During the Los Banos Planning Commission’s April 9 meeting, they finished the site plan review of five duplexes, approved the subdivision of 27.36 acres and approved the cottage food permit for a cupcake business.
Despite some early technical difficulties with the microphone system that required commissioners to raise their hands to speak, the meeting went smoothly.
While four commissioners were present, District 1’s position remained vacant. Chair Gregory Hicks led the quorum. Commissioners Rob Robinson, Steven Nunes and Scott McBride were present.
Inder Sandhu’s five duplexes planned for Sarba Court were first looked at during the March 14 meeting last month. At that meeting, commissioners had some recommendations for the architecture, which included stone veneers, shudder details, 3D renderings and color.
According to Assistant Planner Justin Ragunton’s report, the applicant had fulfilled all of the recommendations during this meeting.
The project initially had approval as the Racquet Club Estates in 2016 and a design review in 2022 for 14 lots. However, the original developer began selling the 14 lots instead of finishing the project.
Five ended up in the hands of Inder Sandhu, who wishes to build five duplexes or 10 housing units of 1,436 square feet each. Each would have three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Stone veneers and exterior accent shudder details have been added to the designs, which generally follow a craftsman style.
Robinson asked staff members if their recommendations had been considered in this revision. Community and Economic Development Director Stacy Elms said they were.
“We were really pleased with the 3D renderings. We thought the enhancements with the shudders were really good [and] the [stone veneer]. Those were the suggestions that the planning commission relayed, and we felt that the 3D renders were ‘hearing’ what was suggested,” Elms said.
Before the site plan review, the commission approved a 27.36-acre subdivision into two plots. The land is just south of Los Banos Junior High School and north of where Place Road dead ends at the Pacheco Boulevard intersection.
The north plot will be 15.5 acres, and the south plot will be 11.86 acres, according to Ragunton’s report. The division will be on the line where Canal Farm Lane is planned to be constructed when development occurs.
The north plot will be zoned for medium-density residential, while the south will be zoned for highway commercial.
“This parcel map is just to facilitate future development,” Ragunton said. The owner, Century Communities of California LLC, plans to develop the plots eventually, but according to Ragunto, no plans are set in stone yet.
Robinson asked if Place Road would be completed during the subdivision. Community and Economic Development Director Stacy Elms stated, “Right now, this is just a physical separation.” The Place Road extension will start construction when future land development occurs.
During the public hearing, Gregory Gonzalez, a resident on the adjacent Nickel Street, asked if Canal Farm Lane would get constructed like Place Road. Gonzalez also had concerns over the medium-density designation.
“I don’t agree that this should be medium-density zoning in there,” he said, with concerns that it could become three-story apartments. He pointed to farmland around Los Banos that still hadn’t been built on. He also asked who determines that there has to be medium zoning there.
Following Gonzalez, Mimi Carter, a resident of Canal Farm Lane, asked if the road would have a bend in it once it was built. “It would make it look cuter,” Carter said.
Elms clarified that in medium-density, “You can’t have an apartment complex, but you can have up to a triplex.” She also mentioned that density is a California state requirement to provide a “range of different densities” to residents.
Elms said, “It’s most likely that the [medium-density plot] will probably be single-family residential.” She continued, saying it’s “very similar to what we’re seeing out by Southpointe, out by Pacheco High School. . . . It does have smaller lots with single-family housing.” Elms mentioned that this is where the housing market is trending.
Regarding the curve, Elms mentioned that the feedback could be provided to the developer. However, Canal Farm Lane has existed within the city’s general plan, or constitution, for over 30 years as a straight line.
“That’s not to say that couldn’t be potentially changed—it just would take some refining to be able to be accomplished,” Elms said.
The approval was made in a unanimous vote without McBride. McBride recused himself from having family property within 500 feet of the subdivision after a talk with City Attorney Bill Vaughn.
Near the start of the meeting, commissioners unanimously approved the cottage food permit for La Cupcake Lady. Owned by Livier Moran, the business will be selling specialty cupcakes from her house at 349 North St., according to Ragunton’s report.
Her flavors will include strawberry cream cheese, red velvet, Mississippi road, Reese’s peanut butter cups, lemon coconut, cappuccino, birthday cake, caramel, carrot, triple chocolate and more.
Steven Nunes was elected by the commission to sit on the city’s traffic safety committee, with McBride as his alternate. The election came just after the public forum and was unanimous.
During Elms’ report, she invited all of the commissioners to the community design standards update meeting on April 22 in the community center. She mentioned that the standards have not been updated since 2008.
Following the meeting, a joint city council and planning commission workshop will be held before the document makes it to the planning commission for its first public hearing and then to the city council for adoption.
Elms said, “It is a much more user-friendly document. We really developed it with the end-user in mind so that developers have a really clear understanding of where the bar has been set for design in our community.”
She also mentioned that the next meeting of the commission on April 23 will have at least one public hearing.
During their reports, commissioners thanked staff. Mcbride thanked the community for “coming out to this meeting and taking part.” Nunes thanked Parks and Recreation Director Joe Heim for his support.
Robinson said, “Our city, compared to others, is well run. You guys do a great job. A lot of cities don’t go to the extent staff does.”
Hicks said, “We’re like a small-big-city. We’re small, but we have everything here. I want to congratulate the staff and everybody in our city because we have everything.” Elms joked, “I’m going to trademark that.”
