During the Sept. 11 meeting of the Los Banos Planning Commission, Lartechm a metal fabricator from San Jose, received its conditional use permit to move to a site in Los Banos. Additionally, the Snow Goose Townhomes had its Site Plan Review approved and Final Development Plan recommended to the Los Banos City Council.
Chair John Cates led a full quorum, consisting of Commissioners Elias Reyes, Rob Robinson, Kathy Uhley and Christopher Perrecone.
Lartech, a metal fabricator from San Jose, plans to move to Los Banos because, according to Joseph Larson, one of the brother co-owners, “It’s so expensive down there, we had to move.” Lartech chose an old body shop at 1235 E St. as its new place of business, according to Assistant Planner Justin Ragunton’s report. What the business needed from the Los Banos Planning Commission was a conditional use permit to fabricate, since the property is zoned only for commercial and not industrial use.
Lartech will operate Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and plans to fabricate railings, stairways, “basically anything you can think of” according to Larson. There are no plans to renovate the site.
Lartech’s conditional use permit was approved without any concerns and was found CEQA exempt due to existing facilities. “Thank you for bringing your business into Los Banos,” Chair Cates said.
“This is exciting for economic development within the city,” said Community and Economic Development Director Stacy Sousa Elms, “because we do feel that Los Banos is strategically located in an area where businesses will be locating here as they get priced out of the Bay Area.”
“Our objective,” Elms said, “is to encourage industry to locate here within our community so that we can have our residents work where they live.” Elms hopes that Lartech can “tell their friends” about Los Banos. “I hope they’re starting a trend here,” Commissioner Uhley said in her report.
Elms also highlighted that the need to have more ‘shovel-ready’ industrial projects to have “available inventory” for small businesses.
The Snow Goose Townhomes were originally slated for approval in January until concerns about the impact of stormwater drainage from Grasslands Water District (GWD) were received, according to Elms. The applicant for the townhomes, Floyd Hinsely, had a mitigating plan put together to see the project’s effect regarding storm water drainage which found “insignificant” impact due to the stormwater basins to be built on-site. “The project would essentially retain [stormwater], through its own bio-retention system,” Elms said.
Additionally, Elms said in her report that the city has committed to partnering with GWD to solve the greater issue of the San Luis Canal. Their partnership’s goal is to construct a 500 acre-feet stormwater basin between the San Luis Canal and Santa Fe Canal adjacent to the wastewater treatment plant. The basin would also help recharge groundwater.
The Snowgoose development consists of 25 two-story townhomes in a gated community following a Spanish mission style. The homes are grouped into five buildings with four townhomes and one building with five townhomes. Each home is to have roughly 1,335 square feet of space and three bedrooms. The development is across the street from Pacheco High School, borders Veterans Memorial Park, and borders the Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall.
Elms said the development is ‘nontraditional’ for its use of zero-lot-line development in medium-density zoning. Allowing homes to be built right on their property lines, which Elms says gives “flexibility” for projects in unusually shaped plots. “Being able to have that zero-lot-line really helps us achieve that density we need,” Elms said. The project, she added, “has been several years in the making.”
The site plan review was approved, and the final development plan was recommended to the City Council. It was found California Environmental Quality Act exempt because it is in-fill development. “May the momentum continue,” Chair Cates said congratulating the applicant.
Finally, a residential parcel at 668 Adams Avenue was split in two. The parcel was historically two parcels, according to Elms, that were combined in 2020. The parcel is located in the presidential streets area. The only question from the commission came from Uhley, asking if the split was the same as the old property line. Elms clarified that it was.
The commission approved the split, separating the .43 acres, into one parcel of 6,889 square feet and one of 11,915 square feet. Each parcel has a main house with one having an accessory building.
During the public forum, City Council candidate for District 4 and small business owner Travis Loebig spoke on the recent closing of Jungle Jim’s Adventure Lanes, a bowling alley previously known as Aqua. “A lot of people in town, not only the youth but especially the older people, need things to keep them busy,” Loebig said. He asked the commission to look into potential incentives to keep businesses in town and not to turn down anyone looking to start a business in Los Banos. “We can’t turn anybody down,” he said.
In her report Director Elms mentioned that the next planning commission meeting is cancelled. Director Elms and Assistant Planner Justin Ragunton will be attending the International Council of Shopping Centers in Southern California. They will be there to promote Los Banos, “really to put Los Banos on the map,” Elms said.
In his report, Commissioner Robinson said the closing of the bowling alley was, “sad to see.” Robinson then praised the recent Garlic Festival, “I spent time just looking around and observing, everybody was having fun.” He then asked if they would have a second year. Elms said, “We hear they’re planning to come back next year.”
Chair Cates mentioned how happy he is to see projects underway like El Pollo Loco and the Downtown Gateway Sign. Cates then mentioned the Los Banos Downtown Association’s Farm To Table event.
Cates also spoke on the need for more land for industrial development and hoped that Lartech would be the start of a trend.
