Clovis Planning Commission (12/16/21) Custom home development + assisted living facilities — fresnoland

Documenter: Heather Halsey Martinez

Here’s what you need to know:

• The Clovis Planning Commission approved a seven-lot custom home infill development located on the east side of Temperance Ave. at Palo Alto Ave. 

• They also approved conditional use permits for an existing U-Haul business on Shaw Ave. and two adjacent 10-bed senior assisted living facilities operated by A Place Called Home at the northeast corner of Locan and Powers avenues.

The meeting (in full)

The Scene

The Clovis Planning Commission meeting took place on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. The Planning Commission consists of five Clovis residents appointed by the mayor and approved by the City Council. They meet monthly to make decisions and recommendations on city planning issues and review proposals for compliance with the General Plan, in order to make recommendations to the City Council. 

Commission Members:

Paul Hinkle, Chair (also real estate agent with Kellner Properties)

Mike Cunningham, Chair Pro Tem

Alma Antuna

Brandon Bedsted (also Director of IT & Data Services, Community Medical Centers)

Amy Hatcher

The meeting was made available via Webex and YouTube Live. The agenda states that Webex participation continues to be available. All commissioners were present in council chambers. 

The meeting opened quickly with the Pledge of Allegiance. 

Hinkle opened the meeting for commissioner comments:

• Cunningham acknowledged and thanked the City Planner to attend events when new businesses open in the city. He said that he attended events for United Health Centers and Habitat for Humanity recently, as well as the retirement of Luke Serpa yesterday. 

Hinkle then opened the meeting for public comment:

• Michael Carakar was in council chambers and said he has an issue with his neighbor, Willow Creek Healthcare Center on Alluvial Ave. He said their fence is falling down and they have some structures close to the property line that may be damaged if something isn’t done soon. He had photographs and documents that were shared with staff of the Planning Department. 

Actions

• Approved minutes from the Nov. 18, 2021 meeting.

• Approved a conditional use permit for a U-Haul motor vehicle rental and leasing business at 270 Shaw Avenue. 

  • Assistant Planner Emily Lane presented the item. 

  • Green Planet, LLC is the applicant/representative and Punjab Bhavan, LLC is the property owner. 

  • Will share storefront space with Green Planet cleaning and janitorial supply. 

  • Eight security cameras will have a direct view of the storefront and property. 

  • Antuna expressed concern about possible vandalism or theft and what mitigation could be done with the vehicles parked there overnight. She asked about additional lighting or any other considerations.

    • Lane said the applicant already has security services that visit the site. 

  • Bedsted said the property has 131 spaces and the document states it needs 110 and 15, plus another 6 will be needed for the reservation vehicles. He asked how many parking spaces would be left. 

  • Antuna asked about the other businesses in the area and if they will be compensated for the business using the extra parking spaces. 

    • Lane said she isn’t aware of any agreements that the property owner has, but there are extra spaces above the requirements of the city. 

  • Hinkle clarified that they are already doing business as U-Haul and this is just them going through the formal process. 

    • Lane said they became aware of the business when they applied for a permit for solar panels earlier in the year. 

  • Owner of Green Planet Paul Greer was in council chambers. 

    • Antuna asked him if it was appropriate for his business to utilize the extra parking spaces. 

      • He said that he uses most of the building on that property for his business and the U-Haul vehicles would be using the empty spaces behind the building. He said that no one usually parks there. 

      • She also asked about security service and he said they don’t, but the owner may. 

        • He said they have had the vehicles there for over a year and have only had one issue with a homeless man getting in the back of an unlocked truck. But since then, they have parked them up next to the building so that isn’t possible. 

        • He said the Clovis Police Department uses the lot to park and do their reports and he sees them in the cameras. 

      • Hatcher made the motion to approve and noted that she thought it was odd that they were getting the request a year and a half after it started operating. 

• Approved a tract map for a seven-lot single-family residential development located on the east side of Temperance Ave. at Palo Alto Ave. 

  • Assistant Planner Kelsey George presented the item. 

  • Gill Gaheer Development, LLC is the applicant, Kamdeep and Jagvir Gaheer Trustees are the owners and R.W. Greenwood and Associates, Inc. is the representative. 

  • The project proposes seven custom home lots ranging from approximately 6,312 square feet to 10,067 square feet.

  • There are currently seven structures on the property, which include a single family residence, deck, garage and several sheds. They would be demolished and trees may need to be removed to accommodate the development. 

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  • Hinkle made a correction for the record that the dimensions were in feet not yards. 

  • A similar project and tract map was approved in 2005, but the approval period expired. 

  • Mark Greenwood, the project’s representative, was in council chambers. 

• Approved conditional use permits for two adjacent 10-bed senior assisted living facilities operated by A Place Called Home at the northeast corner of Locan and Powers avenues. 

  • Senior Planner George Gonzalez presented the item. 

  • Applicant is James E. Call and Julie S. Call and the representative is Dirk Poeschel Land Development Services, Inc. 

  • One will be located at 1817 N. Locan Ave. and the other at 3019 Powers Ave. 

    • Each unit is separately licensed by the state. 

    • Two staff members will work during the day and reside at the location. 

    • One staff member will work overnight. 

    • Both buildings will be 4,600 square feet.

  • The project’s representative, Dirk Poeschel, was in council chambers. 

    • He said the homes were designed to blend in with the neighborhood and provide enough parking.

    • The operator already runs and operates facilities in Clovis. 

  • Antuna asked if the residents have vehicles and not many visitors. 

    • Poeschel said they don’t drive and it’s designed to have adequate parking. 

  • Cunningham asked if it was an ambulatory or non-ambulatory home and about other homes in the neighborhood. 

  • Collin Merchensen, owner of A Place Called Home residential care, was in council chambers. 

    • He said they own another home in the area on Serena Ave. and there are two other homes in the neighborhood that are owned by another company. 

    • He said the residents can range from being mobile and only needing assistance with medication to end-of-life care. 

    • Antuna asked if they provide activities and Merchensen said they do include activities. 

    • He said they don’t drive them offsite, but there is a third-party service that comes to them. 

    • They provide all meals. 

The meeting adjourned at 6:43 p.m. Future Planning Commission meetings are scheduled on Jan. 27 and Feb. 24, 2022.

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