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GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT AND ZONING MAP AMENDMENT TO ALLOW CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW AUTOMATED CAR WASH, LOCATED AT 200 NORTH WILSON WAY (APPLICATION NO. P24-0150)
recommended action
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that City Council adopt the following:
1. A Resolution to approve a General Plan Land Use Map Amendment to change nine (9) APNs 153-030-23; -24; -25; -26; -27; -28 and 153-030-02; -03; and -04 from Industrial to Commercial; and
2. An Ordinance for a Zoning Map Amendment to change nine (9) APNs 153-030-23; -24; -25; -26; -27; -28 and 153-030-02; -03; and -04 from Industrial, Limited (IL) to Commercial, General (CG).
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Summary
ZM Carwashes, LP (Applicant), submitted an application to develop a self-serve drive through tunnel style Car Wash (“Car Wash”) on seven (7) parcels at the northeast corner of Wilson Way and Channel Street. The Car Wash will consist of a new 4,504 square-foot building, vacuum equipped parking stalls, landscaping, and lighting. The primary site access to the Car Wash is proposed on Channel Street.
The Applicant also owns four (4) properties adjacent to the Car Wash. Accordingly, the application requests a General Plan Map Amendment, Zoning Map Amendment, Administrative Use Permit and Design Review to allow the Car Wash construction and future commercial development on a total of eleven (11) legal parcels (herein referred to as “Project”).
Two (2) of the 11 Project parcels, Assessor Parcel Numbers (APNs) 153-030-29 and -30, have a General Plan land use designation of Commercial and a Zoning designation of Commercial, General (CG); the remaining nine (9) parcels (APNs 153-030-02; -03; -04; -23; -24; -25; -26; -27; and -28) have a General Plan Land use designation of Industrial and a zoning designation of Industrial, Limited (IL). The Project consists of a General Plan Map Amendment to change the land use designation on nine (9) parcels from Industrial and to Commercial, and a Zoning Map Amendment to change said parcels’ zoning designation from IL to CG, to create consistency and allow for the Car Wash and future commercial uses.
To develop a new Car Wash facility in the CG Zoning District, an Administrative Use Permit is required along with Design Review to ensure the development is compatible with the surrounding properties and is aesthetically pleasing and functionally organized.
With approval of a General Plan Amendment, the Car Wash use will be consistent with the 2040 General Plan Land Use Map designation of Commercial. The Car Wash would further General Plan policies aimed at attracting employment and tax-generating businesses in the City (Policy LU-4.2), and prioritizing development and redevelopment of vacant, underutilized, and blighted infill areas (Policy LU-6.2).
On March 27, 2025, the Planning Commission reviewed and approved the Administrative Use Permit and Design Review components of the Project, and recommended approval of the General Plan and Zoning map amendments to the City Council. The Administrative Use Permit and Design Review approvals are subject to City Council approval of both the General Plan and Zoning map amendments.
Staff recommends the City Council approve the General Plan Amendment and Rezoning of the Project site area.
DISCUSSION
Background
Located at the northeast corner of 200 North Wilson Way with cross streets of Channel Street and Eugenia Avenue (Attachment A - Location Map and Aerial Photo), the Project site currently consists of eleven (11) legal parcels located within City of Stockton which are summarized below and broken down in a table format:
1. Four (4) of which are not proposed for physical development but are requesting a General Plan Amendment from Industrial to Commercial General Plan land use and Rezoning (RZ) from “IL” to “CG” to support future development, identified as APNs 153-030-02; -03; -04; and -23.
2. Seven (7) of which are proposed for physical development, identified as APNs 153-030-24; -25; -26; -27; -28; -29; and -30.
Parcel Breakdown
APN General Plan Zoning GPA/Rezone? Car Wash
153-030-24 Industrial IL Yes Yes
153-030-25 Industrial IL Yes Yes
153-030-26 Industrial IL Yes Yes
153-030-27 Industrial IL Yes Yes
153-030-28 Industrial IL Yes Yes
153-030-29 Commercial CG No Yes
153-030-30 Commercial CG No Yes
153-030-02 Industrial IL Yes No
153-030-03 Industrial IL Yes No
153-030-04 Industrial IL Yes No
153-030-23 Industrial IL Yes No
The site is bound to the:
1. North by lands developed with miscellaneous commercial and industrial uses, as well as vacant lands; and
2. South by lands developed with miscellaneous commercial uses and a covered parking lot; and
3. East by lands developed with industrial uses; and
4. West by lands developed with commercial uses.
The 2040 General Plan Land Use Map identifies multiple designations on the project site, including Commercial and Industrial (Attachment B - General Plan Land Use Map). The site also has multiple Zoning designations including Commercial, General (CG) and Industrial, Limited (IL) (Attachment C - Zoning Map).
