian courtyard.

The subject parcel is zoned to office with a general plan land use designation of office commercial.

As seen on the screen, the red arrow indicates where the project will be located.

And even a little bit more refined if I can get our laser pointer to work right in there.

As proposed, that and identified in the applicant's business plan, the goal of the project is to enhance the workplace experience for the Ignacio Center tenants and to provide high quality diverse lunch options for the local community.

Food truck operations will occur twice weekly on Mondays and Thursdays between the hours of 11 a.m.

and 2 p.m.

Services will be made available to employees and to the general public.

As identified in the applicant's application materials, a maximum of four food trucks will be on site during designated days.

The sales service and consumption of alcohol is not allowed as a part of this application.

And again, if you could direct your attention to the screen, the star here indicates the existing courtyard location.

And then as you can see on the site plan, we have a representation of four food trucks to be located within the courtyard at any given time.

City divisions, such as traffic engineering, police, and county fire have reviewed the project to ensure compliance with local code requirements and to ensure that uh the public right-of-way will not be impacted, and of course, to ensure public safety.

Here is a view to the west, in which you can see the removable parking ballards from where the service area will be accessed.

Making our way along, here's a view of the existing courtyard.

And again, continuing along, we see a view of some of the existing seating within the courtyard area.

And this is an image actually of uh one of the indoor seating options that will be made to the available to the public as well.

All right.

Getting into the meat and potatoes of the staff report.

As highlighted in your staff report, a request for a special use permit has been made pursuant to section 10 2.4.701 of the zoning ordinance, which states that the planning commission may approve a special use permit for uses that are not classified in the zoning ordinance and can be approved by the planning commission.

The planning commission must also find that the use provides a necessary service to the community.

As highlighted in your staff report, staff supports this application and has made the required findings as identified in the draft resolution.

Furthermore, the project is consistent with the general plan by supporting a vital and diverse economy, which fosters entrepreneurship, economic opportunity, and a healthy mix of employment opportunities.

The proposal supports the city's economic vitality goals and supports the city's role as a regional destination.

Additionally, the proposed use of an eating and drinking establishment is permitted within the core area on the ground floor of a multi-story building.

With that, it was short.

I'm here to answer any questions that you might have.

And we also have two representatives of the applicant team if we need to dive into anything further.

Thank you.

Perfect.

Thank you so much.

Does anyone have any questions for Kurt?

Oh, yes.

My button.

Assuming for a moment that everything it starts working out wonderfully, and they decide there's demand for we want it more days per week.

What is the process for modifying this?

As um currently proposed, uh the allowance would be for two days weekly.

Um any additional uh days or hours of operation, it's my understanding would need to come back before the planning commission um to modify anything that we're authorizing today.

Okay.

Uh thank you.

You're welcome.

Any other questions?

All right.

Hi Curtis, it was a good presentation.

Good to learn about uh this application before us.

And so um the one question I had was when I was reviewing the staff report initially, um I was came away with the understanding that this was a temporary use for two years, but it looks like there's been an amendment since then.

So is this an um a permit with an indefinite time?

I'm actually glad you raised that.

Um there was a strikeout on my end, um uh staff error on my end when I had it initially drafted the staff report.

Um, there was not supposed to be uh time frame highlighted.

Um thank you.

Apologies.

Thank you, Commissioner Quok.

Anyone else?

Yes.

Uh quick one.

Um I couldn't tell.

Is there a a loop that you around the building that you can drive around, or do you have to these trucks don't have to come in and then I'll go out the same way?

Let's go to this look this slide here.

So directing your attention to North California.

Yeah, this is the existing entrance and making our way down.

This provides a good representation of that um entry location.

So trucks will kind of be parked um tandem.

And as you can see here, the parking bollards will then be removed.

So there will be this will act almost as a staging area for a matter of minutes until these are removed, and then trucks will enter the courtyard area.

