The City of Clearlake Planning Commission voted Tuesday, July 18 to recommend to the Clearlake City Council, a rezone of property that is adjacent to Mendo Mill Lumber Co. The parcels are owned by Mayfield Investment Co., which owns the hardware supplier.
Interim Community Development Director Angela Basch explained that a rezone of the two parcels, from Mixed Use Residential to Community Commercial, would allow for paved parking spaces. Basch said the parcels” present use, for a gravel parking area and commercial buildings, is “legal nonconforming.”
The parcels are located on Old Highway 53 and are separated by Weyland Avenue. The applicant has submitted plans for paved parking lot construction on both the northern and southern parcels as part of a proposed expansion of the business.
The northern lot would serve customers, according to the city staff report, with 31 parking spaces plus 13 additional spaces for the lumber yard. Two of the parking spaces would be for people with disabilities. Access to the northern lot would be via one entryway off Old Highway 53 and two entryways off Weyland Avenue.
The southern lot would provide parking for employees of Mendo Mill and would have 28 spaces. Access to this lot would be via two entryways off Weyland Avenue.
The number of lots to be constructed would be less than the amount called for in the city”s zoning ordinance. The staff report notes that “Under the Zoning Ordinance, commercial activities selling building materials must provide 4.5 spaces for every 1,000 square feet of gross floor area in the main retail building. They also must provide five customer parking spaces for the first 5,000 square feet of uncovered sales area, plus one space for each additional 5,000 square feet of uncovered sales area. Based on these factors, the Mendo Mill business would require 126 parking spaces.”
Basch”s report noted that the proposed parking lots would provide 72 parking spaces; however, applicant Mike Mayfield said that the number was 54 and that the entire expansion project would encompass 72 spaces.
The applicant has filed plans to complete an addition to the existing store, add additional paving, complete improvements to on-site drainage and widen and improve the segment of Old Highway 53 that fronts the applicant”s property. However, the July 18 hearing”s focus was on the rezone request and the construction of paved parking on portions of the two lots.
The properties are located in an area of mixed use and varied land use designations. Mendo Mill Lumber Co. is located to the north with Old Highway 53 and vacant land to the east, single-family residences to the south and a mini-storage business to the west.
Basch mentioned an incident involving run-off from a garden hose that puddled on an adjacent parcel. “Provisions in here require drainage to be brought up to code,” she said, adding that the drainage improvements would eliminate incidents of puddling like that which occurred earlier on July 18.
Mike Mayfield told the commission that the company agrees with conditions that are contained in the staff report.
Public testimony addressed concerns with the proposed developments as well as the relationship between Mayfield and the owners of adjoining parcels.
Don Ellis of Weyland Avenue said that Weyland is a “truck ramp” for delivery trucks and accused the trucks of driving over a berm that was supposed to divert water. Commission Vice Chairman Bob Perkins told Ellis that damage would be an issue when it came time to issue work permits.
Gene Schwartz raised a concern that people who had a petition in opposition to the rezone were not notified of the hearing. Schwartz brought up a similar complaint by a neighbor of the “House of Stainless,” which was approved for a use permit on June 20. “When we get a packet, we would like to see a list of what property owners were notified,” Schwartz said.
Marilyn Smith of Smith Storage said that she received a meeting notice but that she had not received a response from Mayfield when she wrote to him regarding damages to the road.
“The water would have destroyed the contents of Unit 6,” Smith said, adding that her husband had to dig a trench on July 18 to avert the run-off of water.
Mayfield told the commission that once the project is completed as envisioned, he will not allow the loading and unloading of trucks on Weyland. Asked by Commissioner Chuck Leonard if the trucks would exit onto Weyland from the lots, Mayfield said the straight use would be to exit onto Old Highway 53 but that he would not preclude the trucks” using Weyland Avenue.
Touching upon planned expansions, Mayfield said the plans have been submitted and are available for review at city hall. “Zoning was the first step.” He added, “The last thing I want to do is to grossly irritate my neighbors and I apologize.”
A recommendation to the city council, that it approve the requested rezone, passed with a 4-0 vote.
Contact Cynthia Parkhill at cparkhill@clearlakeobserver.com.