Project Description
Below is a breakdown of the eleven (11) parcels, which detail the address, APN, General Plan land use designation, Zoning designation, current use of the site, and acreage:
Parcels developed for the Car Wash
Address APN GP Zoning Use Acres (AC)
222 N. Wilson Way 153-030-30 Commercial CG Building, Vacant .18
200 N. Wilson Way 153-030-28 Commercial CG Building, Vacant .23
1505 Channel Street 153-030-28 Industrial IL Parking Lot .11
1527 Channel Street 153-030-27 Industrial IL Residence .12
1533 Channel Street 153-030-26 Industrial IL Vacant .12
1545 Channel Street 153-030-25 Industrial IL Vacant .12
221 N. Eugenia Street 153-030-24 Industrial IL Vacant .18
Total Carwash AC w/GPA/RZ: .65
Total Carwash AC: 1.06
Additional Parcels not developed for the Car Wash
Address APN GP Zoning Use Acres (AC)
225 N. Eugenia Street 153-030-23 Industrial IL Vacant .18
1518 E. Miner Avenue 153-030-02 Industrial IL Vacant .12
1540 E. Miner Avenue 153-030-03 Industrial IL Vacant .12
1544 E. Miner Avenue 153-030-04 Industrial IL Vacant .12
Non-Carwash AC w/GPA/RZ: .54
Total Project AC: 1.60
The applicant wishes to proceed with a General Plan Amendment and Rezoning of the additional (four) 4 parcels in the block to promote more commercial development in the area and develop those with other commercial uses at a later date.
The proposed Car Wash is a stand-alone automated Car Wash facility to be built on approximately 1.06 acres; utilizing seven (7) of the eleven (11) project site parcels. With approval of the proposed General Plan Amendment and Rezone, an Administrative Use Permit and Design Review are required to allow the establishment of the proposed Car Wash facility (both have been approved by the Planning Commission subject to Council approval of the General Plan Amendment and Rezone). If the proposed Project is approved, a lot line adjustment, which has been filed under application NLM 24-06, will also be finalized to accommodate the proposed Car Wash on the 1.06-acres. Lot Line Adjustments do not require discretionary review, however they can be conditioned upon obtaining land use entitlements, such as the case here.
Per the Car Wash plans shown in Attachment D, the proposed Car Wash building is approximately 4,504 square-foot, and would be a “tunnel” Car Wash, which is an enclosed building with a 132-foot conveyor to move vehicles through the wash process from one end to the other. The building would contain washing, waxing, rinsing, and drying equipment. An equipment room, office and restroom would also be located within the building. The Car Wash would operate from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., 7 days per week and employ approximately five (5) people per shift.
The Car Wash site has primary access to the Car Wash tunnel vehicle queue lane from Channel Street, with a secondary access point to the vacuum areas and other stalls from Eugenia Avenue. There is an additional vehicle egress point onto Channel Street. Pedestrian access to the site is provided via Eugenia Avenue. The tunnel entrance from Channel Street is served by a double queuing lane to three (3) pay stations to help manage vehicular congestion at the entry drive, which provides adequate stacking distance to accommodate queuing for 16 vehicles without impacting Channel Street.
The Car Wash site has 30 parking spaces, 27 of which are stalls which enable the customer to dry off their vehicle and utilize the central vacuums. Per SMC 16.64.040(I) Table 3-9, self-service Car Washes are required to provide three (3) parking stalls per wash lane requiring only nine (9) parking stalls; therefore, the Car Wash meets the parking requirements in the Municipal Code.
General Plan Amendment
The proposed Project includes a General Plan Amendment to the Land Use Element to change the land use designation of a portion of the Project site to allow the proposed Commercial land use of the Car Wash. As mentioned earlier, the applicant is proposing a General Plan Amendment and Rezoning of nine (9) parcels. Two (2) parcels would remain unchanged.
As proposed, the Land Use Amendment would change 0.65-acres of the Project site for the Car Wash facility, as well as .54-acres of the additional lands for future development, for a total of 1.19-acres from an Industrial to Commercial land use designation.