Okay, well, what I'm wondering about is once they're done.

Yes, do they drive through still or do they have to back out?

They'll have to back out and then uh exit the same way they came in.

Okay, and the the fire marshal's okay with that.

Yes.

Any other questions?

Um my my question is is um at first I thought it was for employees only, and then as you read it, it says the public, because it talks about this um particular site being next to the existing tenants, other commercial uh vendors, and also housing.

Was there something that came about where folks were coming into this center, kind of looking for it?

And so it just organically created a venue for this.

I'll let the applicant dive into kind of the inception of the project, but as we've worked together um to you know deem the application complete and bring it before you all today.

Um, really, it was an ideal location.

Um, it also serves as a great opportunity for employees as it relates to almost um kind of travel and um what's uh realistic on somebody's maybe lunch break or break, having options that are just right there.

Um, but with the special use permit process, um, the applicant also um came forward with that public benefit component, so it's um not just employee centric, if you will.

Um, it's available to the general public.

So um, I think having the space um also the existing courtyard and seating area.

Um, but if the applicant would like to dive into a little bit more of that, they can respond.

I can I I can definitely open up the public comment now if if you would like to come up.

It's just it was a quick question, but perhaps the um commissioners would also think who's gonna answer.

Roche Ambeau.

Yeah, good evening.

Uh my name is Brandon Farrell with Hall Equities Group.

Um, and this is Diane over here, she's the property manager.

We've been working on this for a while.

We acquired the Ignatio Center last uh May, and we did a tenant survey of things that they wanted at this project.

And for years the project did have restaurants at the ground floor.

There was a bistro on uh on the corner of Ignatio and North Maine.

And there is still a restaurant, a suite affairs in our project.

But what was really clear is that uh the tenants in our building lacked food options without having to get in their car and drive somewhere.

Um you'd think it's kind of close to downtown, but they have to cross Ignatio and go across the target and then downtown, and people are like, no, we're not doing that.

So really this was a reaction towards uh providing a service to our tenants, but also for the neighborhood if they want to come over.

We want our uh the food trucks to be successful, so if it was just limited to the project, I don't know that they would be enough.

So we're trying to make sure that the food trucks are successful, but also our tenants get that, and hopefully other people can come over and check it out.

Um long term we'd like to see this actually turn into more of a permanent food operation.

That's our goal.

There is spaces on the ground floor of this building and a couple of the buildings, and we're hoping that this food truck program might lead into actual permanent uh tenants.

So that's that's hopefully the plan.

But for now, uh really it was uh to get an existing server or uh a service to the existing tenants.

Yeah.

Perfect.

But we don't run away yet.

Yeah, okay.

Go for it.

Does anybody have any?

Oh, Commissioner Moran.

Thank you.

Um if it is sort of open to the general public, have you guys thought about signage or a promotion or anything like that?

And I say that because if as the flying overhead, you might see the food trucks wouldn't be readily apparent if you're driving on California or uh correct me if I'm wrong, Diane, but we have two uh we're gonna every every Monday and Thursday we're gonna put uh sandwich board signs out on the street and and then we're gonna promote it locally.

And then I think word of mouth will get out.

And there's quite a few office buildings around our neighborhood, and there's quite a few apartments right around our neighborhood.

And so we're just hoping that people learn that there's food trucks there.

Right.

Uh my other question is how do you is there a pool of food trucks that you can call, or how does that work?

Yeah, you know, they call it the food truck mafia?

Yeah.

Food truck.

Is there like a database or something like that?

Yeah, there is.

It's uh I think it's called the food truck mafia.

Um you you you call them and they it's a service and they set it up and you work through them and they've got a list of vendors.

And we have a set vendors for the next two months, I think.

So Rossmore uses the food truck mafia too to have a once-a-week food truck at Rossmore.

So there is a there is a business of coordinating that they come and that they're good and yeah, and just so learn so much, thank you.

And so our company also is the uh owner and operator of the sports mall.

I don't know if everyone knows that.

Uh and we have food trucks out there quite a bit.

So we kind of leaned on that experience, what we're doing out there, and we're trying to get activated down here.

So yeah, thank you.

I I it's a it's a bit of a food desert location.

It is.

Uh yeah.

Shout out to Kevin's pho.

But other than that, um I well leave the questions, but I'm supportive.

Yeah.

Great, thank you.

Any other comments from folks?

Because I have one very, very good question about this mafia.

Uh when I was reading some of the names, it almost seemed like there was also some local um folks here, which I thought was great to be able to bring back some economy back to Walnut Creek.

Is that correct?

I think so.

Uh Diane, do you know?

Yeah, the vendors, the vendors, a lot of them are local.

Yeah.

I know that I know a couple of them that I saw on our list are ones we've had at sports mall, and I'm pretty sure they're Walnut Creek residents or at least local.

Yeah.

Wonderful.

Yeah.

So we definitely want to support local business.

Yes.

Absolutely.

Thank you so much.

Yeah, thank you.

If there's no other questions, I would entertain a motion.

Uh oh, I'm so sorry.

I have to close the public hearing.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

It's closed.

Um, I don't see anyone in the audience to come up and give public comment.

So I'm officially closing it.

Um now, and sorry to interrupt you before you make a motion.

We wanted to point out a correction in the resolution tonight.

Uh so the last page, which is page four says this resolution shall take effect on April 9th.

Uh, so I believe today is April 9th.

Um, and that's not taking effect today, takes ten days after take ten days effect after the mailing of tonight's decision, which would be April nineteenth, would be the effective date.

So just for clar clarifying that.

That was on the rezo.

Last page of the resolution.

I see it now.

Okay, section for effective date.

Okay, thank you.

Um I would like to move uh that we uh pass the resolution special use permit application number Y twenty five oh nine four Ignacio Center food trucks uh as amended.

Second okay.

Um Vice Chair Klopp.

Yes.

Commissioner Strongman.

Yes.

Commissioner Anderson.

Yes.

Commissioner Moran?

Yes.

Uh Commissioner Cowand?

Yes.

Commissioner Quok.

Yes.

And Vice Chair Needing.

Yes.

Thank you.

Motion passes.

Perfect.

Um, so now on to item number five for commission considerations.

I have a quick update from TransPAC, uh, which is the Central Contra Costa group under the Contra Contra Cosput.

Contra Costa Transportation Authority.

Um, as I mentioned last month, uh, TransPAC is in the process of evaluating applicants for funding.

Um, we have twice as many dollars requested as we have available.

But today we heard presentations from uh applicants, uh, the city of Walnut Creek.

Vanessa was there and presented uh the um City of Walnut Creek project.

Uh the city of Concord was there, choice in aging was there, and Rossmore was there.

So all presenting their transportation projects uh aimed at improving transportation access to those um with limited access disabilities and et cetera.

So it's very good to hear what people are doing.

Perfect, thank you, Vice Chair.

Any other commission considerations?

Any staff reports or announcements?

Yes, I do.

Um so the update I have is on Tuesday of this week, City Council um did consider the two appeals that were filed on planning commission's February twelfth, twenty twenty-six decision on the Mitchell Town Homes project, and the uh council did uphold uh planning commission's decision and approved the project, certified the EIR and denied both appeals.

And um upcoming April twenty-third, the meeting will be canceled for planning commission, but April uh May 14th, we do have several items.

Um list them as the short-term rental, Galpa Galpo Gacho appeal, which is uh Curtis's second project, he'll be presenting before you.

Um, and the restoration hardware.

So those are the three items on May 14th, and we hope to have a quorum.

Thank you.

Perfect.

No one will go on vacation, don't worry.

Um, with that, it is six nineteen and we'll adjourn.

Thank you.

Oh, yeah.