The General Plan’s Commercial land use designation allows for a wide variety of retail, service, and commercial recreational uses, business, medical and professional offices, residential uses, public and quasi-public uses and other similar and compatible uses. As reflected in the attached Proposed Resolution, all necessary findings can be made to support the proposed General Plan Land Use Map Amendment action.
With approval of the Commercial designation across the site, the proposed Project would be considered consistent with General Plan policies and objectives and therefore would represent a minor adjustment to the General Plan land use map. The corresponding conversion of 1.19-acres from IL zoning to CG zoning is addressed below.
Zoning Map Amendment
The Project also proposes the rezoning of nine (9) parcels from Industrial, Limited (IL) to Commercial, General (CG), mirroring the same acreage in the General Plan Amendment discussion above. As reflected in the attached Proposed Resolution, all necessary findings can be made to support the proposed Zoning Map Amendment action.
Administrative Use Permit & Design Review
The Car Wash entitlements also include Design Review (SMC 16.120) and Administrative Use Permit (SMC 16.168) requests. The Car Wash was reviewed by the Architectural Review Committee on February 26, 2025 and they found that the Car Wash conformed to the Citywide Design Guidelines and recommended approval to the Planning Commission.
As provided by SMC Sections 16.88.050(B)(5) and 16.212.070(B)(7), the Director elevated the Administrative Use Permit and Design Review decisions to the Planning Commission for action. Subject to approval of the proposed General Plan Amendment and Rezone, all findings were made for the Planning Commission to approve the Car Wash.
Environmental Clearance
The 11 parcel Project is Categorically Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under CEQA Guidelines Section 15332, Infill Development Projects, because with approval of the General Plan Amendment and Rezone, the Project will be consistent with the applicable General Plan designation and all applicable General Plan policies as well as with applicable zoning designation and regulations. The proposed development occurs within city limits on a Project site of no more than five acres substantially surrounded by urban uses. The Project site has no value as habitat for endangered, rare, or threatened species. Approval of the Project would not result in any significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality, and the site can be adequately served by all required utilities and public services.
Additionally, the proposed Car Wash is Categorically Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under CEQA Guidelines section 15303(c), New Construction or Conversion of Small Structure, because it includes the construction of a store, motel, office, restaurant or similar structure, not involving the use of significant amounts of hazardous substances and not exceeding 2,500 square feet in floor area. In urbanized areas, the exemption also applies to up to four (4) commercial buildings not exceeding 10,000 square feet in floor area on sites zoned for such use if not involving the use of significant amounts of hazardous substances where all necessary public services and facilities are available, and the surrounding area is not environmentally sensitive
Historic Demolition
Approval of the Car Wash required the demolition of two (2) structures on the site; a 5,400 square-foot one-story commercial structure located at 200-212 North Wilson Way (APN: 153-030-29), and a 3,600 square-foot one-story commercial structure consisting of two adjacent and connected buildings located at 222 North Wilson Way (APN: 153-030-30).
Because the structures were determined to be over 50 years of age, an application for Historic Demolition was submitted and evaluated (P24-0139). After reviewing the Historic Resource Evaluation reports provided for each structure, it was determined that none of the structures were considered to be historical resources. (Attachment G - Historic Demolition Letter)
The Applicant obtained proper building permits through the Community Development Department’s Building Division (BP25-01701) and all structures approved for demolition have been removed from the Project site.
PLANNING COMMISSION
On March 27, 2025, the Planning Commission reviewed the proposed General Plan Amendment and Zoning Map amendment, as well as the Administrative Use Permit and Design Review requests for the Car Wash. After hearing public testimony from the applicant and general public, the Planning Commission voted 6-0, in favor of the Project approving the Car Wash Administrative Use Permit and Design Review (subject to Council approval of the General Plan and Zoning Map amendments) and recommending City Council approval of the General Plan and Zoning Map amendments (Attachment H - Planning Commission Resolutions).
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Notice for the City Council public hearing was published in the Stockton Record on April 24, 2025, and mailed notice was sent to all property owners within a 300-foot radius at least twenty days prior to the May 13, 2025, meeting. At the time of the writing of this report, there were no public comments.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Approval of the Project and Car Wash would provide the City’s General Fund with additional revenue collected through Sales Tax through revenue earned by the Car Wash, and additional property taxes by all parcels.
Attachment A - Location Map and Aerial Photo
Attachment B - General Plan Land Use Map
Attachment C - Zoning Map
Attachment D - Project Plans
Attachment E - General Plan Amendment Exhibit
Attachment F - Rezoning Exhibit
Attachment G - Historic Demolition Letter
Attachment H - Planning Commission Resolutions